Tip of Tail Bitten Off ADVICE PLEASE

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YorkieLove

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2013
Messages
194
Location
Boise, Idaho
Ella got the tip, about 1/4th inch, of her tail nipped off last night while I was sleeping. I am assuming from the females below as they fight with each other and we set the cage up to were no tails or anything could slip out the bars but Ella chewed through it last night and obviously slipped her tail through. I fixed it and we are ordering a bass pan now.

We were wondering if we should take her to the vets and get the the bone snipped off? Or will it fall off on its own? It isn't swollen or anything just scabbed up really well and then about 1/4" sticking out is black bone now.

We have an appointment for our older girl with a skin tag removal this evening, I am wondering if we should have her tag along and see if he would snip the bone off?
 
I would take her along for the vet to see. He/she might choose to remove the bone bit so that the skin can heal around the new end of the tail. You don't want something that may not heal right or leave the skin open to infection if it can't close around a bone fragment. A rat might be prone to trying to chew the bone bit off anyway, but it can probably be removed quickly with a bit of local anesthetic, and then a topical antibiotic ointment and a bit of oral meds to hold her over until fully healed. I'm sure it's something that would heal quickly. The big thing is to avoid any bacterial infection in the wound. Try to keep her on clean paper towels or clean newspaper until then.
 
Thanks Carol!

I had my mom post that for me. It looks so ouchie but she hasn't even touched it, its like she hasn't even noticed. The skin looks nice and tight around the bone were it is, and no redness or swollen. But I did call my vet and ask and he did tell us to bring her down as well and he will take a look at it.

Poor girl! Her and her sister are in top of a DCN and 3 of my other girls (old ladies) are on the bottom. I set it up to were tails cannot slip through the sides (about 2" of cardboard zip tied) and then plastic mats and card board under the pan so no tails could fit between the pan and bottom of the top cage. Well Ella is a little miss pissy pants to the neighboring old ladies under her and decided to chew through it all the other night. Before I noticed or saw I guess she got nipped really well... I am going to try the bass pans now, ha.
 
Poor girl, but not uncommon. Some rats can be so nasty... silly buggers.
But, some people bring their rats to the vet for this and some don't. I think it's always a good thing to see a vet, they can help so much more but if someone couldn't afford it, then I would have recommend keeping the area clean and her habitat clean and maybe even some infant ibuprofen to keep her comfortable if she was showing signs of pain.
 
Update on Ella: I took her into the vet with Lilith's appointment. The vet said it actually looked wonderful. No redness or swelling and the tip had already died off from it happening just last night. All he did to help her out was snip it off with a pair of surgical scissors. Mom held her and he snipped and she didn't even have a clue it happened! No pain or anything, even when he was investigating the actual scabbed area. He said just keep an eye on it for a few days to make sure it doesn't get red / swollen / infected.

I got home and noticed her sisters is gone too! A smaller chunk though - and no bone left - it was clean bitten off. Hers is healing fine too. I am going to do cage cleanings tomorrow and move them to the bottom of the DCN while I wait on the bass pan to arrive. Poor girls! and Naught nasty Hadyn or Juniper - I don't know who is doing it of those two girls but I know Lilith isn't - she doesn't have an interest in the world of the girls above her but Hadyn and Juniper sure do.

[highlight=#ffbfff:2s1wuwil]Joanne[/highlight:2s1wuwil] those photos look exactly like Ella's tail! Glad to now they heal up so nicely. My vet was explaining that to us and was explaining how common this is actually and that they will heal on their own and fall off at home as well but if need be I can bring them in and he will snip it. He said hers was pretty much the least he has ever seen. That he has seen and dealt with whole halves of tails and he just snips them as well. Crazy this can happen actually - looks so painful!
 
I'm glad she is doing well. They are fast-healing little critters!

Be warned though, you may be trading bitten toes for tails if the girls get access to each other again! I used a 1/8 thick piece of wood to prevent the kids getting through, but I guess anything's game if they're persistant enough. Good luck!
 

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