My pet rat has weird red dots on his head and body. What is it?

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! When I see patients like this the first thing I do is a skin scrape to check for residual parasites like mites (which I suspect here) If none are found, often I will do a culture to make sure no resistant bacteria or fungi (like ringworm-another possibility high in the list) infect the skin, and if so what kind. Thank you for attaching pictures! It is very helpful to us. The "blood" that you are seeing is likely a secretion called porphyrin...it can be released due to stress or illness. I hope this information helps! If you need further assistance or would like a consult please don't hesitate to ask.

Hi there! Pablo does look pretty itchy by those pictures. Mites are usually microscopic, so if you can see the bug it may be something different. I have seen many rats with lice. Lice are species specific so they are not likely to affect you. You can bathe him and buy a tiny comb to start picking out the bugs and eggs, but he will also likely need to see a veterinarian for medication to get rid of the infestation. Thorough cleaning of the cage and daily bedding changes will also need to be done. I hope he heals 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.

Hi there, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear about your lumpy rat friends. Small lumps (less than 1cm) in the skin that have a brown spot or head on them might be sebaceous cysts - a common condition in male rats where a gland in the skin gets clogged and swells with cheesy, white-yellow material. You mentioned that these lumps are soft and under the skin, however, which makes me think of another kind of lump. I don't see that you mentioned their ages, but if they are older rats (over 1.5-2 years old), I do start to worry about mammary tumors (yes, even in males!). These are extremely common in rats as they age, and may be benign or malignant, and may need to be removed, especially if they get large. I strongly suggest that these boys get evaluated by a vet to determine what these lumps are. There is a vet that sees rats near you - here is their info: Acacia Animal Hospital 4205 N Campbell Ave, Tucson, AZ 85719 (520) 308-4225 In the meantime, if you'd like to repost with a picture, feel free to do so. I am also available for consultation if you'd like to discuss your concerns further. Good luck, and I hope that Lenny, Norm, Fred, and Herman stay happy and healthy!

It appears to be a wart from the photo but rats tend to have a lot of tumor growth so I would suggest you take him to a vet for a checkup. They would be able to give you a better idea of what it is with an examination. I hope this helps! He's really adorable!

Hello! The picture is a bit dark, but there are two main possible causes for this. The first cause is completely normal- rats have porphyrin pigment, which is red colored, in their tears and nasal secretions naturally. Seeing a small amount of red tinged tearing is completely normal in rats. The tearing often increases during times of stress and illness. Moving is a common cause of stress in rats, so may increase this normal tear production. If Nugget is completely normal otherwise, I would likely attribute this to the stress of moving. If the discharge is a bright frank red blood, associated with the eye being swollen or held shut, yellow/green discharge, sneezing, wheezing, lethargy, or disinterest in food, I would recommend a vet check to rule out an upper respiratory infection that may require antibiotics for both rats, as it is usually contagious. I hope this is helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! :)

He could have mites. A skin scraping should be performed and examined under the microscope. It could also be the beginnings of a growth that your rat is trying to bite or scratch off. I'd recommend an exam to better assess the affected area.