Reptile & Amphibian Forums

One of my customers called tonight claiming they have mites in the rats they bought from me. I am very confident they did not come from me because I have never had them..... Yet. But just in case I do or they do how do you treat them. They said they where white in color and I would assume a pine mite most likely if at all?

Thanks
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2.1 Tripple Het Caramel, Orange Ghost, Genetic Stripe
1.0 Honeybee
1.1 Het Lavenders
1.1 Het Caramel Albino
0.1 Het Albino
0.1 Spider Het Albino
0.1 Het Pied
1,1 Pastel Het for Orange Ghost
1.0 Albino
0.1 Spinner
1.1 Super Pastel
0.1 Jungle Pastel
1.0 Pied 50 percent White
0.1 Clown
0.3 Normal
1.1 Kids
0.1 Spouse
1.0 Chocolate Lab

First off, check your rats and see if you can find any mites or lice. Problem with rats they have about three different kinds of blood sucking parasites...and some are whitish in appearance too.

I have found some lice on my rats in the past...but I never bothered treating for them, as I found they didn't impact the health of the rats, weren't in large numbers and died when I froze the rats anyway. As these rats are also just for my personal use and i haven't encountered any issue in my snakes for eating a few lice with their meal. The treatments probably would have more harm.

However if you do want to treat your rats, there are a few products. You can simply ask your vet or look at any petstore for mite/lice treatments for rats. You could spray your rat's bedding/cage with something like Provent a Mite...though its designed for reptile use not rodent, so not sure if it will be harmful to the rats in the long run.

I suggest however, whatever product you decide to use, that none of the rats be fed to your snake for a good month or two after the 'last' treatment is done. Maybe longer...no clue how long it takes for common mite/lice treatment chemicals to metabolize out of the body. (even if a external treatment, the rats will still end up ingesting some amount of it in their regular grooming of themselves and each other)
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PHLdyPayne

Thanks for the reply. I don't believe I have anything in my rat collection. I think the people either saw dust or maybe just good old fashioned rat dandruff. I agree with you. I don't want to treat anything unless it becomes harmful to me or the snakes.

Thanks,
Bill
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2.1 Tripple Het Caramel, Orange Ghost, Genetic Stripe
1.0 Honeybee
1.1 Het Lavenders
1.1 Het Caramel Albino
0.1 Het Albino
0.1 Spider Het Albino
0.1 Het Pied
1,1 Pastel Het for Orange Ghost
1.0 Albino
0.1 Spinner
1.1 Super Pastel
0.1 Jungle Pastel
1.0 Pied 50 percent White
0.1 Clown
0.3 Normal
1.1 Kids
0.1 Spouse
1.0 Chocolate Lab