Wounds in Rodents

‘Inquisitive’ sums up rodents in a nutshell. When we think of our little fluffball’s twitchy nose, and wide eyes scampering cheekily toward anything new and exciting we also prepare ourselves for the aftermath of being dug out, fished out, or disentangled from whichever new adventure they’ve got into. 

How wounds happen

As every pet parent knows, rodents are naturally bright and curious. They’ll quietly sneak out of their safe cages or tiptoe into mischief.  Supporting their healing process helps prevent infections and is extremely important that your rodent’s wound preparations are specifically designed and manufactured for rodents as human or other pet products can be harmful.

Treating minor wounds at home?

Minor wounds are shallow cuts or scrapes on or close to the skin's surface that ooze blood. If blood pours or spurts this is an emergency for your veterinarian. Minor wounds occur on the body - book an appointment for the face or ears. Wounds are small (under 2mm diameter) and shallow and moderate pressure is enough to stop the bleeding. If you are unsure then consult your veterinarian as it can be harder to assess small rodents at home than larger pets.

What to do

1. If it is hot, swollen, or too painful to examine, consult your vet straight away 

2. Stop any bleeding with firm pressure on the area for 10 minutes 

3. If pulsing, welling, or pooling blood then contact your vet immediately 

4. Once bleeding has stopped with pressure then rinse the wound with cooled boiled water, saline solution or F10 Germicidal wound spray.

5. Clean the wound with wound spray, and keep it clean and dry 

6. Check it at least twice daily for heat, swelling, pain, discharge, fly eggs, maggots

7. ideally keep your rodent indoors if they have a healing wound, to avoid fly strike 

Prey animals hide their pain so if your rodent seems off-colour, reluctant to eat, lethargic, or avoids moving or grooming then you should contact your veterinarian or book an appointment here for advice. 

Common minor wounds

Nicks:

Rodents can catch their skin on sharp cages, and doors or be bitten by pals. Plan to check and, fix or replace cages regularly. 

Bald areas:

If your rodents are in a bullying relationship you may notice regular bites, bald areas, or trimmed whiskers. Seek veterinary advice on how to manage bullying and if the eye is involved, get an immediate appointment as eye injuries can progress quickly. 

Ears and tails:

Rodent ears are delicate and often end up damaged in disagreements between cage mates. Tail biting happens during fighting and tails can be damaged by wheels or cage doors. Get ear and tail injuries assessed by your veterinarian as they contain many blood vessels. Gerbils can lose their tail if picked up incorrectly so It is a good idea to make sure all family members are aware of how to safely handle pets. Buy rodent-specific cages and wheels to minimise the chance of injuries. Tails are precious as they help your furry control its temperature.

Claws:

Tiny claws are easy to over-trim and can get pulled, cracked, or broken during adventures.  Fractured and missing claws are painful and at risk of infection so contact your veterinarian.  Use wound spray or antiseptic on the area while awaiting advice.

Fly strike:

Fly strike - when maggots hatch in wounds - is often fatal. It can be prevented with regular skin care checks alongside a product such as F10cream or F10 germicidal barrier ointment. This contains antiseptic and insecticide so is perfect to apply to rodent wounds or sore bottoms to prevent fly strike. If you see fly eggs or maggots seek immediate veterinary advice.