Saw a tiny orange bug moving on my pet mouse. Could it be a mite?

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Medications such as Revolution are safe for rats for fleas and mites, however the dosing is important as they require less then cats/dogs, and the medication is formulated in packing for dogs/cats. It is important to know the weight of Butters and Lorenzo in order to treat them appropriately. I would recommend calling your vet where you have your cat seen and asking them about dosing for your rats, and see if they would be willing to recommend a dose without seeing Butters and Lorenzo, as they have a relationship with you with your cat. Getting a prescription from a vet without the vet having seen your animal is illegal, and therefore only if you have a good relationship with your vet, will they possibly help you out with this, if they know you and your cat otherwise. If this isn't possible you can try picking the fleas of Butters and Lorenzo, however this won't work for the mites. This will mean you need to save up and bring them to the vet, which is the recommended action. Best of luck with them!

What a cute little guy! Mice do get lice, and it's usually because they're in poor husbandry conditions (like being sold for food). This means your mice are likely infected with other parasites like dwarf tapeworm that definitely is zoonotic (meaning it can infect you). You should treat this little guy with Revolution for cats, which is a spot-on treatment you can get from your vet, and use it topically ever 3 weeks until the parasites are gone. Disinfect his cage and throw out all the bedding as well. If you spray the cage/furnishings with fipronil topical spray this helps kill all the eggs and disinfects the environment. Hope that helps, and best of luck!

Hi there! Fur mites are relatively common in mice, especially if they are from a pet store. There are other conditions that can cause hair loss and skin lesions, but many times the most damage done is self-inflicted. I strongly suggest trimming little Rosy's rear toenails if you can, especially if the skin lesion is at a location that she can scratch at (like the back of her neck, or between the shoulder blades). A tiny scissor or a human fingernail trimmer is good for this. In albino mice, you should be able to see the small, pink vein in the nail - avoid cutting past this. If you do accidentally nick a toenail, don't worry - a small bit of corn starch should stop this up. In a pinch, scratching a bleeding nail on a bar of soap can help, too. Usually, simply putting pressure on it for a minute or so is enough to stop the bleeding, too. Once her nails are trimmed, I suggest cleaning up any skin lesions with a mild soap and water solution, then placing a protective ointment (like the antibiotic ointment you have) on the lesion before applying the mite spray. Most rodent mites live in the fur, so protecting the skin lesions shouldn't decrease the effectiveness of the mite treatment. Do avoid the eyes, nose, and mouth, and follow the directions on the box or bottle carefully. If the toenail trim and mite treatment doesn't help, it might be time to visit the vet to check for ringworm. This is unlikely, but possible, especially if the skin lesions have a crusty or flaky center. Be sure to practice good handwashing after handling Rosy as ringworm is contagious to humans. Good luck, and I do hope that Rosy recovers quickly!

It sounds indeed like your rats may be suffering from a mite or louse infection. Treatment usually consists of applying an avermectin such as Revolution or ivermectin available either in pet shops, your vet or over the internet. You can use the Revolution for dogs up to 5 lbs, at a dosage of 0.1 ml/lb of rat (you will need a 1ml syringe to measure out the dose correctly. Of course it would be easier to have the treatment done by your vet after he or she verifies whether this is indeed a mite infection/louse infection. Make sure you remove and destroy all bedding and disinfect all cages and toys.

Rabbits and rodents with mite issues are best resolved with Revolution for kittens / cats. It is a vet only product so you will need to obtain a vet prescription to obtain the product, which will likely mean bringing your piggy in for a visit. Hope this helps.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I can see that Hades has some hair loss, redness, and scratches on his neck and shoulders. This can be caused by fur mites, a skin infection, or a condition known as ulcerative dermatitis. A vet will be able to take a small sample of fur or skin to determine the cause. In the meantime, I recommend trimming Hade's hind nails to prevent him from scratching and causing trauma and applying SSD (silver sulfadiazene) ointment once daily. I hope this helps!

Enrofloxacin would work best in these cases. Any veterinarian can diagnose and treat such a presentation, which is likely to be caused by a respiratory tract infection/inflammation. I would strongly recommend a check up at your local veterinarian.