Female ate her tail!!!

[poseyof5]

Hi i just picked up a big breeding rat she pretty all smoke colored. She been here just 2 day but she had a rough night i guess.. Her cage got knocked over last night (she alone right) This morning she ate all the skin off the last inch of her tail.. and a bit of the tail its self.. Is she stressed from being alone or do you think the move then the fall did it? She nice as can be and is acting normal this morning... thanks

[littleindiangirl]

Your sure she ate her tail? There was no way for her tail to get caught in something and pull the skin off? I ask this because I know of a few gerbils (not mine) that got there tail stuck in the cage and literally pulled there tail skin off. I've really never heard of any thing like this before. Hopefully someone else can chimein.

[SatanicIntention]

How big and how old is she? If she's over 8 months or so, you can't start using her to breed for feeders..

What kind of cage is she in that allowed her tail to get pinched? I would think that the skin was removed and she cleaned up so infection didn't set in. Make sure the tail stays clean and dry, and put some antibiotic ointment on it(without painkiller).

[poseyof5]

Shes about 4 months old and has been breed 2 times before.(so i was told) I checked her cage and has theres nothing in there to hurt her or pinch her tail.. All the bleeding is in her hide and my husband who foundher this morning said she was grawing on her bone in the tail.. (shiver) I am feeding her fiesta rat food, it what she has always eaten. I feel so bad for her i dont' know what to do..

[littleindiangirl]

Are you thinking like a fungal infection or bacterial?

[SatanicIntention]

Wow.. 4 months and already been bred twice.. So she would have had to be 6-8 weeks old..

Do you realize that's like having an 8 year old kid have a child? Why would they breed her that young?! It's likely stunted her growth..

And Fiesta rat food is major junk, it is mainly fillers with no nutrition whatsoever. Rats can't digest the alfalfa in it, the dried corn contains a mold(aflatoxins) that can make rats very sick, and the tiny seeds are just fatty. I would really look into making your own food mix and finding a good source for quality lab blocks(their staple diet). Purina mills makes Mazuri Lab Diets(www.mazuri.com) You can use that link to find a feed store near you that can order it. I buy either the Mazuri Rodent 6F or 9F(6% and 9% fat).

Please don't breed that rat until she's at least 250g and 6 months old. It will at least lengthen her life span somewhat.

[poseyof5]

Well i know her last litter was take about week ago for pinkie feeders and they said about 4 months.. i didnt think i needed to get a birthday for her.. And that was just the food they had been giving her.. I was trying not to upset her with the new move... Okay i change her over to the other rats feed that i have..

[poseyof5]

Are you thinking like a fungal infection or bacterial?

No. More like maybe when the cage got knocked over her tail got hurt? and the pain caused her to chew it? I looked her over and held her after it happened she seemed fine little shy but thats it..

[Flagg]

If the bone is bared I think she needs to see a vet to get it amputated. I don't think you can just leave it.

[lord jackel]

If the bone is bared I think she needs to see a vet to get it amputated. I don't think you can just leave it.

I agree. In all my years breeding rats I have only had something like this happen once. One of my females got her tail caught in the cage wall. She gnawed it free. It got infected and after weeks of antibiotics it started to heal up. Even though she was healthy when I did try and reintroduce her back to a male he wanted nothing to do with her (my guess was he could tell she was defective) and ended up beating her up really badly. After this I had to amputate the rest of the tail and she lived a short life as a pet (got sepsis is my guess and died)

Long story to say take her to the vet and I don't suggest you try and breed her just keep her as a pet.

Hope this helps,
Sean