tail injury

Question
QUESTION: My rat had an accident when I was away from home yesterday.  My roommate let her out to play and left the room. When he came back in, her tail tip/skin had become detached from the rest of her. The tip of the bone/arteries stick out about an inch and a half from the uninjured part. She bled all over the place.  She seems to be doing fine now; she actually wants to get out and play and seems angry that I won't let her. What a trooper!  We isolated her from my other rat and put her in a sanitary, paper towel covered environment with food, water, and honey. We gave her a tiny amount of ibuprophen for the pain. Is this right?
The tip has dried and I can't tell if it's healing or if it's infected and going to fall off!  I'm frantic and deeply care for my pet. I don't want to lose her but I'm afraid to take her to a vet around here b/c they'd just put her to sleep instead of treating her.  
Do you think she'll be ok? I figure if she's well enough to want to get out and play, she'll be fine, but I also know how small children are when they're sick!
Thanks!

ANSWER: She was degloved.  This is a pretty painful injury and it can be brutal enough that the vet has to amputate.   Thats not right that the vets  would want to put her down rather than treat her. I can find you the right vet, please let me know your location.  Also, you do of course have a choice and should you run into a moron like that who says to put them down when their condition is able to be treated, you can always decline and let them know that they are pathetic excuses for a Vet and just because they dont know how to treat a particular animal doesnt mean  it should die for their lack of knowledge!

I have a database of Vets I can use to find a vet for your rat. let me know your location.

A rats tail is an extension of the vertebrae. It is responsible for not only helping with balance but also controls body temp. When there is a degloving injury, this can lead to serious infection and pain.

With your rat, however, it sounds like some tissue and tendons are exposed. Chances are the area that was damaged will turn necrotic and dry up and just fall off, leaving her with a blunt end on her tail.  If the damage is more than just the tip, however, she really needs a vet.  DO NOT stress her...put her cagemate in the other cage with her so she isnt stressed from  being apart from her. You can dab her tail with neosporin if it was just the tip.  Can you take a photo and attach it on our follow up here?

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QUESTION: At this point I'm 90 percent sure that it needs to be amputated.  I'm in Columbus OH.  Any good vets that are open on Saturday mornings?
I work at 1pm tomorrow.  I tried to upload a photo but the server is too slow. I'm just going to take her in and see if the vet will amputate.
Thank you so much for the help!

Answer
Dr. Barbara Oglesbee
Facility: Capital Veterinary Referral & Emergency Center Exotics seem
Address:  5230 Renner Rd.
 Columbus OH 43228
Phone:  614-870-0480
Website: cvrec.org


Go here ONLY here!!!!!!

PLEASE let me know right away what happens.  It may not need taken, but I havent seenn it so I dont know.