# rats ear us torn in half



## hybanana (Jan 27, 2012)

I just got home and my rats ear is so bloody and just ripped in half...
I'm guessing there was a tussle with another boy over food, he is blind and tends to be food aggressive. 
Is there anything I can do from home or should this be a vet visit??


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## hybanana (Jan 27, 2012)

This is a bad pic of the gash. His inner ear has a lot of blood pooled


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## Hedgian (Aug 18, 2014)

I think he should be fine. If it's still bleeding maybe you should hold him out of the cage for a bit and apply pressure with a paper towel or something. I've heard several times if a rat's tail is bitten or something you can put honey on it to help, I don't know if that applies everywhere but you could try? I don't think it'd do any harm trying.

Edit: just read the pooling of the blood part. If it's try you could wet a q-tip and gently dab at it. Or if it's not dry yet you could just do the same with a dry q-tip.


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## hybanana (Jan 27, 2012)

OK...I'll try that..might take him to the tub. He likes water anyways...ugh I wish they wouldn't fight over food


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## Hedgian (Aug 18, 2014)

He doesn't look like he's in pain so he should be fine! Just be careful handling him for a bit and maybe keep him seperate until it's healed a bit.


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## hybanana (Jan 27, 2012)

Here's a better pic


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## Hedgian (Aug 18, 2014)

Should clean it up a bit then take another picture since the blood kind of obscures how bad it could actually be. Though he should be fine, worst case scenario is he loses hearing in that ear.


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## hybanana (Jan 27, 2012)

So I cleaned it up and it is cut down to the trunk of the ear. Blood still seems wet and he won't let me touch it anymore. The bottom part is extremely swollen and red.
Also, I dunno if this is from licking the blood but his poos are bright red in color...


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## hybanana (Jan 27, 2012)

I have silver sulfadiazine cream left from my boys abcess after a neuter, should I apply that or just some neosporine?


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## Mrs.Brisby (Jan 4, 2014)

Don't worry. It's not as bad as it looks, just keep it clean until it heals. I would avoid using the Neosporin because he could ingest it. One of the first rats I owned had been in a squabble with a litter mate before I got her and one of her ears was torn in half. She never seemed to have difficulty hearing and the ear never bothered her. It just gave her character.


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## Zabora (Jun 8, 2014)

Neither. You dont want them to ingest them. Honey is antiseptic and is safe to eat. If you think its bad enough for a vet go for it. However i dont think the vet would do much besides tell you to keep clean. Wash it 3 times a day with saline solution and keep him on clean bedding in a separate cage if you have it. Fleece seems to be the most recommended for bedding for injuries. Change it daily. I doubt the vet would even stitch it...


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## Mrs.Brisby (Jan 4, 2014)

This is pretty much what it will look like when it heals.


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## Hedgian (Aug 18, 2014)

hybanana said:


> So I cleaned it up and it is cut down to the trunk of the ear. Blood still seems wet and he won't let me touch it anymore. The bottom part is extremely swollen and red.
> Also, I dunno if this is from licking the blood but his poos are bright red in color...


It most likely is the case so just give it a week and if the redness doesn't clear up there might be another issue and should see a vet ASAP. But it could also be what you're feeding him. Does the food have any red dye in it? Or do you have anything (chew toy, fleece, etc) that's a red color that he likes to chew on? The dye could of come from that too but unlikely unless he chews on the thing a lot.


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## hybanana (Jan 27, 2012)

Awe poor thing


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## hybanana (Jan 27, 2012)

My other boy is frothing at the mouth, a brown thick goo and is acting loopy so I am going to the vet just in case and I'll take ear boy with me. Gosh. This is what happens when I go on vacation...


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## MrsTefee (Dec 1, 2013)

What has the vet said??? Are they ok?


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