# Rat tails...



## chrisd (Aug 25, 2011)

Both of my girls' tails have been getting dark patches on their tails that seem to be spreading further and getting darker. Neither of them have dark hair, one has light brown hood and stripe down her back and the other has a gingery coloured hood; their bodies are white.

Now I read somewhere that they could be rotting? Obviously this has worried me greatly and although I think that isn't likely, just would like to hear some opinions from you lot.

Will try and get a pic uploaded later. Thanks


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## Glorfindel (Mar 16, 2010)

It happens to every rat as they get older - nothing to worry about . It is caused by the constant dragging of the tail through litter. Some people do not like this at all and those in show will wash the tail - you can do this with psmall pet safe shampoo and a baby toothbrush - but you need to start early and do it often in order for it not to 'stick'.

Something to slow down the patching is to check how often you change the bedding, check how often you change hammocks (rats like to pee and marinate in them, I change my boys ones every two days) and check what kind of litter you are using. Dust free cardboard litter is better. Newspaper, carefresh or shredded paper is less good. Woodshavings and sawdust obviously wouldn't be used with a rat of course due to the myriad of health problems.


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## Guest (Feb 24, 2012)

chrisd said:


> Both of my girls' tails have been getting dark patches on their tails that seem to be spreading further and getting darker. Neither of them have dark hair, one has light brown hood and stripe down her back and the other has a gingery coloured hood; their bodies are white.
> 
> Now I read somewhere that they could be rotting? Obviously this has worried me greatly and although I think that isn't likely, just would like to hear some opinions from you lot.
> 
> Will try and get a pic uploaded later. Thanks


Sounds like they have dirty tails, I have to give some of my boys a daily tail wash because they like to drag them through their pee ut:



Glorfindel said:


> It happens to every rat as they get older - nothing to worry about . It is caused by the constant dragging of the tail through litter. Some people do not like this at all and those in show will wash the tail - you can do this with psmall pet safe shampoo and a baby toothbrush - but you need to start early and do it often in order for it not to 'stick'.
> 
> Something to slow down the patching is to check how often you change the bedding, check how often you change hammocks (rats like to pee and marinate in them, I change my boys ones every two days) and check what kind of litter you are using. Dust free cardboard litter is better. Newspaper, carefresh or shredded paper is less good. Woodshavings and sawdust obviously wouldn't be used with a rat of course due to the myriad of health problems.


Can I ask why your think carefresh isn't as good as cardboard?
(I use neither but I'm just interested)


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## LostGirl (Jan 16, 2009)

My boys have it the mingers! The girls aren't to bad just little patches

B3rnie I'm not keen on care fresh I've had ones that are abit dusty in the past and it's expensive lol


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## chrisd (Aug 25, 2011)

Phew thats good to know! Glad its nothing to worry about. I'll try and clean them and see if that works. Cheers.


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## Guest (Feb 24, 2012)

LostGirl said:


> My boys have it the mingers! The girls aren't to bad just little patches
> 
> B3rnie I'm not keen on care fresh I've had ones that are abit dusty in the past and it's expensive lol


Yeah thats why I don't use it :lol: I prefer Megazorb 

I just wondered why Glorfindel mentioned in the OP's case, as I didn't think that carefresh was any worse for dirty tails than cardboard (does that make sense?)


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## Glorfindel (Mar 16, 2010)

Yeah, I find carefresh to be dusty and also stinky! hehe. I did some 'tests' with it when first switching over to Finacard and while carefresh absorbs the urine it tends to stay quite sticky and wet? Whereas Finacard absorbs and drys on the top layer - I hope that makes sense! I've found my rats stay much cleaner on the finacard over carefresh and need full cleans once a week instead of 2-3 times.

Bearing in mind those weekly cleans are in very large cages! (Furet Tower, Ferplast Mito etc).


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

I hate cardboard squares now I find it holds the stink so they smell more wee wee. I'm using megazorb now and although it's messy it works out much better for me and my 11 boys.
I will go back to using the bales of Eco bed but not while I have a load of rats in one cage.


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## Guest (Feb 24, 2012)

Glorfindel said:


> Yeah, I find carefresh to be dusty and also stinky! hehe. I did some 'tests' with it when first switching over to Finacard and while carefresh absorbs the urine it tends to stay quite sticky and wet? Whereas Finacard absorbs and drys on the top layer - I hope that makes sense! I've found my rats stay much cleaner on the finacard over carefresh and need full cleans once a week instead of 2-3 times.
> 
> Bearing in mind those weekly cleans are in very large cages! (Furet Tower, Ferplast Mito etc).


That makes perfect sense thank you, I've never used carefresh or cardboard squares so I was curious


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

Glorfindel said:


> Yeah, I find carefresh to be dusty and also stinky! hehe. I did some 'tests' with it when first switching over to Finacard and while carefresh absorbs the urine it tends to stay quite sticky and wet? Whereas Finacard absorbs and drys on the top layer - I hope that makes sense! I've found my rats stay much cleaner on the finacard over carefresh and need full cleans once a week instead of 2-3 times.
> 
> Bearing in mind those weekly cleans are in very large cages! (Furet Tower, Ferplast Mito etc).


Agree with you, I found Carefresh dusty & was smelly (my oldest son even remarked about when I was going to clean out the smelly rats when he came home from school- I'd literally just finished them!), it also worked out really pricey for doing big cages


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## Glorfindel (Mar 16, 2010)

It is really pricey and smelly isn't it! It has this certain smell that just smells unclean to me, haha.

I don't like cardboard squares either - I use FINAcard which is shredded, fluffy cardboard and only about £7 for a big bale that lasts my 26 rats about a month and a half, which is good going .

Megazorb is pretty good too! I switched though after getting a couple of batches that smelled really funky - hmm, I'm so funny when it comes to smells it seems, haha!


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

Glorfindel said:


> It is really pricey and smelly isn't it! It has this certain smell that just smells unclean to me, haha.
> 
> I don't like cardboard squares either - I use FINAcard which is shredded, fluffy cardboard and only about £7 for a big bale that lasts my 26 rats about a month and a half, which is good going .
> 
> Megazorb is pretty good too! I switched though after getting a couple of batches that smelled really funky - hmm, I'm so funny when it comes to smells it seems, haha!


I usually use Finacard, although I'm currently using up a bag of Aubiose I was given, I haven't tried Megazorb


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