Bumblefoot or sprain?

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RattiesStoleMyHeart

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A few days ago I noticed my baby boy, Hoth, limping. I was about to trim his nails when I went to pick him up and he squealed the second my hand grazed his back leg. At first I wondered if it might be bumblefoot, but even now I don't see any wounds to the bottom or heel of his hind foot. The top is swollen and slightly discolored and he refuses to walk on it except for maybe ten minutes after I clean it and give him liquid ibuprofen. He hasn't been very active, obviously, since it started swelling and I have an appointment with the vet tomorrow, but I'm not even certain what might be wrong with it. Could he have sprained it? If he did, is there anything the vet can do or will it need to heal on its own?

I'm heartbroken to see him in this much pain; about the only thing he's interested in is snuggling.I've attacked a photo below. I can try and get one of the bottom of his foot, but he's not having it.

20140902_120533_zps802dba2a.jpg
 
it looks like a mild sprain.

Do you know fi you have children's or infant ibuprofen? Any clue how much your boy weighs? With these 2 things we can give you a better dose, as a couple of drops is more like .05 cc, and he probably needs more like .2 - .3 cc
 
lilspaz68 said:
it looks like a mild sprain.

Do you know fi you have children's or infant ibuprofen? Any clue how much your boy weighs? With these 2 things we can give you a better dose, as a couple of drops is more like .05 cc, and he probably needs more like .2 - .3 cc
Click to expand...

I'm not entirely certain but I'd say somewhere around a pound? He's rather hearty for his age (less than a year). Would taking him to the vet be any sort of help? Again, I have an appointment tomorrow because I, at first, thought it was an infection.
 
lilspaz had to step away from her computer and asked me to send you the dosing information.

The infant Ibu would be best because you will have to give a much smaller amount.
For a 454g rat you would give 0.17mL

Do you have a small 1ml syringe?
 
crumbilina said:
lilspaz had to step away from her computer and asked me to send you the dosing information.

The infant Ibu would be best because you will have to give a much smaller amount.
For a 454g rat you would give 0.17mL

Do you have a small 1ml syringe?
Click to expand...

I'd have to go out and get one; I imagine they wouldn't be hard to find.

Also, thank you for stepping in. :mouse1np1:
 
No problem :) Where are you located. They can be much more difficult to find then you think.

If you ask the pharmacist at a pharmacy they might tell you they don't have them. If thats the case ask if they sell insulin needles that can have the needle portion removed leaving just the syringe.
 
crumbilina said:
No problem :) Where are you located. They can be much more difficult to find then you think.

If you ask the pharmacist at a pharmacy they might tell you they don't have them. If thats the case ask if they sell insulin needles that can have the needle portion removed leaving just the syringe.
Click to expand...

I live in Michigan, but I work in the medical field and so does my mother. I imagine between the two of us, if the above ideas don't produce any results, we'll be able to find something.

Still wondering if I should take him to the vet though. Would they be able to do anything? Bandage it, etc? He, even after giving him some medicine, is not himself at all.
 
One of my boys broke his leg a couple months ago. It was swollen double what your boys foot is in that picture. He wasn't himself either. He stayed put, whined when you touched him or picked him up. I only gave him pain medication which took the edge off and allowed him to function to a certain extent. I also modified his cage so that he could access everything on the bottom level. I gave him more ladders so that he could use them to access the levels. I also moved his hammocks closer to the shelf so that he could easily get into and out of the hammock without really struggling. I didn't bother taking him to the vet because they would just give him pain meds, tell you to modify the cage and thats all. If they even put a bandage on the leg, well, the bandage really wouldn't last long. He would figure out a way to get it off. Rats are like that.

That injury (if the picture was taken recently) is relatively minor and he should be feeling better in no time. The ibu should take care of the pain and if you modify his cage a bit, he should be able to take it easier. How long ago did you notice this? (Sorry if I missed the timeline in the thread)

If it would settle your mind, you can still take him to the vet, but from my experience, rest and ibu is what they will tell you to do - kind of like humans and sprains.
 
Sprains are very common with rats and all they would do is give something similar. Give him a proper dose and it should be fine in a few days. Bacterial infections are a lot less likely than a sprain
 
I noticed it two days ago, so Sunday night. Should I cover the ramps with something? I've covered the flooring so they don't have to walk on the uneven metal, but the ramps are still the same.

Perhaps that's where he got his foot stuck. Or climbing up the side of the cage.
 
Actually the vet will most likely give you metacam if they give you anything at all, its a prescription NSAID similar to ibuprofen. People use ibuprofen in a pinch, for things such as this as it works very similarly, being an anti-inflammatory and pain medication. Ibu would need to be given every 4-6 hours, whereas Metacam or meloxicam only needs to be given every 24 hours.

When a rat is injured or hurting, they often hunker down and wait to heal. Sprains can happen for many reasons, and they happen a lot...as far as sprains go that is a mild one, that should heal in a day or 2 especially if you help the swelling. he probably won't need more than a day with the ibu.
 

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