Sophie and Natelie

Question
Hey Irene,
You might remember me but if you don't that's ok its been a while. Anyway Sophie and Natelie are doing well they have grown quite a bit and are getting along great. They have the odd fight but nothing serious. Recently though Sophie got her toe caught on something and the nail was completely torn off. I put some disinfectent on it to stop infection and made sure the bleeding stopped but now she has one less nail. Will the nail ever grow back? Should I continue to keep an eye on her foot? I'm not sure what to do from this point. I would appreaciate the help so much.

Answer
Hi Erin, I actually DO remember you and your girls...I am happy to hear they are getting along well.  You did the right thing to prevent infection and should definately monitor the toe.  If you see any redness, swelling, or oozing pus, then don't hesitate to take her to the vet for antibiotics.  As for whether the nail will grow back, that's actually a good question that I'm not sure of the answer to.  When a human loses a nail, it does grow back, so I would hope it will for Sophie too, but even if it doesn't, she should do just fine with a missing nail.  Rats are extremely resilient.  I've known of rats losing a limb, breaking a limb, losing an eye, etc. and they always bounce back and adjust remarkably, so I don't believe you need to worry about that at all.

Hope to hear from you again if you need any more help with your girls.