White rat swollen right foot

Question

Swollen foot   HELLO I have a white rat and his leg  has swollen .Ihave tried giving him amoxicillin and ibuprofen for swelling for a few days but it didnt seem to work. He doesnt seem to be in pain or anything. Could it be a tumor or something else that I could give him to treat the swelling. I clean his cage every few days and he lives in a aquarium so he didnt break or sprain it. Thanks if you can help.

Paul

Answer
Oh no, poor baby.  That does in fact look painful.  Rats, instinctively by nature being prey animals, do not show signs of pain unless it becomes very bad.

This certainly appears to be a case of bumblefoot, which is a severe acute infection rather than a tumor or a fracture.   Amoxicillin is not the right medication.  He needs to be treated with Trimthoprim-sulfa  for at least 14 days.  For severe edema, Prednisone should be prescribed.  Since this condition causes significant discomfort, oral narcotic pain medication such as Torbugesic should be given as well.

Heres a link to a good website describing this condition and you will notice that some of the photos there closely resemble  your boy's condition.
http://www.sandyscrittercity.com/swollenfootinfection.htm

I hope this is helpful and that you will get the meds from your vet and treat him as soon as possible.  I do hope that your boy recovers quickly.