r/RATS • u/cantpickausername30 • 4d ago
Questions/HELP Help needed-mite preventative
Hi all, I really need help finding out if there's maybe a kitten-sized Revolution topical I can put on two rats. No one in Tulsa (even the shelters and rescues or pet stores) can advise on anything except their bedding or a bath using kitten Adam's flea/tick/mite shampoo, or permrethrin 10% for spraying your house perimeter.
I know there MUST be one because if I could do it for my ferret then there must be one for rats. My ferret was over 2lbs, though, and the vet had me us kitten Frontline or PetArmor. The rats are only 1lbs or less.
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u/After_Window_4559 4d ago
Do they have mites or do you just want a preventative? Typically preventative treatment for mites isn't done on rats, I assume because they're so small and flea meds are a poison so can be dangerous to them because of their size. Rats also don't typically go outside where they would be exposed to mites so a preventative treatment isn't really necessary
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u/cantpickausername30 4d ago
No, they do. They likely, from what I've read, get them because wild vermin get into apartment complexes (which is what i suspect may be happening here).
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u/After_Window_4559 4d ago
The only mite treatment for rats I know of is a tiny amount of kitten revolution, but I think that's by vet prescription only unfortunately
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u/cantpickausername30 4d ago
I've read the only surefire way to get rid of and prevent more is using topical Revolution but given the current state of barely being able to afford groceries I can no longer afford vet visits now. I'm trying to switch jobs but this economy is a dumpster fire so I'm probably not the only one in this situation.
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u/heckhunds 4d ago
I'm not familiar with any preventative treatments approved for rats, but I definitely would not bathe them regularly with the flea shampoo. I'm not sure how safe ingesting a formula made for cats or dogs would be for a rat grooming their fur afterwards, and it would definitely be hard on their skin and very stressful to the rats.
Is there any particular reason you're stressed about a possible future infestation? Rats aren't routinely given preventative treatments for tropical parasites.
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u/cantpickausername30 4d ago
I only used the one the rat rescue recommended. I'm stressed because they have mites now from outdoor mice getting into the area.
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u/heckhunds 4d ago
Oh if they already have mites that's not a preventative, it's just treatment. If you were phrasing it as preventative, that may be why you've not been getting very useful answers. Personally, I have used ivermectin (the horse deworming paste version) to treat ectoparasites. Someone else already linked the relevant ratguide page.
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u/cantpickausername30 3d ago
Sorry about that-I was more thinking along the lines of the stuff you put on a cat/dog's neck that bith gets rid of and prevents future ones because im tired of dealing with it. Thanks for the advice!
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u/Ugarnoiger 6🐁 + ❤️🩹10 4d ago
Only way to get rid of mites is by using vet prescribed medication. Frontline does not work for mites and can be extremely dangerous if given too much!
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u/RelevantMode 4d ago
you treat the rats for mites the regular way (ideally revolution or something else selamectin based).
https://ratguide.com/meds/anti_infectives/anthelmintics/selamectin_revolution.php
that'll make the rats toxic for the mites for quite some time. (weeks to a month).
can be used prophylactically too.
the mites that are not on the rats will die soon on their own.
possible is also ivermectin, but selamectin is far more effective, and its less toxic for the rats.
don't treat or spray anything else.
don't use flea shampoo or stuff like that on rats.
if you have heavy mite infestation, you can freeze the bedding for some time, and put anything that holds the temp (wooden stuff) for 100°C in the oven for an hour or two.
that helps killing off mites on the stuff if there's really really many.
(but the selamectin itself should take care of it already too. the ones on the rats die within a day)
you can also desinfect the cage, using isopropanol or something like that.
evaporates without residue in some minutes.
(of course the rats need to be in another room for that and everything needs to be evaporated before they can go back. also need to air out well and don't breathe too much of the fumes yourself too...)