What causes scabs on my rat's ears and head if she's not itching?

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.

I am so sorry that this is happening to you and Hoshi. I didn’t see how long you have had Hoshi, or how old she is, but there are a few things that could be going on. She may be itchy - this can be due to infectious diseases, such as parasites. She may have also traumatized herself and now is not letting it heal and making it worse. She could also have a growth, or mass, in the region that is growing and bothering her, or it could be another cause. I would recommend taking her to see a veterinarian. They can evaluate her for parasites, and can look at a sample of the affected region under the microscope to determine what is going on. They can also prescribe her pain medications, and potentially other medications depending on what is going on. Please don’t give any human medications to Hoshi, as many of them are harmful to our furry friends. I hope that gives you a place to start, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thanks for reaching out about Mike. Mites often cause scratching to the point of dermal scabs, often found around the shoulder area. Mites are more common in newly acquired pets. Being hyperactive is not necessarily a sign of illness, maybe being stimulated by smell or sounds. If the problem persists and you are concerned, a veterinary visit is recommended. Good luck.

This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

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!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The condition you are describing sounds a lot like ulcerative dermatitis, a condition that is very common in mice, though the cause is unknown. The condition is characterized by very itchy wounds that form crusts, but unfortunately the cause is unknown. It may be caused by stress or an autoimmune disorder, but these are merely theories. Fortunately, the wounds often heal on their own - you can trim the hind nails carefully and apply SSD (silver sulfadiazene) ointment to the area twice a day. If the wounds become severe or very deep, you may need to seek veterinary care for pain medication.

This is probably due to a severe mite infestation (scabies), you will need to take her to the vet ASAP in order to get treated with a medication called ivermectin, it can be applied as an injection or spot on, usually 3 treatments one week apart from each other is enough to solve the problem.