broken rib?

Question
My rat got out of his cage and my cat got a hold of him, i think. I belive he has a broken rib because he was lying around and breathing Shallow. So i felt his sides and his rib was popping, so I think it may be broken so is there any thing i can do, or is it best left alone like a human rib.

Answer

It used to be in the olden days when humans fractured a rib or two they would be wrapped in tape. However, this is never done anymore as it restricts breathing and causes collapsed lung and even pneumonia.  However, broken ribs are NOT left untreated in humans.  The treatment consists of first making sure there are no punctures of the lungs or collapse of the lungs.  Also, it is painful as heck, so strong pain killers are always prescribed. Also it is advised to do special breathing exercises at least once an hour to prevent pneumonia.  Ice also helps with any local swelling as does ibuprofen as well.  Bed rest is a must for the first few weeks.


So with rats, its a bit different, but still they need to be seen to rule out any lung damage such as collapse and also the vet can give him narcotic pain medication and metacam for inflammation.  You should also keep the rat in a single story cage so he cannot climb and move all around the first few days.  Rats heal fast due to the fast metabolic rate so thats good news.  I would take him in for an xray right away to be sure there are no internal injuries.  The cat may have done more damage elsewhere and this may not even be involving the ribs at all.  The fang may have gone deeper than you think and could have punctured his organs like his liver.  
These injuries may prove fatal.


How is he today?