# Bumble foot?



## Clifford (May 27, 2013)

I know that having a wire bottomed cage can cause bumble foot in rats; I'm wondering if climbing on the sides of a wire cage can do the same (and hoping the answer is no, because I don't think I could get my boys to stop doing it. They _love_ climbing the sides of the cage, and it's their preferred way of getting to other levels in the cage no matter how many other options I give them.)

I also kind of want to know what bumble foot actually _is_ and what it looks like. All I really know about it right now is that it's something you don't want your rats to get.


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## Dayumie (May 6, 2013)

They won't get it from climbing as far as I know. I had chicken wire on my cage for the longest time and my name girls are all fine. You can Google any number of pictures for rats with bumble foot, personally I've never seen it nor do I know any rats with it. Your boys should be perfectly fine.


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## metamers (Apr 28, 2013)

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I am pretty sure that rats get bumblefoot from walking in unclean conditions rather than walking on a wired platform. Rats naturally like to climb so I wouldn't keep them from climbing on the walls. If you're worried about their feet I'd line platforms with fleece or tile, but that isn't the cause of bumblefoot.


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## pwoink (Feb 19, 2013)

It's hard to find primary sources for it, but here is an excerpt from the 2007 article "Rodent Dermatology" in the _Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine_:
"Pododermatitis is a chronic unilateral or bilateral, granulomatous, ulcerative dermatitis of the palmar and plantar surfaces of the feet. *Bumblefoot lesions are almost always secondary to some underlying factor, most commonly trauma from unsanitary wire bottom cages. The foot lesions can develop as a result of vitamin C deficiency or, in obese animals, pressure necrosis.*[SUP]6[/SUP] Bumblefoot lesions begin as an area of alopecia and erythema but then progress to erosions and ulcerations. Affected animals often present with intense pruritus, pain, and/or lameness. Pododermatitis lesions often become secondarily infected with opportunistic bacteria or skin contaminants (e.g., _Staphylococcus aureus_), which have the potential to spread to underlying bone and cause osteomyelitits and sepsis.[SUP]5[/SUP] Infected ulcers can develop into an abscess. Pustules, papules, nodules, and fistulas may be present during disease progression."




(The references cited are: 5) K. Moriello, I. Mason Handbook of Small Animal Dermatology Pergamon, New York, NY (1995), pp. 245–254 and 6) D. Scott, W. Miller, C. Griffin Dermatoses of pet rodents, rabbits, and ferrets Muller and Kirk’s Small Animal Dermatology, WB Saunders, Philadelphia, PA (1995), pp. 1127–1173)

So, according to these sources, bumblefoot might happen after a rat hurts their foot on a dirty wire floor, especially if the rat hasn't had enough vitamin C or is obese.


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## pwoink (Feb 19, 2013)

The Rat Guide is also a great source for reputable information. Their etiology section says, "factors that may play a part in the development of ulcerative pododermatitis are: rats that are overweight placing continued or excessive pressure on the feet, trauma, or minute abrasions from rough or irregular cage flooring, or rats having a genetic predisposition." Also, "infections often develop when the abraded or ulcerated areas on the feet are exposed to normal skin flora, soiled bedding, or cages with accumulated urine-soaked feces."

This is basically in line with what the published source was saying: having a cage where a rat can get cuts on their feet, like a galvanized wire floor, means there's a chance of bumblefoot, especially if the cage is dirty, the rats are obese/genetically predisposed, and if they don't have soft things to hang out on.

Based on this, it sounds like climbing up and down the bars is pretty safe, as long as the bars aren't sharp and you keep the cage clean. As for pictures, I'm sure google image search can give you a pretty gross eye-ful.


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

It's nothing to do directly with the bars... rats should be encouraged to climb the sides! That's the whole point of having a cage and not a tank (which is not recommended). It's a combination of a dirty living condition (e.g. bits of old/mouldy food, poop) mixed with cutting their feet on something, of which floor bars can be the easiest especially if they rust a little. It's not something exclusively caused by bars, it's caused by the bacteria and the bars can just be a catalyst.


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## Clifford (May 27, 2013)

Thanks, guys! I am sufficiently no longer worried about my babies climbing the sides. They always look like they're having so much fun while they're at it, so I'm glad it's nothing to discourage. <3
(And ugh, Google image search sure does have some nasty pictures. /shudder)


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## Famous Amos (May 23, 2013)

That's a common misconception and wives tail. Bumble foot is not caused by wire. It's caused by a cut in the foot and potty getting in the wound and infecting. And that is more likely to happen on solid surfaces. If anything wire doesn't allow potty to pool up and keeps the feet cleaner. 


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