My pet rat has lice. How do I treat them and are they safe for humans?

Question

I have a baby rat that was going to originally be snake food, but the snakes were too dormant. Now he is a pet. :) But unfortunately I just noticed some lice like bugs coming off him... What should I do? Could they affect me personally? Pet's info: Other | Unknown - Other | Male | 1 month and 9 days old | 0.03 lbs

Karly Macon, DVM, MS, CVA Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist · Accepted Answer

What a cute little guy! Mice do get lice, and it's usually because they're in poor husbandry conditions (like being sold for food). This means your mice are likely infected with other parasites like dwarf tapeworm that definitely is zoonotic (meaning it can infect you). You should treat this little guy with Revolution for cats, which is a spot-on treatment you can get from your vet, and use it topically ever 3 weeks until the parasites are gone. Disinfect his cage and throw out all the bedding as well. If you spray the cage/furnishings with fipronil topical spray this helps kill all the eggs and disinfects the environment. Hope that helps, and best of luck!

My pet rat has lice. How do I treat them and are they safe for humans?

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