Do Rat Bites (Human) Go Numb? *Now With Pics

[Cait]

I'm not sure where this goes as it's rat related but not for a rat.

Long story short, I had Norrin out before I headed back to work, and I have no clue why, but one second I was petting him the next I knew he chomped down on my finger. It hurt like a mofo. He got me on the second section of my right index finger, bottom teeth through the bottom (THIS is where it hurt and looks awful) and top teeth on the top.)

Now it's been about 30 minutes (back at work) but now my finger is still bleeding and starting to go numb... It's also VERY swollen and I can't bend it. (Which sucks because most of my job is typing, but the more I do it the easier it is to type without that finger.) I've gotten bit before, so I didn't think about the swelling or the pain too much, but the numbness is a new thing. Do I need to get myself to the vet?

I've had a tet shot about 3 years ago for a human bite I recieved, so I'm not sure what else they can really do for me, and I REALLY don't want to go in there and be like "Well my rat did it" because we are supposed to report animal bites, and I'm not sure what would happen.

Advice?

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

Maybe try putting an ice pack on it to take the swelling down. He may have it a nerve and that is causing the numbness or the swelling is to much restricting the blood flow to your digit and if that is the case the ice will help. I personally wouldn't go to the vet or the doctor, LOL, I hate going to the doctor. I would just put ice on it and neosporine and clean it with peroxide two or three times a day.

Norrin was probably having a bad day. It happens we all snap at some point. Usually at the person we love the most. =)

 

[Cait]

Oh goodness, I said vet, didn't I? Shows you were my head usually is, heh.

Thank you! I'll get ice right away. If I can find some around here... I bet I can. If not I'll run down to the gas station around the corner and get some. I put some neosporin on it before I left the house, and now I'm glad I brought extra band-aids; I've bleed through four already! Blech.

Yeah, at this point, I'm not really fazed at anything Norrin does. I was actually kind of waiting to get bitten. I'm glad it was me and not my dad or mom; they wouldn't have understood as well. That boy is a trip. He's been extra moody lately, though, for some reason.

 

[Lindsay]

Sounds similar to how I reacted when I was mauled by my gerbils a few years ago. The swelling was so intense that my fingers throbbed but also felt numb. Plus there was some nerve damage.

Are you allergic to your rats? That would make the swelling even worse IMO because then the allergens would be getting INTO the skin and creating swelling of its own, aside from the initial swelling from the bite itself.

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

LOL.

Yeah, ice will really help with the swelling.

They are animals you can't blame them for doing what is natural to them. Sometimes Lilly, my oldest and I think completely blind will get so comfortable in my lap that I will stop petting her for a second go back to pet her and she will bite the crap out of me. I think she forget where she is and then I startle her.

And then Sunflower was being such a meany last night that I did Jo's dominance pinch, well I learned you cannot do that with Sunflower she flipped out bit me and for the rest of the night would snap at me or hiss at me if I tried to touch her. But she was okay by this morning. She was just being so mean tormenting everyone.

 

[Cait]

OHO I didn't even THINK about that!!! Yes, I am allergic to them. I'm allergic to most animals, but I thought it was their dander that did it? But boy that would explain that...

I got ice off of a coworker. He just went and got McDonalds, but gave me the ice out of his drink. We're very resourceful here I guess.

Yeah, while I'm not overjoyed with Norrin right now, I know it's not his fault. He doesn't know. Like I said, he's been very moody lately. He has even started picking on his only cage mate, which is the only rat he can be with. I'm not sure what to do about that guy. He might be going in for a neuter sooner than I thought.

 

[jorats]

I've had the numbness before. He must have got you bad. I wonder what happened to him. Any new rats in the home? Are the girls around them?

 

[Cait]

The girls are here now, but they're in our dining room which is two stories down from my room where the boys are kept. (We live in a 3 story split level.) Plus I've been really careful to change my clothes and wash really well after I mess with them. They've only been here two days, and Norrin's been weird and moody for about a week and a half. He did just start his picking on Rubin a few days ago, though, and normally I'd chalk that up to the girls, but that was the day before the girls came here. That's not to say it's not affecting him now, but him acting weird started even before they came.

Bob and Janie are still in QT at a friend's house, so it's not them. :/

 

[twitch]

how old is norrin? what's the weather like? if he's older he could be feeling stiff. arthritis can hit our furbabes too, and i know when the weather is bad i get all tired and sore and as a result grouchy. and i'm only 22.

then too his grouchy could be an early sign of illness. i had a rat that was a... well... let's say she was a "adventure" to live with. she was likely autistic. she hated any small change and would get VERY grouchy if routine was out of whack even a bit. a little bit before i noticed a lump on her she started to get grouchy even though i was strictly on routine and the temperature in the room was strictly monitored. she would have these huge flip outs where i would get hissed at and poofed up at. it wasn't too long after that that i noticed a very small lump on her side. now snicketts was an extreme case obviously, but maybe norrin is feeling a little ucky and so is cranky and moody a little bit more then normal for him?

and then of course it could just be a bad day...

 

[Cait]

He's about 8 months, around the same age as Denny, I believe. It HAS been rainy lately (the past, oh, four days or so) but I'd hate to think he had arthritis at this age.

Should he go into the vet? Nothing else has changed for him, he still eats and drinks the same, but his behavior is off. I just thought he was a grouch, but if it's more I want to know, obviously.

 

[jorats]

I'd say it's time to get him chopped. 8 months is a classic time for them to become meanies.

 

[twitch]

i thought he was an older boy. i agree with jo then, he's too hormonal and that is likely the cause of all the trouble right there.

i'm not discounting what i said before, those are of course always possibilities, but given his age the likelihood of him just being hormonal over the other possible cause is so high... you may just want to get him neutered a bit sooner. the vet will give him a check up for breathing and lumps before operating anyway so you'll be covered there too just in case anyway

 

[Cait]

I'd say it's time to get him chopped.

That's pretty much my conclusion. I just got a call from my mother saying she had to seperate Rubin from Norrin as Norrin just wouldn't let him alone, and she *says* there was blood. Which royally sucks because Rubin is the only one he'd get along with, and now this! I don't want him to be alone, but I'm afraid he's giving me little choice. I'll call the vet and ask for them to see him tomorrow to do the preliminary work up, and hopefully (if it isn't something else health related) get him scheduled in for the Big Snip this week. In the meantime, I'm not sure what to do with Rubin... That poor old man, he just is such a sweetie, I hate to put him through this, but again, he is the only rat Norrin will get along with... until today. Would it be a bad move to put him in with the other five (who get along with him just fine) and just keep Norrin off to himself until he is neutered and healed? Or would that just make him worse? But I don't want him to hurt Rubin! I don't know.

 

[twitch]

right now it would seem that norrin doesn't want company. i'd let rubin hang out with the others while you get norrin sorted out personally. maybe after his hormones levels have gone down (takes about 3 weeks for some) norrin will be ok to hang out with the others as well.

if you want to make sure that norrin isn't too lonely though you could keep his cage close to the others. that way he can still smell and communicate with them but doesn't have to share "his" space. maybe give him a little doll to cuddle with/shread to his hearts desire depending on his mood at the time.

 

[theratlady]

having had several bad animal bites and knowing how far it can go, i had to go on iv antibiotics for a cat bite and and oral for rat bite.
when you get home take a good size bowl of very warm just so that is almost uncomfortable to keep your hand in and add about a 1/4 cup of salt. soak your finger/hand in this for about 20 min. this will help take any infection out. bleeding was good for it as well.

 

[MelissaG]

Just wondered how your finger is doing. I hope that it's much better.

Melissa

 

[Cait]

Thanks, guys.

I moved Rubin in with the other boys with no issues. They are already so used to him being around them and even playing in their cage it was easy as pie. Rubin has an owwie, but he'll be okay, it doesn't look bad at all. I had extra cuddles with him when I got home, poor guy.

I called the vet, and I have to take Norrin in at 4 so they can see him, and schedule his neuter for *hopefully* later this week.

I soaked my hand like was suggested. I'm glad to hear all that bleeding was a good thing, ha! It's still pretty swollen, but it's gone down some. Still quite numb. I think he *did* hit a nerve. Meh.

Edit: Here's some pics! Woo!

This one was taken not too long after the actual bite, maybe ten minutes. Poor finger.

And now, about 13 hours later. Better, but not by too much.

 

[Dahlas]

Ouch.....I hope the neuter helps take the wind out of that boys sails.

 

[lilspaz68]

When i get a bite, as soon as I get the bleeding stopped, I take advil and then I clean it up. Profuse bleeding flushes crap out of the wound so its not a bad thing. :roll:

If I forget the advil, I swell up fast, the pressure makes my finger number and it hurts and takes much longer to heal just from the swelling itself.

 

[mamarat]

Ouch, that looks painful.