Well my 1 1/2 year old doe had a tumor. It steadily got black in the middle till last night it popped. She now has a nice size hole in her belly. What can I put on it that isnt toxic but will help keep out infection? I am leaving for a week in abut 2 days. I was hoping too just leave them with enough food and water but now Im worried that this hole might need to be taken care of daily. Please help! All advice GREATLY appriciated!
If it burst and left a hole, it sounds more like an abscess. She needs to be on oral antibiotics to get it healed and keep it from coming back. You can clean it with some antibacterial soap but I don't think it will heal well at all. She should also be separated from any other rats.
Please don't clean it with soap!! She does need to be on antibiotics.. at least, 7 days.. 10 would be better..... and have her wound cleaned with SALINE and/or Betadine twice daily, minimal. You want to flush the open wound with the Saline (use pure saline ..not yours or your parents' contact solution cuz it has preservatives... but Unisol or the store brand that is preservative free). You can also put some Betadine in the Saline solution and rinse/flush with both. If you see any green'ish "cottage cheese" looking material inside the wound, you can gently remove it with a Saline moistened Q-tip and some vigorous flushing with the Saline. Your goal is to keep that open wound as clean as possible, while also keeping her in a clean environment until the wound is no longer open. Do NOT bandage it. If you are not comfortable with this procedure or you cannot provide it, take her to the Vet very, very soon. And please, please try to find someone to babysit with your rats while you are away... a few days is too long for them to be completely unattended ..much less a week or more. Good Luck!
Use that first aid cream stuff they use on kids booboo's but without painreliever. also get her of shavings if you use them see if you can use papertowels. If she keeps on getting them it might be time for euthanasia. I know how it is they can get sick fast. I used to breed african soft furred rats.(aweful pets but great for snakes)
You really shouldn't leave them for a week without someone coming to clean, water, and feed them. and your rat will for sure end up getting an infection if you leave her alone like that without cleaning it daily, and she'll probably be dead by the time you get home.
I finally found some one with enough courage to watch them for me. I gave her the info you gave me so she knows what to do. I am not sure it is an abscess , ive treated a few cats with those before. But then again it might be. It is actually healing nicely .
