Sugar had surgery... I have a question

[P3]

So SugarMama had a tumor removal today. It was underneath her front left paw, so my vet said it looks like a typical mammory tumor. Everything went well, according to the vet. I just gave her her first dose of .3 ml bupronex, which she will receive twice daily.

Before the meds, she ate about a teaspoon of grain baby food mixed with carrot baby food, and I left it in there for her to finish. I have a few lab blocks in there as well.

My question is this... she keeps chewing on the Carefresh bedding. I don't know if she's actually swallowing it, but she is definitely continuously chewing on it. I'm going to take all of it out right now and keep her in there with fleece and clothes. But I'm worried... is she going to be ok? Is the gnawing normal? Will the Carefresh hurt her if ingested?

[rapforjane]

Carefresh could get impacted if she eats it. When I have post surgery patients, they stay in a tiny SP My First Home cage on white fleece or cotton, which is changed daily. It's so I can tell if they're peeing/pooping or bleeding.

It's been a few months since I had a surgery rat, but that buprenex dose seems high to me. Are you sure it's not .03 ml?

[P3]

Crap. Ok well I'll be checking for poops tonight and tomorrow. If no poops- I'll call my vet asap.

Man... I hate worrying 

[rapforjane]

Well, poops after surgery can take a while too. Don't worry yourself into a fit! I would call the vet and ask when you should start seeing poops.

[LastEchoes]

First off, I highly recommend switching if you havent yet from carefresh to something not dusty since she just had surgery...use cloth or paper towels.

Just because she's chewing on Carefresh, it doesn't mean she's eating it...chewing is a way some rats deal with pain/being uncofortable....BUT chances are it's the bupronex that's making her chew. When my boy was on bupronex, it made him chew anything and everything like CRAZY...the day i stopped the meds...he stopped gnawing on stuff too....it's a weird side effect they don't tell you about.

[scout]

I agree that you'll be better off putting her on fleece or towels following surgery. You might want to get her some chew sticks that are a bit safer to chew on. Sometimes rats do chew when they're uncomfortable or in pain. I hope she makes a speedy recovery!

[P3]

Yeah, I changed out the bedding right after I wrote that. She's been chewing on the clothes and fleece I have in there. I know she isn't swallowing it because there are a bunch of 'spit balls' all over her cage 

I'm really glad that it's just a side affect of the bupronex. She's eating actual food but once she's done she resumes chewing again. Only two more doses and she won't be quite so out of it. They really should tell you about that side affect because I was going out of my mind last night worrying that she was going to eat up a whole t shirt.

Edited to add:

Thanks, you guys. You really helped me 
And thank you, Stephanie, for keeping me calm about a crazy rat at 1 in the morning. 

[italianqt]

Sugz isn't crazy...her mom is another story. Oh I heart you!

[mamarat2]

Yeah, I changed out the bedding right after I wrote that. She's been chewing on the clothes and fleece I have in there. I know she isn't swallowing it because there are a bunch of 'spit balls' all over her cage 

OK I am not the only one that has seen the spit ball side effect from the buprenex!!!!!!!!  I swear I have brought it up here in the past and everyone thinks I am insane.  And I swear I've told Pie about it a million times and she thinks I am crazy too lol!

Every rat I have ever put on the stuff post op for surgery care has done the spit ball thing.   

[P3]

Hahaha ItalianQT thought I was nuts or that Sugar was nuts... so you're not alone.

What a weird side affect, huh? They should put it on the label "Caution: may cause spit wads"

That way us rat people wouldn't think our rats were nutso

[mamarat2]

Yah, I have told my vet multiple times that it has that effect on the rats and they think I am crazy too! LOL