I picked Ronin up out of his cage today to play with him, I set him down to grab something. Immediately, hen I looked t my hand, I noticed there was blood running all down my thumb and wrist. He didn't bite me, it was from him. I looked at him, and it was from his back foot. Both of his back feet have sores, abscesses to be exact.
It is a condition known as Bumble-foot. A lot of rats get this. A lot of rodents in general get this. I thought we were safe, and I'd never have to worry about it, because I do not keep him in a wire or mesh cage. He walks on soft plastic all the time. But somehow, he got it, and how I am unsure. But, there is no real way to help him. If he gets an infection, it can get into his bones and/or blood stream and kill him.

Basically, for the past four hours, I have been cradling him with napkins wrapped around his back feet soaked in hydrogen peroxide to get rid of any bacteria. I have looked up the condition, and only found a few unofficial 'cures', which I will try, which flush the abscesses out.
I am terrified that I am going to lose him. I don't care if you think it's stupid. I am extremely sensitive when it comes to my animals. They are not just pets to me. They are alive. They feel pain, they feel emotions, and he is my responsibility and is under my care, so everything he goes through is up to me and is my fault, so obviously I am going to be emotional. I'm not sorry that I actually care about the animals under my care.

I really hope he is going to be okay. He doesn't seem to be in any pain, but he is not ever remotely aggressive at all, so I do not know that he would even nip me even if he were in pain from these abscesses, even when the scabs came of from the hydrogen peroxide soaks.
Just wish me luck with him. I don't want to lose my little man.  

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Bring me my monocle. I want to look rich.

Have you considered a vet's office..? or even something like Petco?  They should be able to help him and/or tell you how to fix his bumble-foot.

Best of luck to him, and you, he's so cute.  I'm glad he doesn't seem to be in pain.


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Reev, you're amazing.
Scottyrob is also of amazing status.  *love*

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can you not take him over to the vet quick for them to do a quick run-down of him and see how serious his bumble-foot is?

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They won't be able to do anything, except give me the medicine that I'm looking for. I can look at it myself and see how serious it is. That's not really hard.
The antibiotics I need are called Nolvasan Solution and Dr. Naylor's Blu-Kote, both of which I read can be found at feed and farm stores, and neither of which are around here. I don't know how much success I'm going to have with this.

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Bring me my monocle. I want to look rich.