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Y does my rat keeps chewing on his tail2007-11-24 22:20:17

my rat keeps chewing on his tail & i cant find y.

i cleaned his cage (& i mean cleaned) thinking it was just dirty & stuff but it didnt help.

then i gave him a bath in rodent shampoo stuff(he loves 2 swim in the bath tub)

& i have a rat book & it said u can clean there tails with dawn dish soap & toothbrush but none of that stuff helped.

you can C every place wear he has chewed what can i do 2 make him stop?

Answers:

This may be a sign of anxiety or frustration. Some birds will pull out their feathers when their mates die or when they're in a stressful environment. Cats and dogs will pull out their own fur and your rat chews on his tail. You can go to any pet store like Petsmart or Petco and pick up a solution called BitterYuck. It's a nasty tastig solution that keeps dogs from inappropriately chewing. Just spray a light coating on your rats tail and this should discourage him from harming himself further.

For a long-term solution, I would suggest either getting your rat a bigger environment with more mental stimulation or perhaps a playmate.

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it may be a skin infection, or the fact that hes really bored. make sure that he has lots of toys and get some medicated shampoo for him. that may help him feel better.

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Try giving it a friend or more stuff to play with.. might be bored.

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maybe he is bored

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he's bored. buy him some toys

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mabey it itches?

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take him to the vet. a sick rodent can resort to self mutilation.

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either mites, or lice can cause irritation and are invisible to the naked eye, in which case get some 'spot on' by beaphor for rats

or, and highly likely

he is doing it because he is on his own and stressed, a bit like self harming

how to make him stop if its stress? get him a same sex friend he'll adore you for it and will soon stop chewing his tail