Things You'll Need
- Anti-bacterial soap
- Antibiotic cream
- Betadine iodine
- Cotton pads or sterile gauze pads
- Warm damp wash cloth
- Microwavable heat pack
Instructions
Treating Cysts and Skin Infections
Before handling a hairless rat, wash your hands using an anti-bacterial soap like Dial.
Wash the rat's skin using warm water and anti-bacterial soap like Dial once a week to remove dirt and excess oils.
Apply warm, wet compresses to the skin twice a week to promote natural exfoliation and cyst-free skin. Many cysts and skin infections arise due to dirt on the rat's skin, which does not have any protection from dirt and oils like a furred rat. Promote natural skin exfoliation and remove superficial dirt by applying warm compresses twice per week. Wrap a damp wash cloth around a microwavable heat pack and apply the compress to the rat's back and sides, the areas most likely to develop an infection or cyst. Keep the compress in place for 20 minutes and when complete, use the damp wash cloth to apply slight pressure, while rubbing the skin in a circular motion to remove dead skin cells.
Monitor the rat on a daily basis for any scratches or new cysts. Both scratches and cysts can develop into a full-blown skin infection.
For scratches and cysts, promote healing by swabbing the area with an antiseptic, anti-bacterial agent like Betadine Iodine (located in the first aid section of the drug store), applied to a clean cotton pad or sterile gauze pad. Clean the rat's skin lesion twice per day.
Once the Betadine has air-dried, massage a small amount of antibiotic cream (not ointment, which clogs pores) into the skin at the site of the infected skin or cyst.
If an infected scratch increases in terms of redness, swelling and tenderness, a visit to the veterinarian will be required to obtain oral antibiotics. Sometimes, the infection is so severe or deep in the skin that topical treatments simply aren't sufficient to promote healing.
Special Care for Cysts in Hairless Rats
Apply a warm, wet compress to the rat's skin before attempting to drain a cyst. Place a damp wash cloth around a microwavable heat pack. This should be applied for 20 minutes to soften the skin.
Wash your hands using an anti-bacterial soap before directly touching the rat's skin.
Gently apply pressure on either side of the cyst, for small cysts with a clearly formed head/center. A clear, thick paste or a white toothpaste-consistency material will emerge from the cyst. Most blockages will emerge with little discomfort for the rat, providing the skin is softened with a compress prior to the extraction. Monitor the area for healing, as additional blockage removal may be required.
Visit the veterinarian for assistance in lancing larger cysts. Some cysts will grow quite large (more than an inch in diameter) if they are not properly drained or if they become infected. These cysts will need to be lanced by a veterinarian to allow for proper drainage and healing. Oral antibiotics are often required to allow for complete healing of the infection.
Clean cysts with betadine and apply a small amount of antibiotic cream to promote healing and continue to monitor the rat's skin, because repeated drainings may be required. Betadine and antibiotic cream should also be applied to larger, infected cysts that are awaiting treatment from the veterinarian, in order to slow the development of the infection.