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My sons rat is over cleaning itself2007-11-24 22:13:06

My son has two female rats. One is cleaning itself so much that it has scabs and is going bald. At first I thought the other rat was overcleaning the the scabbed one, but I noticed the scabbed one was cleaning herself WAY too much.

Any suggestions on:

1. Keeping her from cleaning herself too much.

2. Healing her scabs

3. Getting her hair to grow back.

Thanks a ton.

Answers:

First, check both your rats to make sure they do not have any parasites such as mites, lice, or fleas ... if you are not 100% sure they do not, take them to the vet and have a wellness exam done.

If one or both have mites then that needs to be tended to ...

If neither has any issues then it could simply be a behavior issue known as "barbering".

Barbering is when a rat, either to herself or her cagemate(s), constantly "cleans" to the point of removing the fur and in severe cases damaging the skin causing scabbing. Most cases of barbering are either due to dominance issues or due to stress ... the stress may be more for one rat than the other.

When my Serena was having her first litter, her sister Sammy was so stressed/worried she essentially shaved her front leg from the shoulder down. The fur only recently, 5 months later, started to grow back in.

Light barbering is not uncommon, severe barbering, if this is the case needs to be addressed. You will have to sort out what stressors are in your girls habitat/living space and try to reduce them. They could be allergens, loud noises, very bright lights, etc. ... or in some cases their cage mates.