How to Treat Lice in Rats

A lice infestation in your pet rat is nothing to be alarmed about, but you should deal with the problem immediately. Left untreated, lice can lead to more serious problems such as the blood disease haemobartonellosis. Lice, which have six legs and are usually deep red or orange, are pretty easy to spot. They cannot be transmitted to people, so you don't have to worry about treating yourself or other members of the family. In most cases, you can get rid of lice on your pet rat with a simple treatment and a thorough cleaning of the animal's cage.

Things You'll Need

  • Medicated lice removal (Ivermectin)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Inspect your rat and its cage for lice. Signs of lice in rats include hair thinning, self-trauma and itching. Run your fingers through its hair and look for tiny lice and their eggs. To get a close-up view, use a magnifying glass.

    • 2

      Take your rat to the vet to have it checked out. The vet will be able to confirm the lice infestation and recommend a good lice-killing product. Ivermectin is the most common lice killer and can be given orally or injected. Other topical products also may be available.

    • 3

      Follow the vet's instructions closely. You'll need to administer two treatment cycles approximately 10 days apart to effectively kill the adult lice and their eggs. This is because the initial treatment kills the already-hatched lice but not their eggs. The second round of treatment should kill the remaining hatched lice.

    • 4

      Clean out your rat's cage thoroughly and replace bedding. Isolate other rats in the cage to prevent the spread of the parasite.