Bathing Male Rats: Tricks to Reduce Stress
Article written by Grove, from Rachie’s Ratirement Home
Rats are very clean creatures and don’t normally need assistance with bathing. When they do, we generally use water and a gentle, scent- free shampoo as dust bathing isn’t an option due to their sensitive lungs.
There is one very common reason rats might benefit from a bath, where a dry bath product can make it safer and less stressful. Male rats create ‘buck grease’, a waxy orange substance that builds up on the skin and fur of the lower back and flanks of males, in proportion to how hormonal they are. Older male rats are also especially prone to weakness and degeneration in their back legs, which can prevent them from cleaning properly.
Buck grease is waxy and sticky and accrues grime. Leaving it to build up creates a habitat for microorganisms and can lead to itchiness and irritation, as well as the general discomfort of being unable to wash. This is when they may benefit from a bath.
It’s important to note that baths can be very stressful for rats. The thick, waxy grease is hard to break through with shampoo, taking a lot of added time and uncomfortable scrubbing.
Grooming Tips from Rachie's Ratirement Home
Here’s the trick we use to keep our mobility impaired old boys at Rachie’s Ratirement Home clean and comfortable with minimal stress:
- Get your rat comfortable on a towel in your lap, facing away from you. Give them a treat to keep their nose busy and out of the dust.
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Using your fingers and an old toothbrush, gently massage small amounts of Vetafarm Origins Dusting and Bathing Powder into the fur and skin of the back area, from about the shoulder blades down to the tail, where the buck grease accrues.
Dusting & Bathing Powder is made from zeolite which binds to the grease, helping it break away from the skin and fur. If you’ve ever mixed flour into oily meat juices so it will mix through water to make a gravy, it’s the same principle! - Avoid puffing up dust into the air by dispensing it onto your hand - tip some onto a plate and dip the toothbrush in.
- As the grease and dust clumps together and falls away, gently brush it off onto the towel, and add fresh Dusting & Bathing Powder as needed.
Next Steps:
When you’ve massaged the dust in, it’s bath time! A brief bath with warm water and a small amount of shampoo will gently wash off all the dust and any non-waxy grime elsewhere. Now, instead of repeatedly shampoo scrubbing their back in a high stress environment, you’ve just had a lovely snuggle, a massage and a treat, and a brief bath.
- Don’t stress about getting them pristine, just get them comfortable.
- Run your bath before you start and lay a flannel down under the water to create a grippy surface to stand on – this will help in reducing stress.
- If your rat is experiencing hind leg degeneration, seek vet advice to understand and manage the underlying causes such as kidney disease or arthritis, and learn how to manage proteinaceous plugs and safe cage modifications.