# rat back from the dead but her foot is swollen



## erose (Dec 31, 2015)

my rat had surgery to remove a tumor yesterday. during the recovery phase she became completely unresponsive at the vet and i was pretty sure i was going to lose her last night. she was in BAD shape and i've never seen a rat come back from that. somehow she did and today she is moving around and eating. her foot (she had a tumor in her groin so her back foot under the incision) has become extremely swollen and so has the base of her tail. vet suggested it could be lymphedema and i should massage the area. i've heard of this happening to rats before so i was wondering if anyone had experience with swollen rat feet. thanks!


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Were you given Metacam/meloxicam to give her orally at home? Or any other pain medication?

Rats sometimes develop a seroma which is when body fluid builds up in the pocket created by the surgery. Normally a rat's body will reabsorb this on its own...but if the swelling is away from the surgical incision there's something else going on.

Can you get a pic?


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## erose (Dec 31, 2015)

yes, the vet gave me metacam and orbax. this was taken about an hour ago.






(she's eating squash soup from panera)


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## Grotesque (Mar 19, 2014)

I had a rat go through a very very rough patch. She almost died. She was literally moments away from death at any given time. She was able to fully pull through it but her foot did the exact same swelling as your picture shows. The swelling didn't start until she started showing improvement. 

It went down after a week or so. I'm pretty sure your girl's will too. Not sure what caused it but at least it went away. I wouldn't be too concerned unless it gets bigger or her foot turns blue.


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## erose (Dec 31, 2015)

i didn't notice her foot until she finally started showing signs of life late last night. i put her back with her cage mates and they're all sleeping together. i think she's in a lot of pain and i'm not sure what to do.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Let's double check her metacam dosage then, as that looks like a bad sprain.

is it 1.5 mg/ml or 0.5 mg/ml?

How much does she weigh?

and lastly, how much were you told to give?


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## erose (Dec 31, 2015)

her foot seems to be bothering her today and the base of her tail is also swollen. she was basically seizing the other night so there is a good chance she hurt herself. the vet gave me meloxidyl (meloxicam) 1.5mg/mL oral suspension. the rx says to give 0.15mL by mouth once per day for pain. i gave it to her this morning in baby food and she ate all of it. she's also on antibiotics.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

That dose seems low for post-operative and swelling control. standard is 1 mg/kg and since I don't know her weight I will just give you ideas300 g rat would get 0.2 ml400 g rat would get 0.27 ml500 g rat would get 0.33 ml


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## erose (Dec 31, 2015)

what do you suggest i do? she had a dose about 12 hours ago, and i actually gave her a tiny bit more than .15 because i was afraid she wasn't going to take it all. should i give her another dose? also she's on orbifloxacin 30mg/mL and the vet instructed to give .25mL one a day for 7 days. i'm actually kind of worried now because her tail and foot look actually look bruised and i really hope something isn't getting infected. i also have smz-tmp liquid from when my other rat developed an abscess and children's ibuprofen on hand.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Have you any clue on her weight?


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## erose (Dec 31, 2015)

according to my kitchen scale she weighs 382 g. also here are a few pictures, you can kind of see the discoloration on her tail.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

okay at 382 grams she would get 0.25 every 24 hours. We need to get on top of that inflammation and unfortunately since its already quite swollen then it might take a bit longer than usual. Poor little bubby.


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## erose (Dec 31, 2015)

ok i just gave her .25 and her antibiotics as well. i really hope it can bring down some of the swelling today. my poor rat has had such a terrible week. thanks for your help.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

How's your girly today?


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## erose (Dec 31, 2015)

the same. her foot is still very swollen and no she's no longer putting weight on it. her vet wont be in until tuesday so i'm at a loss.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Shes on antibiotics right? That rules out bacterial infection. Is the foot hot, or have streaks or bruising?


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## erose (Dec 31, 2015)

yes, she's on orbax and she's been really good about taking her medication so i know she's getting it. her foot is red and puffy and yesterday it was leaking clear fluid. there is no "infection" smell and her foot isn't warm. last night i did manage to soak it for a few minutes but she wasn't happy about that. she is still eating, drinking, and grooming herself. she is even using the swollen foot to groom herself.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Ok the clear fluid is normal. The skin allows fluid through like osmosis, as long as shes using it a bit, you don't really need to do much but keep up on the pain meds/anti-inflammatory. A crust may show up on the foot as well don't worry too much.


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## erose (Dec 31, 2015)

today her foot smells. she's going to the vet tomorrow at 12:30 and they told me not to give her another dose of the antibiotic. is there anything i can do for her tonight? by the way thank you for all of your help.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Is it still swollen? Is the skin color changed?


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## erose (Dec 31, 2015)

the bottom of her foot is a little purple but she's still eating, drinking, and acting like a normal rat. but today there is that foul "infection" smell coming from her foot.


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