Rat bite....

[Firefighter7457]

we recently had our first litter of rats and my son was poking around the cage when he got too close the doe bit him on the lip. i have had this rat since she was 6 wks old. do i have anything to worry about? she is not sick and never has been sick. the bite was a little deep and bled. do we need to have him seen by a doctor? the rat has also never been to a vet and due to the number of animals i own, i could run into an issue with animal control. any help would be appreciated

[wolfy-hound]

You should clean it well. If it looks infected, take him to the doctor. Usually rats don't have anything infectious.. although the bites can get infected, like any animal bite. I'd just tell the doctor that your son was playing with the pet rat, and it nipped his lip. No big deal.

[ThyTempest]

No big deal, agreed. Keep it clean, and please...kids shouldn't be sticking their faces in the rats cages.

[littleindiangirl]

OUCH! I personally know how much it hurts to get bit by a rat!

Clean it with iodine, put neosporin on it, and if it gets infected, take him to a doctor. (Lol, I almost said Vet. )

[Shadera]

Mommas with babies can be very protective of them, and be more cranky than they usually are. I hope the wound heals with no problems, and that he's learned to respect their space.

[TMoore]

I've been bitten several times by my rats and ASF with no ill effects.

However, my fiance was bitten last year on the tip of her middle finger which developed into a cellulitis infection. She went to her doctor when she noticed that there was a red streak extending from her finger up her lower arm. She was sent to the ER at Mass General where she received a round of IV antibiotics then 10 days of oral antibiotics.

Most often a bit from a rat is nothing to worry about, but just like any injury, there is a possibility it could become infected and get much worse.

Just keep an eye on it and if anything seems out of the ordinary a quick visit do a doctor may be in order.

[frankykeno]

Poor kiddo! First lesson, which your son just learned though - do NOT stick your face near any adult female animal with young.

Keep a very close eye on this since the lip area tends to get infected easily and kids naturally lick at it and so forth. Any indicators that the lip is inflamed, puffy or oozing seek medical help as well as if your child develops a fever or chicken pox-like blisters (not to scare you, this is likely to NOT happen but you need to know).

[med]

make sure to clean it out well, should heal in 3-4 days.

[rebeccabecca]

Does your rats have the same zombie virus as the ASF? If not don't worry. It it become's red ,swollen seek help