Dumbo Rat Tail

Question
Our Dumbo Rat's tail is crooked, my son came home from school yesterday and she was squeaking.  Usually our rat is very quiet and when we picked her up she started squeaking again.  We noticed her tail is swollen and crooked. What might this be?

Answer
Sounds like she broke it somehow. Painful and inflamed, but it will eventually begin to calm down and she won't hurt. I'd suggest seeing a vet about getting her some pain killers, but that can be expensive and some vets don't believe rats need pain killers (which is just silly!). Check out the rat guide (www.ratguide.com) for a guide on how to use Children's Tylenol to treat pain in rats, too; that may give her some temporary relief. If the swelling worsens and she develops any necrotic/rotten spots on the tail, take her to the vet immediately.