Lice treatment for snake food help

[BeyondHuman]

Hi,

We have pet mice and pet rats which we are breeding. Our snakes are only babies and can only eat mice pinkies and rat pinkies. I noticed on 5 of the rat babies that we are letting grow up that they have lice. I was wondering if anyone knows if the Small Animal Mite & Mange Spray is safe for snakes. I don't spray it directly on the babies, however I would spray it on the mother and through the bedding in their cage. The babies would of course come in contact with it through the bedding and from their mother. So should I stop using the spray before the babies are born or before the mother gets pregnant?

The ingredients are: 0.20g/L Pyrethrins, 0.36g/L Piperonyl Butoxide, 0.60g/L N-Octylbicycloheptene Dicarboximide

Also, after the next lot of rat babies are at least 2 weeks old I will be using Equimec horse wormer once a week over 3 weeks to stop the lice life cycle. It is safe for humans to eat a stock animal that has had this wormer after 21 days. Would that be the same for rats being fed to a snake? It can't be given to pregnant rats so the rats would not be pregnant, but how long should I wait to get them pregnant after the last dose of the wormer? The babies would be born 21-25 days, so do I wait 21 days to get the mother pregnant or do I wait to feed any of the babies to the snake until it has been 21 days after the mother had the last dose of Equimec?

Thanks for any advice.

Krystal.

[Tsubakai]

Can't help you with the wormer question but I would use Top of Descent for the mite spray. Its active ingredient is Phenothrin which does not build up and become toxic. Probably a bit more expensive but safer.

[geckodan]

Harvest and freeze the babies. Treat the mother immediately so she is treated well before the next birthing cycle. The risk of transfer from mother to babies will certainly pose a risk of oral toxicity in the snakes.

[BeyondHuman]

The babies that were for food were frozen a long time ago! - long before I found the lice and started spraying the rats. The ones that we are letting grow up are for pets, I am worried about the next rat I will get pregnant and what this stuff will do to the snakes as a result.

Ok, so if I treat the mother now with the Equimec the last dose will be 3 weeks later. Basically when can she get pregnant again after the last dose - what is going to affect the snake?

The box of Equimec says: Active Constituent: IVERMECTIN 18.7g/kg

Will the Top of Descent spray work in an open cage? And is it strong smelling as that can cause problems with rats respiratory wise and flare up myco problems.

Thanks,
Krystal.

[geckodan]

Equimec will only work if they are biting lice , which most aren't (most are chewing). If you are not feeding them out, use the surface product. Most pyretrins and synthetic pyrethroids used in this manner have an active life of only a week or two. You will however need to treat 3 times, 2-3 weeks apart to get hatching eggs as well (think of what you need to do with head lice).

Are they actually lice or fodder mites in the bedding??

[BeyondHuman]

My rats have lice on them, I saw them on the babies when they started getting fur. I have also compared it to a picture and a description. I have a book on Rat Health Care by "The Rat Lady" and she says you can use the mite and lice spray but it is more effective to use oral ivermectin over the life cycle of the lice. I have been using the spray which has not worked so far.

I have read alot of information about rats in the time that we have had them. What I am worried about is the snake as I do not know alot about them and need to know how what I do to/for my rats will affect our snakes.

What I need to know is after I have used the Equimec and also the spray at the same time, when can I get one of my rats pregnant again? Can I get her pregnant straight after the last dose or do I need to wait for 21 days before I can get her pregnant?

Thanks,
Krystal.

[geckodan]

I would mate them 1 week after the lice have been cleared (i.e. final treatment)

[BeyondHuman]

Ok, great, thank you for that!
Krystal.