SandraM
New Member
I've had two female rats, litter mates, since May 2019. I have to travel out of town once a month, generally only for a 4 day weekend, and my neighbor looks in on the girls for me. Used to be the girls would be fine. Back in Sep I had to be gone for 2 weeks and when I got home Pepper had a chewed up tail, Sage was just fine. I took Pepper to the vet where she was given antibiotics, we got her tail cleared up, and then I had to leave for a weekend, got back and her tail was chewed again. I separated the girls thinking Sage had chewed her sister up, but Pepper's tail got worse the next time I had to leave. Considering that I had just gradually switched the girls to adult rat food the vet and I decided to put Pepper on an exclusion diet, to see if she was chewing herself due to a food allergy. Pepper was doing well, tail almost healed, healthy weight, soft coat, moist nose. After having to be out of town for a week, her tail is just about destroyed again! My vet and I are at wits end, granted he does not specialize in rodents, but he has been consulting with someone who does. Neither he nor his consult have ever seen a case like this. Help!! How can I keep my bitty baby from chewing herself up?
