Dealing with a Head Injury on a Pet Rat

Pet rat head injures are surprisingly common, even to those given the best of care. Injuries include bite wounds, self-inflicted injuries and internal damage sustained by falls or being accidentally sat upon. Pet rats or fancy rats are surprisingly resilient but need to see a vet.

Blood and Pus

Rats may scratch the skin open on their heads, especially around their eyes and ears if there are any infections. Pus and swelling from abscesses may follow. If one eye is swollen and the rat still scratches at it when the lid is closed, it may have a corneal ulcer or a piece of bedding caught in the eye. The rat needs to see a vet immediately for pain relief and possible surgery to remove the eye if it has an ulcer.

Rats in these cases need to be moved to a hospital cage in a warm, quiet area. They should be handled as little as possible. It's important to keep the bedding as clean as possible as the rat will have a lowered resistance to any bacteria or the strong smell of urine. Sick rats should be separated from other rats in case the other rats start to tease the sick rat.

Red Tears

This is not a pet rat head injury, although it will certainly seem alarming. It is normal for rats to secrete a blood-red or black eye lubricant produced by their hardelan glands. Unless the rat begins rubbing its eyes, going off of its food or stops grooming itself, it does need to see the vet.

Mouth Sores and Lumps

Swellings and blood around the mouth may be due to overgrown teeth. When the teeth do not align properly, the rat has trouble eating and can bite itself, including the lips and inside of the cheeks. Check the rat's mouth for misaligned teeth. If the teeth are fine, then perhaps the rat sustained a wound from a scuffle with another rat.

Place this rat in a sick cage, feed soft foods like baby food and contact a vet for a tooth trimming.

Seizures

Seizures can be a sign of an internal pet rat head injury, but they can also happen in the cases of poisoning or dehydration. If the rat has fallen, been accidentally sat upon or had a large object fall on it and begins to have seizures, chances are it has sustained a potentially lethal injury. The rat needs to be placed in a warm cage separated from others and taken to a vet immediately.

The vet will first try to stop the seizures and then diagnose the cause. The rat may need an X-ray unless there are strange swellings on the head that indicate massive skull and brain trauma. In these cases, the vet will usually recommend euthanasia. But if the seizures can be controlled easily through medication and the rat seems otherwise alert and eats, it is possible the rat can live at least another few weeks.

In Summary

Pet rat head injuries often look worse than they really are. Rats with open wounds or abscesses need to be kept in a warm, clean hospital cage. Rats with mouth wounds need to be fed soft foods. Rats with seizures may need to be euthanized. But all pet rats need to see a vet to treat head wounds and receive any necessary medication.

Sources

Patterson, Colin. Pet Rats. Lulu.com; 2006.

Small Animal Channel. "Common Rat Health Problems." http://www.smallanimalchannel.com/rats/rat-health/common-rat-health-problems.aspx

DVM360.com "Seizures in Exotic Pets." http://veterinarycalendar.dvm360.com/avhc/Exotic-animal+medicine/Seizures-in-exotic-pets-Proceedings/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/638190?ref=25