Please Help, my rats paw is swollen

Question
Hello, i live in mexico, and here there are no rat experts nor vets who have expertise on rat care, so i beg for your help. I have male rat twins and a brown male one. the twins are close to their second birthday. they lived in a fich tank, but now they live in a wire cage. Their diet consists in grains (corn,sunflower seeds, weat), fresh vegetables, fruit and occasionally dog food. But last week i observed that one of the twins limped, and had problems to stand up, Under a deep observation i noticed a red point in the heel of his right back paw, and i think i made a mistake, because i thought he got his leg twisted, or hit. so i rubbed his leg, gently of course,and next day suddenly his foot was swollen, twice its size. My unique option was researching in the net, and figured out that it was probably an infection. I checked the cage and found a little space of rusty wire. I dont have any other place where to shelter them. I started a treatment with amoxil and apply on his leg an ointment of arnica montana. Am I doing it right? As it is a wire cage, does metal can cause some abration on their skins? There are not petshops specialized in rats, and there are no adecuate sawmill but only the nocive one. I've read that is called bumble foot, but  my rat's is not ulcerative, nor bleeding. Which one is better Sulphamethoxazole or Amoxiciline? Does it have a cure?
I hope God bless you beacause of this magnificent service for rat community. Sorry for my bad english.By the way i have given my rat a teeny tiny little bit of painkiller. Gracias, for all,

Answer
I will try to help you the best I can. If you need to, in the future, you can email me directly at tami@socialrats.com. I will be able to answer your questions faster that way.

It does not sound like bumblefoot to me because of the lack of an ulcer. Bumblefoot is similar to bed sores, they are what is called pressure sores and the more pressure, the worse it gets, but no ulcer, then most likely not bumblefoot.

For the amoxicillin, you can go up to 50 mg twice a day for him, but it better to stay closer to 10-20 if possible. The dosage for rats is 10-50 mg per lb of body weight.

Now, keep in mind, that I do not normally recommend something like this because 1) in the US the meds require a prescription and 2) a novice working with it can be dangerous.

For the swelling, you can use Lasix to get the swelling down. It is a dietetic, meaning that if you do not monitor his water intake, it can dehydrate him fast. I would use a very small amount, 1-2 mg per lb twice a day. You may need to use more and can go up to 3 times a day if needed. You can go up to 3 mg per lb, 3 times a day, if needed, but be very careful that you do not dehydrate your rat in the process. As soon as the swelling goes down, stop the lasix.

You can use Tylenol, or motrin for pain. The motrin should also help with the swelling. The dosage would be 30-60 mg per lb for the Tylenol or motrin. If you plan to keep him on it for more than a couple of days, try to use a lower dose so you do not damage his liver. You can give him either up to 4 times a day, as needed for pain.

If you need a better cage, you could try ordering one online from the states. The shipping cost may be a bit higher, but at least your rat would be safe. My concern would be the rust in the cage as that can cause tetanus.

Tami
Social Rats Adoption and Rescue - Chicago, IL