Pet rats are inquisitive social creatures who enjoy exploring their surroundings and foraging for food. It is not uncommon to see your rat grooming, using their hands and feet to clean their fur or remove debris after feeding. But if you see them consistently scratching at their body this may be a sign they are itchy and not just grooming. 

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What are the signs my rat is itchy?

Some common signs your rat is itchy may include:
–   grooming more than normal

  • scratching at a certain area of their body often
  • chewing at parts of their body
  • rubbing themselves against cage items 
  • bald patches on their fur 
  • shortening of the fur in areas on their body 
  • Common reasons for itchy skin also known as pruritus are conditions which cause the skin and nerve endings in the skin to become irritated. Inflammation is a common cause of this and many conditions can cause the skin to become inflamed, these include:

What can cause my rat to be itchy?

Parasites 

External parasites such as fleas, mites and lice irritate the skin and cause inflammation as they often chew or feed on blood through the skin, as a result this makes the rat feel itchy. This is one of the most common reasons for pet rodents to be itching.

Allergies

When a rat is allergic to something sometimes this can result in a reaction in the skin. This reaction causes inflammation in the skin which in turn makes the animal feel itchy and uncomfortable

Infection 

Skin infections can occur; often secondary to bite wounds or trauma or sometimes secondary to chewing at the fur or itching lots for another reason. As the bacteria build up in the skin, they causes inflammation and swelling which then causes itching

Wounds 

When the skin is damaged from wounds it becomes inflamed. This can make the animal want to overgroom and itch this area; these can be bite wounds, self-trauma wounds, or wounds caused by the environment such as chemical contact or burns

Other conditions 

If all of the above are ruled out there are other less common conditions that can cause itching in your pet rodent. This can be investigated by your veterinarian 

What should you do if you think your rat is itchy?

If you think your rat is itchy the most important thing is to get them seen by a veterinarian familiar with rodents as soon as possible. Itchiness is uncomfortable for your pet rat and if left too long they can start self-traumatizing and end up with serious secondary infections if not treated quickly. 

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Tests

Your veterinarian will perform a clinical examination of your pet rat and look at their skin and fur.
They may then need to do some additional tests to diagnose the issue which may include:

  • Skin scrapes – a small blade is used to scrape at the skin to look for mites and other parasites 
  • Hair plucks – a small amount of fur is plucked at the root to be examined by the laboratory, often fungal tests are performed this way, but the laboratory can also look at the fur quality and screen for some parasites
  • Tape strips – strips of tape are used to take a sample of the cells in the skin and then examined under a microscope to look at what cells are present 
  • Impression smears – a microscope slide is pressed against a lesion to get a sample of the cells to be examined under a microscope 
  • Swabs – a swab is taken of a wound or lesion to check for bacterial presence, this will often be examined at a laboratory
  • Skin biopsies – these can be taken of an area of skin and examined by the laboratory to see what changes are happening within the skin
  • Blood tests – if they feel the issue may be related to another underlying condition 

This list is not exhaustive. Other tests are available, and your veterinarian may or may not need to use any of these tests depending on the results of their clinical examination; some external parasites can be seen visually without the need for additional tests!

Depending on the results of the examination and/or any additional testing that is performed your veterinarian will prescribe an appropriate treatment. They’ll advise you on if any environmental changes or treatments are needed as well.

Summary:

Many different things can cause rats to be itchy:

  • External parasites such as mites and lice are common causes of itching in pet rats
  • If you think your rat is itchy it is important you get them examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible so the cause of the itchiness can be found and an appropriate treatment given

Further reading: