# My rat has a hole in her!?!



## 93evie (Jan 10, 2010)

She is unwell already and we expect she won't be with us much longer, but today i found there is a hole on her lower stomach/back leg area, I have no idea how this happened and feel very sorry for her  We think the first layer of skin (with the hair of course) has just come off. I was going to separate her from the other rat and put some veterinary wound powder on it? Any suggestions would help? Thanks.


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## smesyna (Nov 22, 2010)

What to do depends on what is wrong. I'm thinking abscess but can't be sure. Can you post a picture?


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## 93evie (Jan 10, 2010)

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hpho...00351364279_1104656111_31654155_6547424_n.jpg










My mum said she saw the hair and skin in the cage.
Another thing I thought of was because she has been ill she has had multiple injections and due to her behaviour they have always been done in her back legs? 
Thank you.


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## smesyna (Nov 22, 2010)

Yeah that looks like an abscess that burst open.

I can still see some ick in there, you are going to have to make some salt water to flush it out with and ensure that it doesn't scab over and trap the infection. I do flushes twice a day. The easiest way is to get a needless syringe (ideally the curved tipped ones but they're not necessary) and squirt it in there.

Abscesses can be painful, so you may also want to give some ibuprofen. The liquid infants kind is the best to buy (NOT childrens, it is not as concentrated). I can help with dosage after you buy some 

ETA: If that was a past injection site, that may be how she got an abscess, but sometimes especially with a poor immune system due to age and illness, they just get them easily.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

You said she is unwell? What are her symptoms? How old is she?

That is an abscess, they are scary looking but usually easily taken care of.


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## 93evie (Jan 10, 2010)

I believe she has a tumour in the brain, she had a stroke about a month ago, all that has been keeping her going are steroid injections, they help.. but only short term. 

Thank you for the advice above, I will get the medicine today and pm you later for dosage if that is okay


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

http://www.ratforum.com/index.php/topic,2723.0.html

^ give that a read. definitely an abscess, not too bad of one either. a nice and hopefully easy first abscess experience. the pictures in that sticky are of an abscess on one of my rats, bernard - it was fairly simple to drain and flush. it went away nearly as fast as it popped up.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

93evie said:


> I believe she has a tumour in the brain, she had a stroke about a month ago, all that has been keeping her going are steroid injections, they help.. but only short term.
> 
> Thank you for the advice above, I will get the medicine today and pm you later for dosage if that is okay


So your little lady has PT? (pituitary tumour?). She needs oral steroids and an antibiotic to prolong her life. How often is she getting the injections? Is she regressing just before getting the next one? If so they need to be sooner...there should be a stable condition, with small regressions.

'I have 2 here with PT, one is an old lady of 32 months on just the steroids (I managed her condition to giving the dexamethasone every 2nd day), and the other is a young girl of 18 months or so, and she is on occasional dex (steroid) and bromocriptine (a new/old med to treat PT in humans)...its working very well.


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## 93evie (Jan 10, 2010)

At first she was having steroid injections that lasted a week, now it is a three week one. She was on oral antibiotics (the names have gone from my head, will try find out by tomorrow) but showed no improvement, since then they gave her injected antibiotics but it is only the steroids that seem to have an effect.

My vet hasn't told me about any oral steroids, could I get dex or something equivalent myself? And I don't think she has been on bromocriptine? But again will check, will call vets tomorrow and bring this information with me.

Thanks so much I though pituitary tumours were unmanageable, vets seem quick to offer to put them down, this sadly being the result of my last rat, although she was far worse.

Finally although I have been giving her lots of liquid foods and lots to eat she still is weaker than i would like (she went from being overweight to slim and slightly saggy) went through a stage of syringe feeding but think she does not need that anymore, more looking for the best kinds of food for muscle building? Thanks!


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## smesyna (Nov 22, 2010)

There IS oral dexamethasone, it does require a prescription though, I'd ask the vet about it.

Most vets don't know about bromoctopine, but mention it and they may be willing to manage it. It literally can shrink the tumor some, allowing for a longer life.


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