Einstein's mystery flesh wound?

[fenshae]

Einstein's "giving me a heart attack" career continues.

The boys have been having some power struggles since Socrates and Basil died. With no strong alpha stepping up to the plate, and Ginji and Ban hitting that hormonal 8-10 month stage, they're scuffling a lot. But it hasn't been bad. Just mostly lots of nosing off and boxing and shoving off of shelves. But no blood, not even any really serious fighting....they're just very vocal, especially Einstein who has *always* squealed like a pig whenever anybody touches him.

So when they fight, I don't really go check on them every time anymore.

Well, imagine my surprise when I go say hello to everyone today, pull Einstein out for kisses, and he has this huge gash on his shoulder!

I'll try to get a better picture...he refuses to sit still, as always, he's running around and being a spazz and is acting totally unbothered by it. I mean, no puffing or pain-bruxxing or anything. But it's a BIG chunk of skin missing. No scab, and no other wounds on him. It looks exactly like what happens when you get a really bad blister and pop it then peel the skin off.
[spoil:12mimbrq]

[/spoil:12mimbrq]I gave him some ibuprofen and he's acting like he's totally fine, he doesn't even seem to notice or care that there's this big chunk missing from his shoulder. I haven't tried to clean it yet. Should I just use saline? Should I use some polysporin since it's so big and open?

I have no idea what happened here. He has NO other mark on him, and I checked all the other rats out and there's not a mark on anybody else. No scratches or scabs or anything. And no blood anywhere in the cage. It must be soaked into a hammock or something.

I'm almost wondering if this was self-inflicted? He's a self-barberer. Do rats ever chew their own skin out of boredom?

 

[hopefloats]

I have had a few with some bad cuts in that same area, I am pretty sure it is from another rat. They can chew themselves but that is the exact spot of all the gashes I see here LOL

Mine never seem affected by this big cuts they are more scared of the act than the actual cut.

they rarely bleed. I remember the first one i seen on the young ones. I seen his skin peel back, and I freaked a bit. I scurried around the room looking for the napkins, i just knew i would have a gusher... well I waited, and i waited and I waited. not one drop of blood came from that sore

 

[mamarat]

I would leave it alone for now and just keep an eye on it. It doesn't look that bad, he must have fought and moved the wrong way and got cut by another rat.

 

[lilspaz68]

Its most likely not a chunk taken out of him, more that the skin was sliced to the muscle and the skin tension pulled open the wound.

Like this one on Hermes

[spoil:1rg9fxly]

[/spoil:1rg9fxly]

They don't bleed much or at all, there's very little nerves in that area so they just sit there wondering why we are freaking out LOL

It should heal well on its own.

ETA: I, kscanuck785, put the spoiler as requested by another member...hope it's ok

 

[jorats]

That is a very common wound. And like already mentioned, no skin missing, only separated. If you pinch the two sides together, you will see they match up.
It's a typical spot for a gash. What happens is a buddy comes up on the back of the neck to do a hard power groom. The receiver freaks out and runs and voila! a nice big gash. Heals very quickly, no need for metacam or anything really. Keep an eye on it, make sure it's clean... that's about it.

 

[kscanuck785]

oohh....oohhhh...
that pic needed a spoiler.... :sick2: :sick2:

sorry

 

[fenshae]

Oh, phew. Glad it's not so scary after all. He sure doesn't mind, he was hanging like a monkey off the cage ceiling today. That boy refuses to act his age.

Still not sure who the troublemaker is. I suspect it's Einstein himself -- he slept alone last night and nobody fought while he was gone. He's always had the bad habit of starting fights he couldn't finish.

 

[Joanne]

So wouldn't it take much longer for the skin to grow in across the open area vs. going in and getting it sutured up?

 

[hopefloats]

Oh, phew. Glad it's not so scary after all. He sure doesn't mind, he was hanging like a monkey off the cage ceiling today. That boy refuses to act his age.

Still not sure who the troublemaker is. I suspect it's Einstein himself -- he slept alone last night and nobody fought while he was gone. He's always had the bad habit of starting fights he couldn't finish.

I wish you could of seen my daughter after I got used to seeing them, well she hasnt been. It happened to one of the boys and I told her to just put him back in the cage, she was like uh! I told her tomorrow it wont even look like it split open.

It is crazy how they heal and how fast they close up. that one might need to be watched a bit so that it doesn't end up with stuff sticking to it.

 

[lilspaz68]

So wouldn't it take much longer for the skin to grow in across the open area vs. going in and getting it sutured up?

Actually these types of wounds close up seriously fast just because its a split skin thing rather than a actual chunk of flesh that needs to rebuild and heal over. Often smaller one (not this one) you would never be able to find the next day...this one will take a few days.

Fenshae, can you post pics everyday so we can follow it's healing progress?

 

[Joanne]

Fenshae, can you post pics everyday so we can follow it's healing progress?

Yeah, would you? That would be great. My kids haven't had a wound like that yet.

 

[fenshae]

Absolutely It'll be a learning experience lol.

I've got him on newspaper and fleece right now, so no bedding to get stuck to it.

 

[handmeafish]

oohh....oohhhh...
that pic needed a spoiler.... :sick2: :sick2:

sorry

Yeah... I was eating... um... I think i'm done now though... eepp. Can one of the Mod's fix that? Its just rough to see with no warning if your casually scrolling through a thread.

 

[fenshae]

He was not pleased to be dumped out of his tunnel hammie for a photo shoot XD
Sooo...Day 2 photos:
[spoil:1hw2xyss]

[/spoil:1hw2xyss]
And one of his sweet face

 

[handmeafish]

thanks for changing that KS... It was just shocking, and I didn't want another poor member to end up loosing their appetite too.

 

[lilspaz68]

It looks like its drying up nicely

 

[temblabamomo]

Yikes, it's always scary to be surprised with wounds like that. I'm glad he doesn't seem to be too bothered by it. I hope it continues to heal well.

 

[Joanne]

Are you still giving him Metacam?

 

[fenshae]

Nope, I haven't given him any more ibu. He seems completely unbothered by it, he's not chewing the skin or anything, so I'm leaving it be.

 

[EDK]

I never had wounds on my rat but then again at the time he was a single male so no competition, he had his mommy all to himself lol!

But wow that looked to be a huge gash yet...no blood as everyone stated, thats weird, I would of expected blood? Odd but glad everyone is saying its not bad, phew, I'm no expert so I'm just saying at this point. Females shouldn't fight too much right? Just 2 sisters? Its usually the males that make a pecking order or is that more of a rat myth?