# im so stupid, help!



## Cassi (Oct 19, 2007)

thought more people would see this here, i feel like such a bad person so really you dont need to tell me what an idiot i am and how horrible i am cause I know :'(

I got another dumbo rat today as a new friend for my other 2 girlies, with all my years owning rodents and rats i can happily walk around with them always sitting and holding on well and never falling untill now sad.gif well today I had my new dumbo rat and my other 2 on my shoulders, the dumbo fell or might of been nudged by another or jumped and before I noticed she had gone under my foot sad.gif I feel sooo bad, took her straight to the emergency vet, cost Â£90, she isnt moving much but isnt paralized as she can still move about. however her nose was bleeding which is usually a sign of head trauma and I did hear a crack when it happened, her toenail has broken but im not sure if that was the crack as rats cant have mri;s the vet couldnt feel any obvious breakage but her jaw dosnt feel too right, however rats jaws are very flexible so its hard to tell if its out of place or not. She has had fluids and pain killers injected and she is lying on my lap atm in a blanket. Its 50/50 wether she lives or dies sad.gif 

I have a syringe and am giving her water at regular intervals and she seems to be taking it, has just started closing her eyes im hoping its just to go to sleep.


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## vegan_bexx (Nov 4, 2007)

Fingers crossed. i hope everything is ok, but i cant offer any advise because i've never been in this situation before. best wishes.


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## sunbirdx (Dec 1, 2007)

Oh, so sorry! I can totally relate, one time when my girls were out free ranging, they knocked over an aluminum baseball bat (Stupid, why did I put it there), and one of the rats tails got smashed. Luckily, no break, just severe swelling (it was on carpet)....I also had one of my rats grabbed by my roomate's basenji and seriously chewed on. She had some internal damage and immediately went in to shock. Spent the whole night nursing her through her shock (blanket, heating lamp, syringing water every 10 minutes). She made it, and lived another year.

I guess what I am saying is accidents do happen no matter how much we safeguard. Don't feel guilty, we all know you would never do this on purpose.

let us know if she pulls through.


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## madeittothemoon (Nov 1, 2007)

I'm so sorry... I hope she makes it.


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## ari3189 (Dec 2, 2007)

oh my god. i can't even imagine, i would feel so awful. i'm so sorry. i'll pray for your baby girl!


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## ledzepgirl16 (Oct 29, 2007)

sunbirdx said:


> I guess what I am saying is accidents do happen no matter how much we safeguard. Don't feel guilty, we all know you would never do this on purpose.
> 
> let us know if she pulls through.


I agree, often we don't realize something's not a great idea until something bad happens. We just live and learn. :wink: Sounds like you're doing all you can, and yes, keep us posted.


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## Berks (May 15, 2007)

fingers will be crossed for you and your girl


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## Cassi (Oct 19, 2007)

thanks for all your kind comments she is moving around a little bit and am givig her lots of fluid via syringe and she is taking it which is good..i suppos
e im making myself feel better by telling myself that lots of people would of said no when given a quote on the phone of Â£90 plus when all they could do was give her pain killers but i still took her in so it must shows how much i care, il update in the morning, thanks again for the best wishes..

cas x


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## lostbutnotforgot (Apr 19, 2007)

We all make mistakes, please don't beat yourself up over this. You really do care for your rats, thats not something everyone could say (about even their dog or cat). A friend of mine fell on her Chihuahua and broke the chi's hip, but it wasn't anyone's fault. Accidents happen. I hope she gets better! Best wishes from me too!


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## magster321 (Dec 4, 2007)

poor little thing - hope she is better soon - got my fingers crossed for you 
keep positive


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## madeittothemoon (Nov 1, 2007)

I'm glad that she's getting a little better, I hope she keeps it up!


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## Cassi (Oct 19, 2007)

update, still alive this morning and moving about a bit more  had a bit more blood on her nose this morning but went off and cleaned herself up so thats a good sign


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

My mum degloved the tip of one of my girls tails once, as Ivy was about to run off of the sofa and instinct just took over and she grabbed her. My mum (a self confessed rat grump) cried on and off for a night about it because she felt so bad. Point is, these things happen. What matters is your helping her as much as you can now, and that's good to see, because like you say, there are a lot of rat owners out there who wouldn't.

Good to see she's doing a little better now. Fingers crossed!


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## Poppyseed (Feb 1, 2007)

The blood on her nose could be porphyrin too, a sign of stress or illness.

Sounds like a horrible mistake, I wouldn't blame yourself. Just try to be more careful with the new girls until you know what they like and don't like.


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## reachthestars (Feb 27, 2007)

Make sure you keep an eye on her teeth... it's possible she may have misaligned them with the fall and that they'll grow crooked now. One of my girls had great teeth up until a few months ago, and now they're crooked and need to be trimmed once a month. I'm assuming she took a header off a level in the cage .

Sorry about your new girl, but I'm sure she'll be back to normal in a few days *gentle scritches*


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

mistakes and accidents happen. you're taking good care of her now and that's the important part. and it could have been worse. i recently went through an experience that was.

i didn't think that a nursery cage would get hotter then a normal cage or that a fan would be appropriate to use for the rats in the winter. the heat was set too high and one of the babies in the nursery died because of it. it was just a matter of thinking about something that i should of thought about but didn't that sealed the little one's fate. 

i'm keeping my fingers crossed with everyone else that she pulls through this fine.


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## JulesMichy (Apr 8, 2007)

I had a very similar situation back in July where I sat on one of my rats. I didn't hear a crack, but I heard a sickening pop. Rushed Gracie to the vet, and took an x-ray (you can see it here). That's a hernia you're seeing, the popping noise I heard was her abdominal wall being perforated. Surgery took 2 hours, but we got her all fixed up. That was five months ago, and she's still going strong. She'll be 3 years old next month. 

So even if it's serious, with a good vet, it can be fixed. Feel her abdomen for any lumps. Gracie's hernia felt like a lump about the same size and shape as a walnut, but hers was absolutely huge. Most hernias are only a loop or two of intestine, hers was pretty much her entire intestinal tract.

Hyper extend her limbs by grasping at the joint and pulling down and out. Move it around, bend her limbs. If she squeaks or reacts pretty strongly, a break is possible.

You could get an x-ray done. In fact, I'd strongly recommend it.

Good luck. And I won't tell you not to blame yourself, because I know that's not possible. I was sick with guilt for months after Gracie's accident. Even looking at that x-ray again makes me feel sick to my stomach.


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## mopydream44 (Jun 10, 2007)

Everyone here has pretty much said it but accidents do happen. You did the right thing by taking her to the vet. We all know you love your rattie. I do hope she pulls through. Sending good thoughts your way


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## Cassi (Oct 19, 2007)

thankyou very much guys  she is still alive and kicking  still not herself but probably still in shock poor thing


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## Schmea (Sep 21, 2007)

Accidents happen, it's how we respond to them that really shows the type of person we are. You did the right thing running to the vet, and hopefully your little one will make a full recovery!


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