# What is this about rats having a tail nail?



## Fusion200 (Apr 30, 2014)

I think I found a tail nail on my rats, is it when they have like 1-2-3 mm of white bone ish stuff on the tip? Is this harmfull? No blood, no pain, I can touch the tail, it's probably been like this for a long time. Some pictures I found
http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphoto...0248218559829_508884828_9334202_4413495_n.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b240/Sharlibby/Finstail.jpg?t=1176738488
I think its even less than that, just like a crump.


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## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

I don't think it is harmful. I've never had any of my rats bothered by it. Someone mentioned when I posted that it is just wear and tear on the tail over time.


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## Perocore (Jan 6, 2014)

My big boys both had that, but after I made some adjustments (more variety) to their diet it went away. I think it just has something to do with diet affecting the skin...never bothered them at all, just weirded me out, haha.


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## Ratbag (Nov 30, 2013)

All three of mine have it. I don't think it's anything to do with diet as mine have been brought up on a good variety of food to complement their Harlan Teklad and Oxbow. It could be a genetic thing perhaps?

I'd love to have a definitive answer.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

This is normally one of two things, a small injury to the tail tip, causing a bit of bone to be exposed, or more often a grouping together and hardening of some of the scales at the tip. Ive seen the second one a fair bit. You would normally also see fairly old largish scales on the tail too. Its generally just some old scales that havent shed properly, this could be down to a lack of protien in there diet at some point (bearing in mind what a rat needs changes over time, a lab block cant be perfect every day). If your rats have a smooth shinier and not straggily coat I wouldnt worry too much, if there coats a little tufty over there rump then they could probably do with a couple higher protien meals to get them through this moult or growth spurt which is upping there requirements


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## Ratbag (Nov 30, 2013)

Hmmm...well now you mention it, when we first picked up our boys their coats weren't so nice looking, a little scraggly. The breeder just fed them a cheap shop bought general seed/grain mix. It took about two weeks after we picked them up before their coats looked soft and smooth. I wonder now if that is why all of my boys have tail nail....


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

It could be they didn't get what they needed when young. It may fall of over time and it doesn't harm them so I wouldn't worry about it. As long as they are looking in good shape now


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## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

Wow, now that that was mentioned that would make huge sense. Pastoolio, V, Evy, and Lynn were all rats that I aquired and were already fed a different diet. Pastoolio wasn't fed the best diet, V and Evy were just dropped off at the store I work at, and Lynn was a rat I found outside. Toast, who is the only one who does not have tail nail, is the only rat that I've had who's diet has been monitored since day 10. Genetically, Toast's genes are not the greatest.


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## Willow&Faith (Jan 25, 2014)

One of my cousin's rats has this. He came from a pretty crappy pet store, so I always assumed it was an injury of some sort (he also had curly tail when she first brought him home).


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

Curly tail can be caused by running in a wheel a lot, especially one thats too small, though even big wheels can cause "wheel tail" if a rat runs an awful lot. I've had girls with it in the past.


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