How to Fix a Hairless Rat's Dry Skin

Feed the hairless rat several chunks of bread each day. These chunks of bread should be soaked in olive oil. A hairless rat's diet plays a role in the condition of his skin. A rat without oils in his diet is more prone to developing dry skin. In minor cases of dry skin, the first (and often only) measure that should be tried involves feeding oils to the rat, which helps his body moisturize the skin from within.

Trick a picky rat to eat olive oil. For a rat who will not voluntarily eat the olive oil, about a teaspoon of the oil can be given orally using a small liquid syringe, available at the veterinarian's office or at the drug store (they're used to give medicine to children). The oil can be given once a day until the dryness resolves. After that, once or twice a week doses of oil can keep the hairless rat's skin in great condition.

Use unscented baby lotion (sensitive skin formula, if available) and massage this into the rat's skin for a period of 10 minutes. This should be performed on a daily basis until the dryness improves. During the winter, daily massages may be required for some rats. In others, once the initial dryness improves, once or twice-a-week massages with unscented sensitive skin baby lotion will keep the rat's skin in good condition. This technique should not be used on a rat who is prone to cysts or has an open cut or scratch. See Step 5 for rats who are suffering from cysts or broken skin.

Apply a small amount of olive oil to the skin of rats who do not respond to the unscented baby lotion massage. This can be done as long as the rat's skin is not broken, cracked or scratched. A small amount of pure olive oil can be massaged into the rat's skin for about 10 minutes. Be sure to massage the oil into the skin thoroughly; it should not be at all greasy when the process is complete. If so, use a soft cloth to wipe away any excess. This can be performed every other day for about a week or until the initial dryness is resolved. After that, once or twice a week olive oil massages will keep the hairless rat's skin moisturized. This technique should not be used on hairless rats who experience problems with open wounds, large scratches on the skin, cysts, pimples and blocked pores.

Avoid using oil or lotion to moisturize a rat's skin with skin irritations. Some hairless rats are prone to cysts, pimples and blocked pores and it's also not uncommon to see scratches and cuts arise on hairless rats. Instead, use pure aloe, without coloring or any other ingredients. Massage the aloe into the skin twice daily until the skin lesions and cysts heal. Once healing occurs, you can switch over to the baby lotion or oil if dryness is still a problem. To promote healing of cysts, scratches and cuts, apply a dab of antibiotic cream to the affected areas and rub the cream into the skin until it's absorbed.

Place a humidifier in the room with the rat's cage to counteract the effects of dry winter air. In the winter, the cold, dry air tends to dry the hairless rat's skin. Homes with forced hot air heating systems tend to be extra drying to the rat's skin. If possible, find a humidifier with a warm output so that it doesn't have a cooling effect on the room. Warmth is vital for a hairless rat.

Take measures to prevent excessive dryness in the first place. Regularly offering bread soaked with olive oil, providing a humidifier and giving moisturizing massages once or twice a week is the best way to keep a pet rat's skin healthy and moisturized.