injured rat foot

Question
hello Sandra
I have a pet rat about 14 months old called Reggie.  This evening i opened a door which trapped his foot.  He is now limping and tries not to use the injured foot. he appears well in himself and eats and interacts with his brother as normal. His injured foot looks a little swollen but is hard to tell.
Do you have any suggestions?
Many thanks
Stuart Pragnell
UK

Answer
Hi Stuart

I would keep him quiet for a few days and if possible, confined to a small area so he isn't able to climb and run around.  If you have him in a two story or bigger cage, remove the ladders if possible just for a few days so he cant climb. His cagemate may be upset but they can be together so thats all that matters!!  You can always put a warm compress on it a few times per day if he lets you baby him and hold him. Since your in the UK I don't know the names of medications but if you have childrens strength motrin which is an antinflammatory over the counter medications, if you feel he is in pain, I can tell you how much to give him safely to help him feel a bit better but I need to know an accurate weight on him as well.
As long as the swelling goes down in a few days, no other real steps need taken but if it persists or worsens, he will need seen by a medical professional.