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Why is my old rat biting his neck and shoulders? No fleas!

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Small Animal | Rat | Male | unneutered | 3 years and 4 months old

My rat is biting his neck and shoulders very badly and I can’t figure out why. He is old and lives by himself. He does not have fleas. I’ve looked through his fur and not seen anything

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1 Answer

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Answered By Jeffrey Milner

Veterinarian

Published on July 21st, 2019

He could have mites. A skin scraping should be performed and examined under the microscope. It could also be the beginnings of a growth that your rat is trying to bite or scratch off. I'd recommend an exam to better assess the affected area.

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