# Help! My rat is chewing off her own foot!



## dashielle89 (Apr 24, 2012)

Okay, so a little background info: I have an older rat, about 2 1/2 and she's been having a few health problems. She has a permanent head tilt (though not too bad) from an ear infection she had when she was young, so her balance isn't the greatest to begin with. Then about 6 weeks ago, she started getting a pretty fast growing vascular mammary tumor and hed at the same time. These things have made it pretty hard foe her to walk but she can still get around. I was planning on having the tumor removed this or next week, esp since it's causing her to lose weight, but now idk when she'll have it done if I can't get her current problem under control.

About a 10 days ago, she snagged her toenail, and I knew this was a sign that she was starting to have more trouble in the cage and I might have to make some changes, but I didn't think much of it. It wasn't swollen, not a big injury, it happens. But then a couple days later, it looked worse, the toenail was gone and I saw an open wound. After that I started keeping a closer eye on it, but I still wasn't too concerned. Then the next day half of her toe was missing! At that point I separated her and put her in a small cage, and started giving her ibuprofen. Well it wasn't good enough and the next day the entire toe was gone. Then I was really worried, I didn't want her to chew off her foot, so I upped her dose of ibuprofen and started her on valium (what my vet uses for rats that chew incisions.) This worked really well, and after a couple days it scabbed up, seemed to be healing pretty well, and even went out and played for her entire play time, something she hadn't done in a couple weeks, she usually ended up sleeping somewhere, so it seemed like she was feeling better and would be okay. She wasn't too keen on taking the valium anymore so I decided to stop since I knew I'd need to give it to her after surgery. She's already a known chewer, she's the reason I had to stop using fleece, but now that she has a history chewing herself I wouldn't take any chances. I still gave her small doses of ibuprofen but that's it, and this morning I went to make her vet appointment to take care of her tumor. I checked on her, and sure enough, her would was open, another toe is missing, and it seems she's started working on the foot itself. It's really swollen and looks horrible and I feel so bad. I've never had a rat do this before. I know that they'll pick at wounds when they're in pain, and I imagine she's frustrated at not being able to move around like she wants since I've been keeping her on bedrest for the most part other than her short play time, plus she likes chewing things, but to eat a perfectly good foot is new to me.

She's going to the vet in a couple hours, but I'm freaking out now and I don't know what to do. I don't want to get her addicted to valium and there's only so much painkillers I can give though I can switch to something stronger, she's fonna need meds for surgery too. But she has to stop chewing on her foot! She probably isn't going to live much longer and I don't want the time she has left to be miserable because she handicaps herself like this. Any suggestions on how to stop the behavior without trying to drug her up so much or on how to make things easier for her or to make her more comfortable? Any help is much appreciated


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Have you seen her actually working on her foot?


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## dashielle89 (Apr 24, 2012)

No I haven't actually seen her chew any off, but she has one less toe than she did yesterday and now that it's started upagain she never wants to leave it alone. 

I just got back from the vet and she says the injury could just be a coincidence and she thinks there's something more than hed going on. From the way she walks it looks like there's something neurological going on and whatever is affecting her spinal cord is causing pain/tingling/numbness. Since she can't understand what's causing it she's chewing her toes off to try and stop it.

They said for now to keep giving her painkillers and valium just to keep her more comfortable and stop her from chewing, then she's getting antibiotics for the wound, and they're starting her on gabapentin to deal with the nerve issues. Then we're going to go from there since they don't know what's going to work or whether or not it's degenerative.

If anyone has experience with this kind of thing please let me know.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Can you post a video? I want to see how she moves. You might want to consider steroids as it's better for internal inflammation that might be pinching nerves and causing the zinging feeling. I have seen rats with spinal injuries madly licking their tail so why not a hind foot where the nerves end.


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## dashielle89 (Apr 24, 2012)

I can try to take a vid later if she gets a little better, right now I'm not sure what to do with her. Yesterday she was doing okay until I had to give her the meds again. She really resisted and she's been acting conpletely miserable ever since. I don't think she's ate anything after that (though she was eating fine yesterday during the day) and she started chewing on her foot again early this morning, moving towards the base now instead of the toes. I tried to wrap her but she got too upset for me to get it on well and I didn't want her to be even more stressed out. It looks like she's starting to have trouble going to the bathroom now too.

I really don't know what to do for her. At this rate she just keeps taking off more and more of her foot, she'll never heal, and I imagine she's in a lot of pain. I know it's only been two days since it really got bad, but if she keeps it up I don't see any other choice but to put her down. I can't stand seeing her like this. She couldn't walk that great, but other than that she was fine just too weeks ago. It's hard to believe it's gotten to this so fast, I just can't inderstand why she would do this, even if her back/legs are bothering her


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## dashielle89 (Apr 24, 2012)

I just took her in to the vet and she was euthanized. She had continued to chew at her foot all morning. I had her next to me in her little hospital cage and I could hear her chewing through her own bones. The vet said the only thing they could really do was either wrap her to stop it short term, or amputate the leg then try to correct whatever is causing it, but it could still get worse after that. Plus she couldn't walk well, she had the tumor, the back issues were making it hard for her to go to thr bathroom and she was incontinent, and she was starting to get cararacts. Both them and I thought euthanasia was the right decison. She was making herself miserable and there wasn't anything I could do to stop it, and with her age things weren't going to get any better.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

I think you did the right thing, with all her other issues and very little chance at this one resolving. I am so very very sorry. ((hugs)) Be at peace little one.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

So sorry for your loss


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