# flaky and sore tail



## Maze (Feb 12, 2009)

Harlequin my mothering doe has a really flaky slightly red tail. I've noticed her grooming it but no more then usual.
so I dont know what has caused this and if there is anything I could put on it to moisturise it?


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## Maplewood Stud (Jan 2, 2009)

ouch poor love!
ive never seen anything like this before?
could i be something to do with the heat? x


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## julieszoo (May 27, 2009)

Does the tail look kind of uneven in diameter? If so, it might be ringtail....


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

Ringtail is a new one to me.Interested to hear more.


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## julieszoo (May 27, 2009)

Ringtail is usually caused usually by a lack of humidity, sometimes it can be related to diet. One of the usual suspects for drying out the air too much is air con. I have only ever seen it in a litter of rescue rats I took in a couple of years ago. In some of the cases, the effect was so bad that the ends of the tails actually went necrotic and dropped off. I wish I had taken pics. The link below is excellent and does show pictures.

http://ratguide.com/health/integumentar ... ngtail.php


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## Cait (Oct 3, 2008)

I have seen something similar a couple of times in mice, but it doesn't match the ringtail link supplied and has never been too serious. All I did to clear it up was apply Johnson's tea tree skin cream for small animals every other day. This seemed to clear it up within a couple of weeks with no lasting effects and no loss of tail etc. Both times it happened in my mice it was to adult does, though this could easily be coincidence as this is obviously what I have most of, being a breeder.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

very interesting ,thankyou for sharing the info.another possibility could be mites that have burrowed under the skin.


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## Maze (Feb 12, 2009)

Thanks mousebreeder I will buy some of the tea tree cream. 
It doesnt look uneven the size and shape of her tail is fine it is just flaky a slightly red looking. She doesnt seem at all
in any pain so hopefully it will clear up with the cream.
Thanks a lot peeps


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