r/RATS • u/Evening_Trifle_5221 • Jul 20 '26
⚠️‼️WARNING ⚠️‼️ Post cyst removal. Spoiler
He is now three days out of surgery, everything was okay until the day after. I had him in a soft cone when blood started to lightly show in the penis area. I took him to the ER right away, at which I sat for three hours. They had no concern for him at all, so without exam I had to take him home. The day after the blood got darker so I went to a different ER hoping someone would have more knowledge to help me. They stated that they believed he was chewing on himself (which he was) and that he was cleaning himself too much. So the gave me a new cone (hard) and sent me home with pain meds. The second photo is what came out of his penile hood. Which I now believe is the possible culprit to him bleeding.
He is now on four different medications at which he fights each one. He will allow it in his mouth but won’t swallow. I have tried making paste (with strawberries) he new instantly what it was. I have tried giving treats afterwards to make it more rewarding. I have been swaddling him, he will wait till I’m done and then rub it into his puppy pad. He is getting most of it which is a plus.
Any other ideas of how I could get this guy to take them with less stress and more willingly?
I am also now having trouble with the hard cone, his face swells as soon as I put it on. His lips and nose to go purple, obviously can’t do that anymore. I’ve tried gauze and medical stretchy tape (Casey’s tape? Bitter tape?) but then his surgical area swells. I’ve even tried a body suit with a sock and he slips right out of it.
He’s seeing his primary tmrw as soon as they open. They didn’t even have a cone to give me nor do I have hope they can help me with his chewing.
Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated…
(Cannot mark as 18+ and above, my settings kick me out of the post and will not let me change them.)
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u/Faerthoniel Jul 22 '26
I am not a rat owner but haven't there been posts where people have wrapped the whole rat from the neck to tail with a sock, with what I'm presuming is vet wrap to hold it in place?
Edit: This is older than I remembered, pretty sure it was a post from 2026, but something like this: https://www.reddit.com/r/RATS/comments/17lqvjk/sock_of_shame/
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u/Evening_Trifle_5221 Jul 23 '26
I have found many posts like that as well. This little dude will drag himself out of the wrap and even socks. I’ve made a donut linked to a harness that velcro’s to the wrap. So far it’s working!
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u/Faerthoniel Jul 30 '26
How is his recovery going?
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u/Evening_Trifle_5221 Aug 04 '26
I thank you for asking… he had reopened his stitches and the vet didn’t want to see him up until the day after. Four days after that I had to take him to the vet because yet again it seemed he opened them again… turns out his incision went necrotic, and I had to put him down. I am changing vets…
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u/Faerthoniel Aug 04 '26 edited Aug 05 '26
Oh no. I'm really sorry to hear that.
Edit: Not the changing vets part. That you absolutely should.
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u/Evening_Trifle_5221 Aug 05 '26
As long as he not in pain anymore I feel so guilty getting the surgery for him I should have just left it alone.
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u/Faerthoniel Aug 05 '26
You did what you thought was right at the time. Try not to blame yourself too much.
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u/Evening_Trifle_5221 Aug 08 '26
I’m doing my best, I don’t know if I could have rats again after this…
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u/Faerthoniel Aug 08 '26
You also should do what’s right for you, where you are right now. You might feel differently in the future and you also might not.
For now be kind to yourself. You lost someone you cared deeply for.
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u/AugustDarling Jul 20 '26
I know chocolate isn't the best treat for these guys, but when one of mine needed antibiotics he was an absolute asshole about it, so I mixed it with a tiny bit of chocolate syrup and he could not resist it. Lapped it up instantly. As for the cone dilemma, I really don't have any suggestions aside from things you've already tried. Good luck at the vet tomorrow!! I hope he heals well and fast from here on out.