# rat's ear bitten by accident



## zuldrak (Mar 13, 2014)

my boys got in a scuffle last night around 12 AM. from what i heard, it was nothing more than their typical roughhousing, until i heard a loud shriek. dorian's ear was bit, thanks to his brother felix. it was certainly accidental because i didn't see signs of prolonged aggression (of course, dorian was slightly shaken and his fur puffed) and they each responded to a treat offering straight afterward. i noticed it several hours after the initial bite, around 3-4 AM, because i hadn't caught sight of the wound at first. there wasn't any blood around the cage, nor anywhere on dorian beside his ear.

it probably looks worse than it actually is, but there is a large chunk missing from his lower, almost inner ear. it isn't actively bleeding and dorian seems like his normal self; grooming, eating, playing, using the bathroom. it looked better this morning at around 11 AM than it did the night before. he hasn't shown any signs of pain but wont let me touch the wound to wipe the blood crust away. i can't get him to a vet today due to both money issues and it being a holiday, but i'm going to try my hardest tomorrow. i know he needs antibiotics, since the wound doesn't look like something you could stitch but more like a scrape. should i be too worried? from everything i've read rats heal quickly and i keep their cage super clean, it's in the process of an all-over cleaning as i type. the two began cuddling right after the incident and haven't been aggressive towards each other since. thanks in advance for any advice.


----------



## Shadow <3 (Jan 25, 2017)

He doesn't need antibiotics for a scratch. Any flesh wound should heal quickly, and you'd only used antibiotics if the wound got infected. If it's just a scratch and some blood, I'd just let it heal naturally. My girls seem to scratch each other's ears and even pull out whiskers accidentally quite a bit, and I've never treated any of these minor injuries. 

Perhaps you could include a picture of his ear?


----------



## zuldrak (Mar 13, 2014)

tried the best i could, rats are not the best models when you need them to be. the edges in red outline where the bite is. there's a bit more of the wound hidden by fur which goes deeper down on the ear, but i didn't want to risk touching for potential pain/bacteria transferring.


----------



## Asteria (Jul 6, 2016)

That looks like a fairly small wound (from what I can see, it just looks like the outer ear), just make sure to clean the wound (saline or diluted betadine are my go-to) until it heals. 
Having a torn ear is actually a fairly common injury I see rats have, I think it will heal fine on it's own but of course make sure to keep a close eye on it.


----------



## zuldrak (Mar 13, 2014)

been doing the saline solution since yesterday with a q-tip and he doesn't give much of a fuss, aside from his typical restless ratty curiosity. on the first swab there's a small bit of yellow-white discoloration but as i clean it further it becomes clear. upon further inspection his ear indeed is torn in half towards its base. i suppose he'll just have an oddly shaped ear from now on  it looks better today and the skin surrounding the wound is less red, almost normally colored again. he's even sleeping on it and grooming it, so i don't think it causes him much pain. a vet visit will be in order as soon as i have the funds.


----------



## zuldrak (Mar 13, 2014)

sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but i thought i'd give an update that may be useful to owners who experience similar wounds; dorian's ear is _completely_ healed. just 9 days ago it was rather gruesomely ripped in two, then began to scab 5 days ago, and this morning the scab is gone to reveal that the skin somehow fused itself back together. rat healing is incredible.


----------

