Ringtail? 1/7/11 update: Self-created injury.
- Thread starter DadRat
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Fidget
Senior Member
Awwww :cuddle: yes, it's so nice to see a picture of him from the front end rather than the back end!
Is he by himself? That just looks more like an injury and the bruising a further injury than either being from something else, I don't see any worsening of the origional owie like if it was a bacterial thing, could be the oral antibiotics staving it off but why the further bruising then?.
I could be wrong, but if he doesn't have a cagemate that is doing it then I'd check out the cage really well and see if there's something that is catching him there. (maybe repeatedly going from 1 level to another with not much space between them and so he catches the base of his tail when he jumps?
Even if ithe cage is the same as it's always been he's older so less agile now so maybe he not maneuvering a move so well?
Is he by himself? That just looks more like an injury and the bruising a further injury than either being from something else, I don't see any worsening of the origional owie like if it was a bacterial thing, could be the oral antibiotics staving it off but why the further bruising then?.
I could be wrong, but if he doesn't have a cagemate that is doing it then I'd check out the cage really well and see if there's something that is catching him there. (maybe repeatedly going from 1 level to another with not much space between them and so he catches the base of his tail when he jumps?
Even if ithe cage is the same as it's always been he's older so less agile now so maybe he not maneuvering a move so well?
He and his two cagemates are in the same double CN they have been in for the past year. Several months ago we got 2 new shelves and ramps as Dom's HED started to get worse. He can get around with the lower angle of the ramps plus ramp covers.
Dom is the aging alpha, so there have been a few scuffles, I think the pack may be attempting to shift a balance, however Dom is the only intact male, the other two (Quilt age 26 months and Greg age 24 months) were neutered due to hormones after we got them. But for the most part they are sleepy manrats. Dom has just taken to squeaking loudly when threatened (trying to get a parent to break up a scuffle) instead of kicking butt since his rear legs are semi-functional anymore.
Dom is the aging alpha, so there have been a few scuffles, I think the pack may be attempting to shift a balance, however Dom is the only intact male, the other two (Quilt age 26 months and Greg age 24 months) were neutered due to hormones after we got them. But for the most part they are sleepy manrats. Dom has just taken to squeaking loudly when threatened (trying to get a parent to break up a scuffle) instead of kicking butt since his rear legs are semi-functional anymore.
Fidget
Senior Member
I wouldn't want you to take my opinion and rule out a medical problem, but it sure looks to me like it's just an injury and then bruises caused by the same abrasive source, and I'd think from something he's maneuvering in the cage rather than cagemates since the only injuries are on the base of his tail and he has no scratches anywhere else?
Just watch him when he's tripping around the cage and take note of where the base of his tail connects with anything..
Just watch him when he's tripping around the cage and take note of where the base of his tail connects with anything..
jorats
Loving rats since 2002.
Mamarat had something similar with her boy Kanji. Kanji had sores on his tail and kept licking at it. The vet told her to keep his cage extremely clean and dry, no moisture either and to use cortisone cream on it... it healed within 2 weeks. Kanji was an older rat and the vet said this happens when rats don't move away from their pee spots.
MomRat
Well-Known Member
So we have the advice of 'increase moisture' and the advice of 'decrease moisture'. Great. :emb:
Fidget, I would think injury too, it's just that, for 2 or 3 weeks leading up to the open sore, we watched a bruised looking area start looking worse and worse, watched it every day and one morning it opened up.. and the bruises below it look JUST LIKE that first bruise did, and seem to be progressing similarly(developing white centers - hope they don't open next...). It wasn't a sudden injury appearance, it was gradual.
Jo, do you know if the pee-spot-culprit sores were on top of the tail or under? These are decidedly on top, and I find it hard to imagine them being urine-caused. :?
He hasn't been to the vet yet, and we discovered we were out of Neo, so David just bought some and started it. Stupid snow.
Fidget, I would think injury too, it's just that, for 2 or 3 weeks leading up to the open sore, we watched a bruised looking area start looking worse and worse, watched it every day and one morning it opened up.. and the bruises below it look JUST LIKE that first bruise did, and seem to be progressing similarly(developing white centers - hope they don't open next...). It wasn't a sudden injury appearance, it was gradual.
Jo, do you know if the pee-spot-culprit sores were on top of the tail or under? These are decidedly on top, and I find it hard to imagine them being urine-caused. :?
He hasn't been to the vet yet, and we discovered we were out of Neo, so David just bought some and started it. Stupid snow.
jorats
Loving rats since 2002.
Kanji's sores were on top. The vet believes the rat would lay in wet pee hammocks and this would create this sore. It completely healed with the cream. He was also on baytril but that was for his URI.
Just giving you our experience... if you'd like to try the extra moisture try that and maybe after if it doesn't help go to the vet and ask for cortisone cream.
Just giving you our experience... if you'd like to try the extra moisture try that and maybe after if it doesn't help go to the vet and ask for cortisone cream.
Well, the top most cut has healed up, but his tail still looks like it is either bruised or has sores about to open up.
Question: since Dom's HED has gotten a lot worse in the past several weeks he has taken to using his tail as a brace when he walks/climbs/etc.
He has not help it off the ground in months, and when he walks or climbs it is often curved into an S shape near his butt and tensed so I can tell he is either bracing with it or pushing with it.
Is this possibly causing these bruise looking areas?
Question: since Dom's HED has gotten a lot worse in the past several weeks he has taken to using his tail as a brace when he walks/climbs/etc.
He has not help it off the ground in months, and when he walks or climbs it is often curved into an S shape near his butt and tensed so I can tell he is either bracing with it or pushing with it.
Is this possibly causing these bruise looking areas?
jorats
Loving rats since 2002.
From how you describe it seems to make sense... kind of like chapped lips, if you smile you crack them again. What does your vet think?
MomRat
Well-Known Member
Took Dom with us to the vet today(along with Quilt) since she doesn't charge double fee for double rat. =) He has been on Doxy/Baytril since Dec. 6, and daily(when remembered) neosporin since the 12th. Neosporin = definitely helping. Since the original pic, the top wound has healed/scarred and the lower bruises have become the open wounds(with slight bruising now below THEM)
You can see the original lesion(white scar) and the new ones(were bruises in the previous photo) here:
Our vet agreed with David that it may be from using the tail as a leg, as there is no fat/hair to protect it from injury, and it is being used as it was never really intended to be. It's cool that dominic is adapting to his HED this way, but if it's the cause, it sure is busting up his tail. We're keeping up the neosporin, it seems to be helping, and the humidifier, cause its helping US breathe, if nothing else. =)
"This is my tail. I love my tail. Please let it get better"
You can see the original lesion(white scar) and the new ones(were bruises in the previous photo) here:
Our vet agreed with David that it may be from using the tail as a leg, as there is no fat/hair to protect it from injury, and it is being used as it was never really intended to be. It's cool that dominic is adapting to his HED this way, but if it's the cause, it sure is busting up his tail. We're keeping up the neosporin, it seems to be helping, and the humidifier, cause its helping US breathe, if nothing else. =)
"This is my tail. I love my tail. Please let it get better"
Godmother
Well-Known Member
Dominic is such a sweetie. :heart: Love that last photo of him. I am glad that you know what is going on; it's been a long wait for you.
jorats
Loving rats since 2002.
He's still very much a sweetie. It's his tail after all.
