Tail Amputation

[Dazzle87]

My poor babies have had the worst luck lately, past few months it seems I can't go a week without a vet visit All for just three of my girls too.

I had a devastating experience tonight. I had my girls out for free range and I heard my rat Missy scream :sad3: I ran to her, she was hiding under the CN when I got to her. On her tail, she had a cut going all the way around. I'm not sure but I think it might have gotten stuck in the wheel? I brought her to the emergency vet, where the tip of her tail fell off. The vet said it needed amputation (I figured that). I just got a call back from the vet right before I got home a little while ago, Missy came out of surgery just fine! The vet said she's bouncing around the cage and everything, doing wonderfully. Such a HUGE huge relief!! I'm so glad she's okay, I was very scared. I still feel awful for the poor girl, but I'm so happy she's okay.

Anyway, my questions. My vet wants me to keep her separate from my other girls. They always say that though, even when its not really necesarry. Anyone who has done this, was it necesarry to seperate and if so how long?

Second, is she going to be able to balance well still? I'd say with the extra taken to ensure healthy tissue she lost twoish inches.

It looked far worse by the time I got to the vet, but for those interested here's a pic (NOT for the squeamish! I love my girl and had to force myself to look).

[spoiler:1lkqg9u1]

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[Bundyrats]

Oh your poor little girl! That looks really sore. Glad to hear that she's alright though. I've never had a rat with this problem but my girls seem to have a lot of strength in the base of their tails, so I would think there would still be a good ability to balance with what's left...??? Hopefully!

 

[lilspaz68]

She should be just fine. I had 2 girls here who had lost half their tails to due a scissor "accident" and they were both very agile. You can put her right back in I would imagine. Once that nasty painful thing is gone your rat will be fine, and the actual surgical site is very small.

It should look something like Hestia's

 

[jorats]

I wouldn't separate her from her cage buddies. My vet always tells me you must do what is least stressful for the rats after surgery. If the buddies will cause her stress, then you remove her but if she's more stressed without the buddies, then you keep her with the buddies.

 

[eagle]

I tried to do an intro with my boy Devlin and it went really bad. His tail was bitten almost all the way through and it did fall off after a few days. He is all healed up now. He lost over 3" of his tail.
[spoiler:5v2m6n4o]http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5002/5371106383_441375eae4_z.jpg[/spoiler:5v2m6n4o]

 

[temblabamomo]

Poor girl, and poor you! I think I would've panicked and lost it in that situation. I'm glad to hear Missy did okay with surgery, I'm sure she'll bounce back and adapt in no time.

 

[Dazzle87]

Thanks guys.

I'm glad to hear she should be fine. Poor hestia, scissors?! Omg.

Jorats, that's a good way to do it lol I'll have to see when I pick her up.

Ouch eagle! Glad he's better now!

I kinda did lose it lol, I cleaned it and did what I had to but I was pretty hysterical . I was upset for my girl, and I'm squeamish.

 

[lilspaz68]

Thanks guys.

I'm glad to hear she should be fine. Poor hestia, scissors?! Omg.

Jorats, that's a good way to do it lol I'll have to see when I pick her up.

Ouch eagle! Glad he's better now!

I kinda did lose it lol, I cleaned it and did what I had to but I was pretty hysterical . I was upset for my girl, and I'm squeamish.

Hestia was bitten, the other 2 girls had someone cut their tails in half with scissors.

 

[Dazzle87]

Thanks guys.

I'm glad to hear she should be fine. Poor hestia, scissors?! Omg.

Jorats, that's a good way to do it lol I'll have to see when I pick her up.

Ouch eagle! Glad he's better now!

I kinda did lose it lol, I cleaned it and did what I had to but I was pretty hysterical . I was upset for my girl, and I'm squeamish.

Hestia was bitten, the other 2 girls had someone cut their tails in half with scissors.

Oh ok. My god wth is wrong with people :gaah: poor babies, im glad they ended up with you.

 

[lilspaz68]

Thanks guys.

I'm glad to hear she should be fine. Poor hestia, scissors?! Omg.

Jorats, that's a good way to do it lol I'll have to see when I pick her up.

Ouch eagle! Glad he's better now!

I kinda did lose it lol, I cleaned it and did what I had to but I was pretty hysterical . I was upset for my girl, and I'm squeamish.

Hestia was bitten, the other 2 girls had someone cut their tails in half with scissors.

Oh ok. My god wth is wrong with people :gaah: poor babies, im glad they ended up with you.

Actually those 2 are with MumsyRat now, they adore her and the one hated me and would launch herself for blood everytime. I cannot reach them all, and Mumsy is doing great with them.

 

[Joanne]

All I can say is "ow!" Glad to hear she should heal up without any problems.

 

[Dazzle87]

Weird how some rats just really prefer certain people. I'm glad they're in a good home then

Thanks Joanne

 

[mamarat]

So glad your girl is doing well. All those tails look so sore. Ouch!

 

[Moon]

[
Actually those 2 are with MumsyRat now, they adore her and the one hated me and would launch herself for blood everytime. I cannot reach them all, and Mumsy is doing great with them.

I was wondering about them, that's SUCH good news.

 

[Dazzle87]

Thank you. Yes she is doing just wonderfully

Pics of my little sweetheart:

She's even taking the metacam like a champ...stuff smells so bad LOL.

I'm really scared about leaving her with her cagemates, the babies are careless...I'm keeping an eye on her. The discharge instructions actually say to just separate if the cagemates are aggravating her. I dunno but it feels like this is more fragile than the normal surgery site. I'm gonna try though.

 

[Dazzle87]

Thank you. Yes she is doing just wonderfully

Pics of my little sweetheart:

She's even taking the metacam like a champ...stuff smells so bad LOL.

I'm really scared about leaving her with her cagemates, the babies are careless...I'm keeping an eye on her. The discharge instructions actually say to just separate if the cagemates are aggravating her. I dunno but it feels like this is more fragile than the normal surgery site. I'm gonna try though.

 

[Sharlees rattakisses]

I would have NEVER thought about a rattie tail getting caught like that!! :shock:
Poor girlie. :hugs:
Thanx for posting the info.

 

[Dazzle87]

Thank you. It's quite scary it has me so paranoid. I'm practically afraid to touch my rats tails.

Degloving is terrible, but it is actually a defense mechanism. If a predator grabs and bites their tail, they "shed" their skin so the predator doesn't get them. So if it gets stuck, picked up by the tail, bitten, etc, they can loose the skin

 

[Sharlees rattakisses]

I've seen that.
Pretty awful too.

 

[Dazzle87]

Oh did you mean about the CN wheel being the suspected culprit? For now it's blocked off, but I'm looking into different wheel design that couldn't possibly catch a tail. I don't know for sure, but it's right by where she was and the only thing I can think of that hasnt been ruled out that could be that kind of danger. Either way now that I've noticed it m taking care of it.


Possibly these:

http://www.google.com/products/cata...esult&resnum=6&ved=0CJABEPMCMAU4FA#ps-sellers

I've noticed, since missy's been back my other girls have been kinda subdued, like they know somethings wrong. It could be my imagination but if not it is sweet.

ETA this is my first time with dissolving stitches, how long do they usually take?