Wounded baby rat - very worried!

Question
QUESTION: Hi Sandra,

I'm so worried! I have a problem with my poor little baby rat, I'm hoping you can give me some advice?

Just after Christmas I got two female hooded rats, Flower and Ruby. They are now about 5 months old. They have been living together just fine in their enormous new cage, and are great pals. Then a few weeks ago I went to the pet shop to get food (it was supposed to be just food), and came out with another rat! 6-7 weeks old, a sweet little cinnamon coloured dumbo baby. I have a smaller spare cage, so the baby went in that and for the first couple of weeks she was quite happy pottering about in there etc. She is so friendly and licky, even though the pet store woman lifted her by her tail to get her out (I complained to the manager), she still likes people and is keen to come out of the cage. Anyway, I decided to try and introduce all the rats. The cages were side by side for a few nights last week, and apart from a bit of hissing at the start from the older girls, which died down after 15 mins, they seemed interested in each other and not too aggressive. I put towels down in the bath, washed all the rats with special small animal deodorizing wipes, and put them all in together. They were fine, sniffing each other and running about, so far so good. Then I stupidly decided after half an  hour to try them in the living room - same room as the cages - and the baby got attacked by one of the older rats. I did a lot of reading up about rat intros, and I got the impression  the best thing to do is let them squabble to establish who's boss. The thing is, I'm not an experienced rat owner so I wasn't sure when to break up the fight. The baby and the big rat were rolling about for about 1 minute, baby was screeching and the older rat was pinning her down and standing on her. Then the baby escaped, ran off, the older rat chased her and bit her. At this point I couldn't stand it and I picked the baby up and put all the rats in their cages to cool off. I checked on the baby 10 mins later, and she was beaten up pretty bad. She has a bite on her rum which is not bleeding, just a scratch really, a nip on her tail, scratch on her nose, and a bite wound about 1/4 of an inch under her chin. It was not bleeding excessively so I put antiseptic cream on the wounds (which she licked off) and put her to bed. I didn't sleep well because  was so worried...

Next day (today) I have checked on the baby and although she is still acting normally, (not cowering or frightened), still taking treats etc, the wound under her neck has been bleeding and her fur under her neck had dried blood on it. She is cleaning so often I think she's washing her face and washing the wound open again. I am trying to get a good look at it but she's so wiggly and I hate stressing her out to look at it. I washed the wound with sterile water, the blood cleaned up ok and the wound looks red at one end, and dark browny black at the other. Do you think this could be the scab forming? I'm sure it's too early to be going black from infection... The wound does not smell and nothing's coming out. The other wounds are fine, you can hardly see them, it's just this chin one that I'm worried about. How should I care for it? I am hoping it will heal up on it's own, but how long do rats usually take to heal, and how will I know if it's getting infected? Will she start acting ill? I have a horrible feeling that as a prey animal the little rat will keep on acting A-OK to fool predators that she is not sick, and then suddenly keel over!

Also, how am I going to re-introduce them when there has been such a vicious fight? Will she always get bullied? Should I wait until she is bigger and can hold her own?

I'm sorry for the big long essay but I am just so worried about my little ratty, I already love her to bits and I'm so upset because it's my fault she got hurt :-(  :-(  Please help!

Thanks so much,
Melody x

ANSWER: Hi Melody

Don't blame yourself about the baby being bitten. Sometimes even the best of buddies can fight hard and its just one of those animal instinct things. Who knows. Someone may have gotten mad at the other one for stealing her cheerios or yogis!  :)
Just trying to cheer you up so you don't feel so badly.

Your right to assume that because rats are unfortunately on the bottom of the food chain they have to hide their illness so they are not picked on which is why rat owners need to educate themselves extensively about rat illnesses so they can identify when the rat is sick.  Usually its easier to tell when the rat is older and although "science" says that animals don't lose their natural instinct even in captivity, I don't buy it. They never owned rats (so here I am picking on Scientists now! LOL) and I do believe with my wise old years of experience under my belt, a rat knows when he is pampered after he has been living his lavish lifestyle of having wonderful foods already put before him and water a plenty hanging on every level of his very comfy cage complete with warm fuzzy places to sleep that it is indeed OK to be sick and act sick because they know "We" will help them, which is why they always tend to want held when they are very sick.
With intros they say no blood, no foul...so there was blood indeed which means time out, as you did. The rat with the most aggression no doubt is the alpha of the cage and rats have a leader even if its just the pair and no bigger of a mischief (rat colonies are called mischiefs, and it sure fits doesn't it?!)  
The little one is probably too small to be with the older girls although it can be done and has been done with success with many people. Me, I always wimp out and buy another baby for the baby and end up with all these cages around the rat room. I have five boys (one is blind now and must live alone :( but I do have separate mischiefs of males that I just could not get them to accept each other so on one side of the rat room lives Bo and Templeton and on the other side of the rat room lives Santana and Socrates. Little Smudge lives in my walk in closet alone in a single story cage, long story but don't feel bad, hes a tough one and doing great on his own despite his severe handicap.  Writing this sentence even now proves how tough rats are doesn't it?  I wont tell you to go out and buy another baby girl and another large cage even though thats what I do like I said, I once had 12 cages in the rat room with a pair of rats in each cage because  I wimped out and couldn't stand the squabbling during intros!
On a professional level I do know what advice to give so this isn't a total wash out with me, don't worry.  LOL
If you don't have the little baby rats cage next to the big girls cage, do it now, but be sure tails cant end up in each others cages so keep them apart a rats tails length. I have seen rats totally degloved come into the clinic because their tail dropped into another rats cage that they were not friendly with and two rats just skinned this poor rats tail apart!  Anyhow, allow the girls to know that the baby is next to them and trust me they will smell her right off. This tells them that she is here to stay so they better get used to it.
Do you have a safe play area for them? If not, you can make a really easy play pen for them that YOU can also sit inside with simply by taking big cardboard boxes that are nice and flat and taping them together. You can get fancy and put notches in them and fit them together like some people do but its easier just to use some masking tape and be done. I have a metal gate but the baby would fit right through the holes so cardboard is better and if its at least 3 feet or taller the rats would have a hard time jumping over it and harder time climbing up the sides since its smooth.  
Anyhow, allow the baby to come out and run around in the play area and make sure her cage door is open and kept within the play pen so she can go to the cage when she wants. Make sure your there of course, sitting right inside the playpen. The other rats can watch the baby play with you from inside their cage. Next,put the baby back in her cage and take the two girls out. They will smell her scent right off and probably spend half their time out sniffing her every move.
Do this for a few days, at least 4 to 5 days in a row. After that, you are going to switch cages for about 10 or 15 minutes. Put the baby in the big girls cage and let the big girls explore the little girls cage.
Do this for a few days as well. I know your thinking WOW this is taking long, but your teaching the adult rats that the baby is here to stay and making them aware of her surroundings so her scent will not be foreign to them.
Finally you can try intros again but this time you are going to hold baby and let them big girls come to you and see what she is all about while baby is safely in your arms. Intro to her to the adults one at a time, not both girls at the same time so its not so overwhelming for the baby.  
Continue to do this until you feel its safe to set baby down with the girl that bit her. Let it be one on one too.
I am hoping this will work and in fact its one way we tell people to do it in cases like aggression etc... such as yours.

As for her bite wound, thats a bad spot to be bitten since she will obviously groom herself and disturb the wound from trying to scab over.
If its not split open where it constantly oozes blood even undisturbed, you can clean it with warm clean water (saturate a cotton ball and just wring it out over the cut) apply a thin layer of neosporin ointment and rub it in.  Keep her busy at least for 5 full minutes so some of the antibiotic properties can absorb into the wound
before she ends up wiping it off. You can do this up to 4 times a day and watch for any odor or swelling. However, if it continues to split and bleed she may need a stitch or two. Lets hope not because that would be a real pain in the you-know-what and chances are too much time will elapse and it wont be feasible to suture the wound. Infection is more to worry about and again, if you keep it clean it should be ok.  Watch for swelling since rats are super prone to abscesses.
Notice how the rat went for her throat? Thats true alpha aggression, so its important to intro them carefully no matter if it takes 2 weeks.
Or you can solve it all by buying another cage, another baby rat, going through a 3 week quarantine and letting them meet each other,and chances are they will work it out since they are closer in age.
I am a wimp. I know.

hope this helps and forgive me for such a lengthy response. I am famous for writing mini novels.

Sandra

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

QUESTION: Hi Sandra,

thanks so much for the advice you really put my mind at rest. Like I said I am new to pet rats so I was getting all worked up thinking I am a bad rat owner and not doing the right things! I will try the intros slowly like you said, hopefully things will go better next time - although I hope you don't mind me emailing you if we run into trouble again...!

The baby rat is doing better today, her wound has no dried blood around it, and there is no swelling. It's almost impossible to hold her still to get a really good look, and I don't want to hold her too hard in case she splits the wound open in her struggling and it starts bleeding again, but I devised a cunning plan of holding cream cheese just above her head so she has to reach to get it and I got a peek at the wound from underneath (hehe) it's dark red, closed over, and to me it looks like a scab is forming. From the side you can't even see the wound any more, it just looks like a little nick in her fur is missing. So I'll cross my fingers, hopefully it is on the mend. I did call the vet today as well and they said see how it goes, and bring her in if it's swelling or bleeding but don't put anything on the wound (I told them I had used antiseptic cream). To be honest I have not heard of neospirin cream - I'm in the UK so perhaps we have an equivalent? I'm just going on instinct here, but I think now that the wound is closed and looking good, I'm not going to try doing anything to it. I reckon if I started washing it, I might wash the scab open and ratty will start cleaning the cream off and we will be back to square one.. would you say that's the best idea? ANYWAY I do prattle on a bit sorry!

So I'll let you know how things go, and thanks again for all your help! Now I'd better go cook dinner because people are moaning at me in the background. My boyfriend says that ever since I got the rats he gets less attention, but then I said you him that's because you don't have rat status LOL

Melody



uk so theres a time difference

Answer
Oh good, thats good news it is doing better!

Neosporin is simply an antibiotic ointment with various types of antibiotics and it is used to prevent and treat infection. Its a clear oily gel type ointment so you can dab it on even a scab or open wound and it wont disturb the scab.  I would refrain from doing anything like you said since it is doing ok without any help but if you think it is looking ugly again, I would see what they have on the store shelves out there that is similar to our brand of antibiotic ointment. Its soothing, it doesn't burn, btw.

Thanks for writing and keeping me posted. I was wondering just today how she was doing.

If your bored one evening, log on to my website (the link to it is in my profile) or just do a search for critter city or critter city for rat lovers....or here, try this link:
http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/allaboutratcare.htm

Its my website I made several years ago and its geared toward both new rat owners and seasoned rat owners. You will find alot of information there too and see cute rats!  Oh you boyfriend will LOVE it. LOL