injured rattie

[Frisso]

  :(My poor rat has just really badly hurt its foot i think it may be broken.
The thing is i've called a vet and they said it will have to be seen in the morning.Does any one know if this is  normal practice to leave the animal overnight? I'm really worried  
In fact i'm really upset exspecially because my poor rattie has to stay overnight in pain. I feel just awful!

The other real worry for me is that she may be put to sleep is this likely to happen i mean does any one know if broken bones can be fixed in a rattie.
I really don't want to lose her exspecially now as one of my other rats is really quite poorly at the moment as she's having respiratory problems and is on baytril but i'm not sure she will surive. I'm feeling really terrible at the moment. I hope i don't lose any of my rats just yet. The one with respiratory problems is only 6 months it doesn't seem fair!  

Please i'd appreciate any help or advice you could offer thank you.

[Ree]

Don't panic.

You can't put rattie legs in a cast and fix them that way, but rest and pain meds usually work ok at getting legs back in shape.  Your girl may have just badly sprained her leg.  I'd suggest putting her in a 1-level hospital cage so she can't hurt herself further...

Other than that, I have no experience with sore rat legs, so I'll leave it to the experts.

[Tizzrah]

I suppose there is no other vet you can take her to that will see her immediately?  

Ree's suggestion was good.  Put her in a one-level cage so she doesn't hurt herself further, and keep her as comfortable as you can until the morning.  No, they won't put her to sleep over a broken foot.. if it's badly injured, it -may- have to be amputated, but that's unlikely.  

It sounds like you're doing everything you can for her.  Good luck and keep us updated!

[Frisso]

Thanks a lot you've made me feel a lot calmer. I've already transfered her to a hospital cage and she's now sleeping.

[MamaHobbit]

i hope your kid's leg feels better soon. pippin mildly sprained either her hind leg or foot the other night and it totally freaked me out. I even slept on the floor next to their cage to make sure i'd be right there if she was in pain. but of course she was fine and they spent the night throwing litter and having a grand old time trying to wake mummy up and get her to play with them.

good luck and give her extra treats and kisses
~julie

[elegy]

what everybody else said  

one-level cage, soft bedding, make sure she can get to her food and water with no trouble. i hope she feels better soon. good luck at the vet's tomorrow.

[ckhs]

Hows the leg?

[Frisso]

I've just got back from the vets and my rattie seems quite happy now. The vet said that she's broken a bone in her foot and the vet has strapped the leg and foot in sticky plaster. My rat looks quite funny now and i'm really happy that she's no longer in pain.

I've got to take my rattie for a check up weekly until the leg has healed. However she may have to have it amputated if it doesn't heal sufficently.

Thanks again for all your advice.  

[PA_ratman]

Keep us posted =).  We are all hoping the leg heals correctly.  Even so I think a rat would do ok with three legs, but lets not be negatitive.