What part of their body can't pet rats l**k?

Question

I want to give one of my pet rats some Eucalyptus oil, as she suffers from respiratory problems, which she is receiving antibiotics for, and she is very mucousy. I have heard that Eucalyptus is good for removing the mucous, but that it shouldn't be ingested! So, I have mixed a tiny bit of the oil into some olive oil, now I just need to know where to put it, where she won't be able to l**k it off.

Thanks.

Answer 1

I wouldnt give Eucalyptus oil either its harsh on sensitive noses. I also wouldnt steam. It potentially stressful to the rat and has been proven ineffective

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/ab ... 71/14/1109

Thats a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study which found no effect of steam inhalation on cold symptoms

and also

http://www.mrw.interscience.wiley.com/c ... frame.html

That one is a systematic review ( a review of all the articles on the suject) which " concluded that "there is insufficient evidence to support the use of steam inhalation as a treatment"

Also this paper http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articl ... id=1472796 Which says that steaming has no effect and has been known to cause burns in children so should not be recommended.

So the evidence suggests there is no benefit even for the upper respiratory tract and the British Journal of general practice advises it should not be recommended.

Instead your vet can give you bisolvan which is a powder that will loosen the mucus, def a better alternative, they can also give you anti inflams, bronchodilator, and diuretics often help with pneumonia. What antibiotic is she on and what dose? vets often underdose rats. If you get no improvement your vet should give you another type or combination

Answer 2

It is the same as where you put flea medicine on dogs and cats. At the base of the head and top of the neck. Towards the center of the shoulder blades.

Answer 3

on the back of its head

Answer 4

the nipple

Answer 5

Right below her chin if she has one or on her throat.

Answer 6

Rats can l**k every part of their body!

Answer 7

Right behind the head (between the shoulder blades). If you put it on top of her head, she can use her paws to clean that and l**k her paws, thus ingesting the oil.

Answer 8

top of the head maby behind the neck

Answer 9

the back of her head or neck but if she lives in a cage with other rats then they will probably l**k it off so its probably best if you separate her for a while, while she gets better

Answer 10

the top of the head

Answer 11

the top of her head

Answer 12

the nect no  mamal or pest can  turn its head all the way around and l**k it neck. I hope this is satisfactory ^-^

Answer 13

back of her head .........between her ears

Answer 14

I think that the rat would struggle to l**k the top of his head!

Answer 15

The top of the had, unles she has an unusually lobg tounge or she is smart enoug tol uses her hand/leg/arm to get it off

Answer 16

their head, but if you do put it on her head put her in another cage as the other rat will l**k it off

Answer 17

they cant l**k there tounge ahah

Answer 18

Is it safe to put eucylptus oil on a rat?  I wouldnt.  

Have you tried steaming her instead?  get her in a small well ventilated cage, boil water in a saucepan, put the saucepan near the cage with a few drops of the oil in it (but not close enough for her to reach and burn herself of course) then cover with a towel or shower curtain and check on her every 10 minutes.  

We did this with my boy for 20mins to half an hour each night.  He smelled pretty afterwards but that was about it.  

If you have a nebuliser or your vet does, get a prescription for some nebuliser meds and steam her that way.  It'll be much more effective.

Give her a small piece of dark cooking chocolate - its good for chest congestion

Answer 19

their elbows?