# Pet rat bit Coalie



## mountainstorm (May 3, 2006)

Last Thursday, Coalie perched on top of the rats' (two girls) cage, and before I could get him off (having read that rats are predatorial), one of them bit his toe and wouldn't let go. Coalie was hanging upside down, flapping, trying to get away. By the time I got over there, Coalie had freed himself, and I picked him up and at first, it didn't look too bad.

(Back in August, I myself was bitten by one of them. I was holding an ice cube through the bars, and Ratty actually bit my thumb in trying to get the melting ice. I'd been nipped before, but never bitten. Mine didn't bleed much).

Anyway, after cleaning the wound, Rick and I put on a bandage which came off right away; then we put on another bandage, and that came off after about fifteen minutes. So we decided to leave it alone and let it air dry. Around one o'clock in the morning, a stack of stuff in the laundry room fell over, stuff that's been piled up for weeks without falling. Rick woke up and went to see waht the noise was--then he knew he had to check Coalie. 

I swear a guardian angel must have knocked that stuff over, because Coalie had lost about two *Tablespoons* of blood. It dried in mounds in a dog dish under a ladder perch, which itself was dripping with blood, literally.

Rick woke me up, and I held Coalie while Rick cleaned the wound with camphophenique, and then wrapped a thin strip of towel around the toe, covered that in iodine, and then wrapped it with paper-tape.

We change it every night. It continued to seep blood until after Saturday.

Last night, it had formed a healthy scab. And Coalie was struggling harder than ever to get out of my grip! He's doing just fine.

Rach


----------



## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

Poor Coalie! I used to have rats and pigeons in the house together. It was a constant struggle to keep the cages covered; even when I thought they couldn't possibly knock off whatever I put on top of the cage, they did at one point or another. 

Best thing to do in this situation is fill a bowl with corn starch or even flour. Hold him in the flour so he is standing knee-deep in it for about fifteen minutes. This should stop the bleeding. Then, what I would do, is to place a tray of the flour in the cage overnight and remove the perches, so that even if it did start bleeding again, the flour would stop it. Worked every time. 

Even the nicest rats will jump at a bird's feet. It's just instinct. Kinda makes it difficult to keep them together lol; I was finally able to move them into their own room and then outside into an aviary. But hopefully you can just cover the cage well and you won't have it happen again. I hope Coalie recovers quickly.


----------



## Hillybean (Oct 30, 2005)

I have both rats, and pigeons indoors. They are not together by any means. 
Rats, even the most friendly, can be nippy. Rats use their mouth for a variety of things . Plus, the smell of things just makes things even more tempting to the ratties.

The pigeons, can get things from the rats, and then there is always the possibility of the rats getting out. Even with the rats located in another room, there is that constant possibility....which is something I deal with.

I also change my cloths, and wash my hands before interacting with the pigeons, if I have handled or done anything with the rats. Same goes if I handle the pigeons, then the rats.


I like and enjoy both the rats and the pigeons. Giving them up just isn't an option in my mind. I have had pet rats since I was 12, my being a hairless rattie .

-Hilly


----------



## mountainstorm (May 3, 2006)

The bite went straight through from one side to the other, just a quarter inch from the claw. It would be like if we sliced the front of our finger, almost from one side of the nail to the other. I don't want it to get reopened, so we're leaving the bandage on; I know they take stitches out after seven to ten days, and this really should have been stitched. But it is healing nicely. Last night, the swelling was down.

Rach


----------



## Hillybean (Oct 30, 2005)

I'd put her on an anti-biotic for safety...

It'd be horrible if any infection set in, or anything else.

-Hilly


----------



## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I am just repeating what has been said already really...like Mary Jayne I have used cornflour for injured toes and beaks, I used to try to put the cornflour on the injury but now I put the injury on the cornflour.

It is a good idea to give antibiotics after a bite injury. I think human, dog and cat bites are more dangerous, but it is best to play it safe.

Cynthia


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Hillybean said:


> I have both rats, and pigeons indoors. They are not together by any means.
> Rats, even the most friendly, can be nippy. Rats use their mouth for a variety of things . Plus, the smell of things just makes things even more tempting to the ratties.
> 
> The pigeons, can get things from the rats, and then there is always the possibility of the rats getting out. Even with the rats located in another room, there is that constant possibility....which is something I deal with.
> ...


I think those hairless are just cool...i went through a time when I wanted to get one but could not find one, but now I have a chinchilla and that will have to do....


----------



## bweaz (Aug 1, 2008)

I am so glad that you got to your pidgey's toe!! I can only imagine how scared you were!!

Not too long ago I was at my mother's house with my pigeon and I was clipping her wings. When I was done, I noticed one drop of blood on the glass table next to the couch. Of course, realizing that birds do not have a blood clotting mechanism (well, not a sufficient one anyway), I started looking through her feathers. I gave up and then I looked at the drop of blood again and knew I had to find out where it came from. Thank goodness I did, I must have just nicked the top of a blood feather (a reason not to use super sharp scissors). I got some pliers and pulled the whole feather (there was no way to salvage it). 

Sometimes, just when we think something inconvenient happens (your laundry falling over), we realize it was really a blessing in disguise.


----------



## Hillybean (Oct 30, 2005)

spirit wings said:


> I think those hairless are just cool...i went through a time when I wanted to get one but could not find one, but now I have a chinchilla and that will have to do....


Yep, I currently have two hairless ratties in the rat pack. With one expecting, and there should be a couple from that litter that are hairless. I can't wait!!


Yep, have hd chins in the past too .


-Hilly


----------



## EgypSwiftLady (Jan 14, 2008)

Hillybean said:


> Yep, I currently have two hairless ratties in the rat pack. With one expecting, and there should be a couple from that litter that are hairless. I can't wait!!
> -Hilly



My daughter and I LOVE hairless rats they are the best! We recently lost a very dear hairless girl, she had a tumor that crushed her heart. She used to cuddle under the blankets with my daughter... I even found her sleeping with her head on the pillow with the blankets tucked under her chin.
We still miss her so much we haven't been able to get another.


----------



## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

maryjane said:


> ...Best thing to do in this situation is fill a bowl with corn starch or even flour. Hold him in the flour so he is standing knee-deep in it for about fifteen minutes. This should stop the bleeding. Then, what I would do, is to place a tray of the flour in the cage overnight and remove the perches, so that even if it did start bleeding again, the flour would stop it. Worked every time...


Thanks for sharing this excellent suggestion!


----------



## driph (Jun 14, 2008)

You can also buy styptic powder, which is effectively the same thing, but some of the varieties have the added benefit of being antiseptic:

http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Blood-Stopper-Styptic-Powder/dp/B00063KNG2

One $5 container will pretty much last forever (hopefully!)


----------



## mountainstorm (May 3, 2006)

BTW, Coalie is doing fine. It has healed over nicely.

Rach


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I'm glad he's doing so well. Thanks for the update.


----------

