How to tell the difference between rat's lice bites or protein allergy?

Are there any tricks to tell the difference between lice bites and protein allergy? My girls are on the suebee's rat diet, have been for a while without problem, but now a few of them sprouted these little scabs all over their chins like blackhead acne. One of my ratgirls seems to be more affected than the others, and I am worried. I will take her to the vet, I just want to know if there's any way to tell the difference?

Yes, there is.Lice usually hang around the lower half of the rat's body so you will see skin damage on the lower back, rump, and tail. Also, you can see lice. They are tiny brownish-red specks that wiggle when you blow on them.Mites like to hang around the shoulders, upper back, and the back of the neck. You can't see mites, just the skin damage that they do. Food allergies usually show up around the chin, muzzle, and head.Mites and lice cause intense itching and scratching. Food allergy may or may not be as itchy.You may e-mail me personally for more help at [email protected] Together we may be able to find a solution. I also use the Suebee Diet, along with many other combo diets and foods, for my rats.Or, you may join my Holistarat group where you can talk to other holistic-minded rat keepers about what they feed their rats.http://groups.yahoo.com/group/holistaratspazrats

You should be able to see lice on the rat. If you are not seeing little bugs, then the rats probably do not have lice or fleas. However, they may have mites. Mites are microscopic, meaning you can't see them without a microscope. Your vet will need to prescribe medicine for treatment, since most dog and cat ecto-parasite meds are not safe for rats. If you can, insist that you be given Kitten Revolution (in the pink box). Many rat owners prefer this to the typically used med called Ivermectin. They feel that mites have become immune, which is why Revolution works better. I have a site for Revolution dosing for your reference.Because the scabs are in a localized area, they are probably not related to the protein in your rats diet. I would assume, but I'm not 100% certain, that the scabs would be more spread out (a more generalized itch) if it were protein-related. This is why I suspect mites are the reason for the scabs you are seeing. To prevent mites, you should freeze all bedding and food before using for at least 48 hours. It will kill any bugs living in it. If you use hammocks or fabric bedding, you should freeze them also, or wash them in hot water.As a side note, Suebee's isn't really intended to be a primary diet. It was developed to supplement a diet of lab blocks or dog food. Please consider adding a high quality dog food (not something like Purina or Old Roy) or a high quality lab block (almost nothing that is sold in pet stores is high quality) for a more balanced nutrition for your rats.One of the links I have provided below is a rat owner's forum that has tons of great info for rat owners. I recommend it to everyone that owns or is interested in owning rats. (Actually, the woman Suebee, who developed Suebee's diet, is the head moderator of the forum.) Several rescues sell Harlan Tekland rat food through that site. That food is one of the best rat foods available, and all proceeds support the running of the rescue that is selling it. If you want to add a rat food to your mix, I suggest looking there first.