Rats hind legs/broken pelvis

Question
QUESTION: Hi,
 My rat got caught by a dog and bitten down on (no puncture wounds).  I took her to the vet immediately and he said that she probably has a broken pelvis because she isn't using her hind legs, and that there's nothing to do except see if she'll mend.

  Is there anything I should be doing for her?  He didn't give me any specific directions, just to wait and see if she's mending within 5 days (otherwise put her to sleep).  I put her in a small container and I'm giving her liquid child's motrin in very small doses in a full water bottle.  She's still alert, eating, etc.  

  What to do?!  
Thank you for your help

ANSWER: DO NOT put this rat to sleep if she is eating etc....and if she isnt using her hind legs this is NOT a sign of a broken pelvis. Is she lifting or dragging her  tail?


You need another vet, by the way. Your vet is a total jerk for not giving your rat strong pain medication and yes, rats CAN take narcotics. There are two that are used often on rats and a vet that knows about rat care would know this.   Where are you located?

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: What is it a sign of?  What else could be broken?  Her tail isn't really responding or moving at all.  She has some mobility in her back legs, but isn't really using them.  She did have some bleeding out of her vagina after the dog got her in his mouth-but it stopped soon after.

He didn't say to put her to sleep right away.  He said if within 5 days she hasn't started healing and is in a lot of pain then she should be put down.  But he didn't give her any pain medication or recommendations.

I am in the bay area (CA).  It's too bad, supposedly he's a great vet that specializes in rats.  Only problem is I don't have much money to take her elsewhere.  He said for broken bones there's nothing to do except let them mend on their own.

ANSWER: There is no such Vet that specializes in rats.

If that is what he told you, he is providing false information and this is illegal.

If he was any good, the rat would not be taking childrens motrin in water.  Putting medication is primitive practice and worthless. She would have to drink the entire contents of the bottle to even.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I'm not concerned at all about the vets credentials.  He's just the vet that sees all the rats who come to that clinic.  That's not really my issue with this situation.  The children's liquid motrin wasn't rec. by him, I did it b/c I was told it's okay by numerous rat owners and saw online the specific dosage.  But I know too much of it can delay the healing of broken bones.

I was contacting you more in regards to if you knew about broken pelvis in rats, what to do, tips, healing times, if they can recover, etc.

Answer

Thats fine that your not worried about the vets credentials. I would be if my rat wasnt given anything for pain or given antibiotics to prevent infection if indeed there was a break. I would be more concerned using the childrens motrin because it is nephrotoxic more than the fact it may delay healing (which has not been medically documented)  Worse yet, this is all speculation that he even has a fractured pelvis since no xrays were done.  Which leads me back to the vet and his ability to properly treat rats.  If you are not concerned, thats your business of course, but I just wanted to make sure you were aware of the mistakes that were being made with this case.

You asked about a broken pelvis so heres the deal:  
Yes she can heal providing she has no underlying problems that would delay healing, such as diabetes and of course, the older the rat, the longer the healing process takes.

Pain causes stress, stress delays healing and compromises the immune system, and without pain medication to control discomfort, this is a big concern. This can also delay healing.

Internal injuries may have been the cause of the vaginal bleeding depending on how hard the dog bit down. Even with no puncture wounds, there could still be internal injuries simply from the pressure from the dogs jaws.

The rat may have a broken back. Are her extremities cool or cold? Are her extremities blue or purple or white or are they pink and normal?

I cared for a rat that fell 4 feet and broke his back. He was unable to walk. He learned how to propel along in the cage since I made the bottom easy for him to move around by removing all of his toys etc... including the litter. He slept in a nest I would help him build at least twice a day, but he would go to the bathroom in the nest since he was unable to feel the urge to urinate or defecate, it would just come out involuntarily, which was ok with me. I just wanted to help him be comfortable.  You may need to check her as well, and clean her as needed to prevent urine scalding, which can produce a nasty burn that is painful. One less thing she needs at this time.
I do not feel euthanasia is necessary if she is comfortable and eating, drinking and making an effort to groom herself.  Yes, she may not be able to get around and play and do the things she normally did, but accidents happen, just like they do with humans. You can treat her simply as a rat with a physical disability, but that doesn't mean she cant be happy.  This is her life, this is all she gets. As long as there is no suffering, I would let her be. However, I cant help be stress that she be put on medications to prevent infection of the bone if there is indeed a fracture, and also switch from dangerous NSAIDS to a narcotic pain medication that is safe for rats, which would be torbutrol as my first choice.  9 times out of 10, a selfish Vet will say NO only because they dont feel like justifying to the DEA why they gave a "RAT" a schedule 111 narcotic (which is the same schedule as vicodin etc...) no worries about drowsiness or over dose or even addiction, as the rat has such a fast metabolic rate there is no time for any of this to occur.   I highly doubt she will end up in a ratty rehab due to addiction.

I hate to sound so, I dont know...paranoid isnt really the word...I just hate to see any rat get half of the treatment when they deserve much better.  Its not your fault of course, I blame the vet, because seriously, your supposed to trust the vet 100%, and its obvious you are not totally satisfied with your rats diagnosis or you would not be taking the advice from fellow rat owners or looking for advice from a rat care specialist and someone that has more experience with rats  than 80% of the vets out there that treat rats to the point I feel embarrassed about it.  LOL

How is she doing today?  Tell me what she can do....can she hold her own food and feed herself? Can she or rather, is she getting around at all, or trying to?