Hope is chewing on Cookie

[Petunia]

or more specifically, Cookie's ear!

First I saw a few little scratches- these two girls have little tiffs from time to time, nothing major.


But today, there's a larger (but still small) blood crusted spot and Hope keeps going to groom it off of Cookie!

so it's only getting bigger (hope is not terribly gentle- Cookie squeaks when she does this but I don't know that she's in pain, they squeak at each other fairly often, even during face offs, when there's no contact between them)


Is this something I should separate them for, at least til Cookie's ear has healed enough that Hope won't keep picking at it?

hmmmmmm, Cookie is on my lap and I just noticed both ears have scratches on them....

is this normal?

 

[jorats]

I wouldn't separate, not yet. I do remember of rats getting something on their ears but I just can't remember right now. I'll have to ask my mom tomorrow. She's pretty current on the medical stuff.

 

[Joanne]

Would that be a sign of bugs?

 

[lilspaz68]

can you take a pic? A little bit of blood on the edges is more likely to be porphyrin staining that Hope is forcefully licking off. Is she licking or chewing on the ears?

If there's scabs on the edges, and little stick-em out things you may be dealing with sarcoptic mites which you will need Ivermectin to treat.

 

[jorats]

Sarcoptic mites, that's what I was thinking.

 

[Petunia]

I'll try to get a photo of her when she's awake (don't want to wake them up now, I've got to get some housework done LOL I can't tear myself away from them when they're up, and I am getting so far behind here it's not funny

and yet, I laugh :giggle: )

if it were some sort of mites, wouldn't they all have scratched up ears?

 

[Petunia]

OK I didn't get a photo because she wouldn't sit still but I did get a better look.
what I thought were scratches are actually the little veins in her ears :emb:

so she's got a few small scabs on one ear, that are a bit smaller today.
(just little bloody spots)

I'll keep an eye on them and see if I can see what Hope is doing to cause this. So far when they've been squeaking a lot and I'm around to check on them, I find Hope on top of Cookie, power grooming her, at least that's what it looks like.

They've had a few little spats where they've stood up and glared at each other, then went on about their business. I haven't seen them actually fight. Some pushing and shoving over food, but they all do that :roll:

Clair will push my hand away if she thinks I might take some tasty morsel away :giggle:

On a different topic, I've been keeping the old girls OUT of the cage when the young ones are in it. They are clearly much less stressed with this arrangement, esp Clair. She's starting to look a tiny bit better, less crusty crap around her eyes, her fur looks a bit better.

Each pair takes turns having the whole cage to play in. The young girls need at least an hour out to run, and the older girls spend most of their time on the bed.
They will explore a bit when I let them out in the rat room but mostly they want to eat and sleep, sleep and eat.

I spend at least an hour a day with a rat or two sleeping on me. The old girls love to sleep on me, and even the younger two will settle down happily under my chin or on my shoulder under my hair for a nap.

This means I am forced to sit in a chair and watch TV or do nothing (else) for that time, but I've put out my SI joint again. So it's working out ok. I don't usually like to sit and watch tv, I'll have it on but usually I am doing other things.
Can't do a whole lot til I get another cortisone injection for my back.

It's so nice having these warm furry bodies sleeping on me.

 

[jorats]

It sounds like you have a pretty good setup and routine going with the girls.

 

[Petunia]

:emb:


I had a photo all along- it's healed up since this was taken, the bloody spots are smaller now

 

[Petunia]

:emb:

this is how it happened!!:


fuzzy photo but there it is: Hope trying to drag Cookie by her ear!

here's another shot taken the same day, also very fuzzy- the two young'uns on my shoulder:

 

[Argent]

Little cuties! My poor Mako has a penchant for ear-biting...to the point where the others will retaliate. He's had a pierced ear before! Should heal up quickly though, I hope they don't start making a habit of it!

 

[mamarat]

I love the two bums on your shoulder.

Her ear looks like it's been done by her sister. It should heal fast.