Hello,
I am an animal lover, but I never have been overly fond of rats. Hamsters and Bunnies...the cute fuzzies are my thing, alongside dogs, cats, ferrets and other furry critters. I just never really had pet rats growing up.
However I just had an experience that has changed my view on rats, to a more positive and compassionate adoration. About 3 years ago my boyfriend got two male rats-Horis and Lyle. Over this past summer his one rat, Lyle, which was about 3.5-4 years passed away in his sleep. I was saddened because I actually enjoyed playing with Lyle, he never nipped and was calm whenever I went to pick him up. Lyle was a nice white and brown colouring.
My boyfriend's other rat (Horis) was a little less affectionate-and I hesitate to say slightly less attractive. Horis was a solid brown-street rat colouring. Not the most active-and would rather curl up in his bed than socialize.
Two days before Christmas Eve (Wednesday), I was over at my boyfriend's place and one of his family member's mentioned that the rat wasn't looking to well.
So I went to check on the little guy-and his bedding was covered in blood. So I got my boyfriend to pick Horis up to turn him over--- and I was horrified by what I found-between his back leg and tail on his right side (my left when he was turned upside down), was a wound that was covered in disgusting yogurt-like pus. It was approximately the size of a dime.
Unfortunately my boyfriend and I are relatively unexperienced with rats----Horis and Lyle are the only rats he has had and my brother once had a baby rat that he saved from a snake once. However I've had other pets in the past and knew basic first aid stuff.
First we picked up rat shampoo (he was out) and tea tree oil-Horis showed signs of lice.
Second we made a trip to Shoppers and picked up a Saline spray to clean out the wound and keep it from getting badly infected.
Third I grabbed a small cat carrier to keep him in-easier to keep clean and sterile.
Boyfriend had to run to work, so I stayed to clean up the rat-and let me say I am normally calm around animals and have no problem handling them-but I was shaky when it came to Horis. I was afraid he'd bite (not that I would have blamed him, he would have been in pain).
I got a very large bowl and mixed the shampoo with tea tree oil in luke warm water-and then put Horis in the bowl. It was disgusting-all the pus and blood broke away from the body. After the bath he seemed to feel much better. So I was hopeful it was just an abscess. I was able to spray the wound out with Saline solution-thanks to my boyfriend's brother. And learnt very quickly not to apply polysporin for it is tacky and will just cause things to stick to the wound.
I took him home with me for two days-boyfriend had to work and didn't have the time to take care of Horis.
Well I stayed up late researching abscesses and rats, and realized that if he had an abscess we were in the clear---but if Horis had a tumor, the poor guy could be screwed. Tumor removal in Canada is between 250-800. Boyfriend was raised to spend no more than 100 dollars at the vets for small animals....I am a little different.
On the Thursday, I took the rat to my vet-and after spending well over 100 dollars, I found out two things. 1) Horis did have lice-the lovely species specific kind-he got a shot to help him resist them. 2) Horis had a tumor, but because a) he was 2.5-3 years of age, b) had a little bit of a lung issue, and c) was underweight; it would be better for him to be put on antibiotics and fed table scraps. Antibiotics would help heal the wound, and the table scraps would make him fat so he would survive surgery. He had necrotic tissue around the wound...perhaps about an inch....she (the vet) didn't seemed concerned by this.
So we gave him his 0.2 mg of antibiotics twice a day, everyday and cleaned the wound as prescribed-which was just spraying with the Saline solution. He got table scraps, daily bedding changes, and daily baths to help his skin fight lice (vet recommended).
I got over my initial discomfort at touching him, and actually became attached to the little guy, he was fuzzy, friendly and even though I was picking him up when he'd rather be curled in a ball, huddling around his tumor, he never bit me. I bathed him, towel dried, sprayed him with Saline solution-and not one snap. I even got quite good at giving him his oral antibiotics, and spraying the wound by myself. He showed improvements between December 23-29th.
Then on the 29th, he took a turn for the worse. He began chewing off his necrotic tissue,and exposing more of the wound-it went from dime size to the size of a quarter/loonie. That day when i went to give him his morning medicine, I discovered a sight that made my skin crawl. He must have sat in his food dish-the wound was covered in seed-and I had to dig to get half of a sunflower seed out of a deepish recess in the tumour. When I removed the seed, it clearly hurt him and released a horribly rank odour. I cleaned him and his cage up, and by that night he seemed to be feeling better.
The climax of our situation occured on New Years Eve/Day. When we got home from our New Years festivities (which for those of you wondering-did not include alcohol), we immediately went to give him his antibiotics and wound wash. He was curled up in a tighter ball. He snapped at my boyfriend, and it took a while to get him out of the cat crate. At this point his wound was almost two-three inches long and an inch-1.5 inches wide-and covered in seeds. I had to pick them off. The tumor at this point was bubbling outside of him-and growing. He would not take his antibiotics-I could not get his mouth open. His rib cage was protruding-he looked like skin and bones-plus a big tumor. The day before I had seen him. The wound was much smaller-Perhaps the size of a toonie-his tumour was not nearly as aggressive. He also was covered in lice, and dander. His whole body looked in pain-and to keep him alive any longer would have been cruelty.
In our area, the vet hospitals which treat rats were closed, and wouldn't have reopened until Monday. We hated to see him in pain-keeping him going for two more days while he chewed at the wound and the tumor consumed him would have been cruel. So as controversial as this may sound, we used my boyfriends car exhaust to euthanize Horis. We monitored him very closely-he did not suffer, and he passed away in the cat crate, where he was at home. Familiar smells and all.
I admit-I balled my eyes out. I didn't like Horis at first, but in the end he was a tough, gentle and stoic little guy...I just feel guilty for not have been able to do more. Between my inexperience, and the horrible timing of his tumor-I feel quite guilty.
Why am I telling this tale? Well I would like to get advice....any that you may have on how one could prevent this!
1) How can one pack an abscess/prevent food and bedding from sticking to the abscess...and should my vet have known this? I asked and was told just to keep the wound clean.
2) Has anyone had this kind of situation?
I am an animal lover, but I never have been overly fond of rats. Hamsters and Bunnies...the cute fuzzies are my thing, alongside dogs, cats, ferrets and other furry critters. I just never really had pet rats growing up.
However I just had an experience that has changed my view on rats, to a more positive and compassionate adoration. About 3 years ago my boyfriend got two male rats-Horis and Lyle. Over this past summer his one rat, Lyle, which was about 3.5-4 years passed away in his sleep. I was saddened because I actually enjoyed playing with Lyle, he never nipped and was calm whenever I went to pick him up. Lyle was a nice white and brown colouring.
My boyfriend's other rat (Horis) was a little less affectionate-and I hesitate to say slightly less attractive. Horis was a solid brown-street rat colouring. Not the most active-and would rather curl up in his bed than socialize.
Two days before Christmas Eve (Wednesday), I was over at my boyfriend's place and one of his family member's mentioned that the rat wasn't looking to well.
So I went to check on the little guy-and his bedding was covered in blood. So I got my boyfriend to pick Horis up to turn him over--- and I was horrified by what I found-between his back leg and tail on his right side (my left when he was turned upside down), was a wound that was covered in disgusting yogurt-like pus. It was approximately the size of a dime.
Unfortunately my boyfriend and I are relatively unexperienced with rats----Horis and Lyle are the only rats he has had and my brother once had a baby rat that he saved from a snake once. However I've had other pets in the past and knew basic first aid stuff.
First we picked up rat shampoo (he was out) and tea tree oil-Horis showed signs of lice.
Second we made a trip to Shoppers and picked up a Saline spray to clean out the wound and keep it from getting badly infected.
Third I grabbed a small cat carrier to keep him in-easier to keep clean and sterile.
Boyfriend had to run to work, so I stayed to clean up the rat-and let me say I am normally calm around animals and have no problem handling them-but I was shaky when it came to Horis. I was afraid he'd bite (not that I would have blamed him, he would have been in pain).
I got a very large bowl and mixed the shampoo with tea tree oil in luke warm water-and then put Horis in the bowl. It was disgusting-all the pus and blood broke away from the body. After the bath he seemed to feel much better. So I was hopeful it was just an abscess. I was able to spray the wound out with Saline solution-thanks to my boyfriend's brother. And learnt very quickly not to apply polysporin for it is tacky and will just cause things to stick to the wound.
I took him home with me for two days-boyfriend had to work and didn't have the time to take care of Horis.
Well I stayed up late researching abscesses and rats, and realized that if he had an abscess we were in the clear---but if Horis had a tumor, the poor guy could be screwed. Tumor removal in Canada is between 250-800. Boyfriend was raised to spend no more than 100 dollars at the vets for small animals....I am a little different.
On the Thursday, I took the rat to my vet-and after spending well over 100 dollars, I found out two things. 1) Horis did have lice-the lovely species specific kind-he got a shot to help him resist them. 2) Horis had a tumor, but because a) he was 2.5-3 years of age, b) had a little bit of a lung issue, and c) was underweight; it would be better for him to be put on antibiotics and fed table scraps. Antibiotics would help heal the wound, and the table scraps would make him fat so he would survive surgery. He had necrotic tissue around the wound...perhaps about an inch....she (the vet) didn't seemed concerned by this.
So we gave him his 0.2 mg of antibiotics twice a day, everyday and cleaned the wound as prescribed-which was just spraying with the Saline solution. He got table scraps, daily bedding changes, and daily baths to help his skin fight lice (vet recommended).
I got over my initial discomfort at touching him, and actually became attached to the little guy, he was fuzzy, friendly and even though I was picking him up when he'd rather be curled in a ball, huddling around his tumor, he never bit me. I bathed him, towel dried, sprayed him with Saline solution-and not one snap. I even got quite good at giving him his oral antibiotics, and spraying the wound by myself. He showed improvements between December 23-29th.
Then on the 29th, he took a turn for the worse. He began chewing off his necrotic tissue,and exposing more of the wound-it went from dime size to the size of a quarter/loonie. That day when i went to give him his morning medicine, I discovered a sight that made my skin crawl. He must have sat in his food dish-the wound was covered in seed-and I had to dig to get half of a sunflower seed out of a deepish recess in the tumour. When I removed the seed, it clearly hurt him and released a horribly rank odour. I cleaned him and his cage up, and by that night he seemed to be feeling better.
The climax of our situation occured on New Years Eve/Day. When we got home from our New Years festivities (which for those of you wondering-did not include alcohol), we immediately went to give him his antibiotics and wound wash. He was curled up in a tighter ball. He snapped at my boyfriend, and it took a while to get him out of the cat crate. At this point his wound was almost two-three inches long and an inch-1.5 inches wide-and covered in seeds. I had to pick them off. The tumor at this point was bubbling outside of him-and growing. He would not take his antibiotics-I could not get his mouth open. His rib cage was protruding-he looked like skin and bones-plus a big tumor. The day before I had seen him. The wound was much smaller-Perhaps the size of a toonie-his tumour was not nearly as aggressive. He also was covered in lice, and dander. His whole body looked in pain-and to keep him alive any longer would have been cruelty.
In our area, the vet hospitals which treat rats were closed, and wouldn't have reopened until Monday. We hated to see him in pain-keeping him going for two more days while he chewed at the wound and the tumor consumed him would have been cruel. So as controversial as this may sound, we used my boyfriends car exhaust to euthanize Horis. We monitored him very closely-he did not suffer, and he passed away in the cat crate, where he was at home. Familiar smells and all.
I admit-I balled my eyes out. I didn't like Horis at first, but in the end he was a tough, gentle and stoic little guy...I just feel guilty for not have been able to do more. Between my inexperience, and the horrible timing of his tumor-I feel quite guilty.
Why am I telling this tale? Well I would like to get advice....any that you may have on how one could prevent this!
1) How can one pack an abscess/prevent food and bedding from sticking to the abscess...and should my vet have known this? I asked and was told just to keep the wound clean.
2) Has anyone had this kind of situation?
