About Tails

[maria-mar]

Hi again ^_^
I tried to use the search tool to find out if there were already posts about this, but i couldn't find any, so...

Dirty Tail
Lately my two boys tails seem kinda dirty... i used a humid tissue to wash them a bit, but i'm wondering why they don't clean them as the rest of their body, and what can i do to avoid this? Their litter and bedding material is clean every week, so it shouldn't be because of that :?

Square Tail
Also, i was wandering about the term "square tail"?... All i know is that it is caused by nutritious problems, and that it happens when the tail bones show up, so the tail base looks square. But i can't find pictures of it or any more info. No, i don't think my boys have it, i just want to be informed.

Tail Thermometer
Is it true that we can know a rat temperature by touching his tail?

 

[jorats]

A lot of people clean their rat's tail with Dawn dish soap. They swear by it.
Rats can get fairly lazy at keeping their tails clean. I've never worried about my guys, if they want a dirty tail, so be it. :giggle:

I've never heard of square tail either... I'll have to research that one.

Rats regulate their body temperature through their tails which is why their tails are very important. I don't know if you can definitively gauge a rat's temperature by touching their tails but when mine are sick or dying, their tails are cold.

 

[SQ]

:yeah:

Rats regulate their body temp. by sweating through their tails (and the bottoms of their feet) You know there may be a problem if their tails are too hot or too cold.

My younger boys don't clean their tails as well as they should.
I find that if I clean their tails it encourages them to clean their tails themselves ... because they hate it when I do it. :wink:

 

[maria-mar]

Thank you all, i will keep cleaning them from time to time ^_^
About the other stuff... i'm pretty sure that square tail thing exists... and i'll keep checking their tails temperature

 

[LA]

Unscented, sensitive skin baby wipes seem to clean the tails really well for my girls. Hazel is the worst for cleaning her tail. Olivia cleans her tail herself as did Pearl. Willow who is a 'monkey see monkey do' does as well and learned from Olivia and Pearl. Ruby has started to clean her tail and Lily's isn't bad. It all depends on the rat.

 

[maria-mar]

Thanks LA, that's true, Fievel always has his tail more dirty than Button's ^_^
I'll try some of those.