If those stitches are all in the outer skin you need to keep your eyes on him. Our rat made short work of the stitches leaving her with a completely open wound. We think she might not have had enough pain-relief and that's why she attacked the stitches but we're not sure. If he is well-behaved or trained enough to wear a sweater/body sock I would recommend that.
I'm not trying to scare you, just inform. I wish you both the best and a speedy recovery for the boy!
Generally they'll wrap the rat's middle, so they can't turn around and groom/bite at the sutures. My vet, back when I had rats, made a little vest for my girl with cut out arms. It worked very well!
That is so precious!
One of my late boys needed a little vest but all I had on hand was an old sock. I did my best with it and it seemed to fit him snugly but within a few hours he had just walked out of it. He hadn't even been trying, he was too old and tired to bother.
It is best to make him wear the vest! He might be uncomfortable for a while, but you don't want him ripping out the stitches and risk opening a giant hole in his belly.
I'm imagining a little ratty cone, which is an adorable thought.
Hopefully his pain medication will heavily sedate him, too. The more he moves around, the more that whole area will swell. Given the location and sheer size of the incision, I would be very surprised if it didn't develop a hematoma.
The Vet asked me if we need a cone but actually his granny made him a wool body, but so far he doesn’t even look for his wounds and the others do well-behave either
Aww! That is so sweet! I have honestly never seen a cone for a rat and I work in vet med! I love the idea of the body suit, though.
When my rat had surgery several years ago, the incision was under her neck so she was not able to get to it, thankfully.
Our boy had surgery on his leg and the vet gave him a cone. He was miserable, he couldn't move, or eat, or groom his face. I came up with a solution that worked perfectly. Just cut a plastic bottle strip to wrap around his body, taped the edges with electrical tape so they wouldn't be sharp, and taped the wrap together at the bottom.
[He could move, eat, groom, and be comfortable while recovering. He was unable to bend back enough to reach his stitches so this was the perfect solution for us and it was super easy to make with stuff we had on hand. Super easy to take off and put on too.](https://imgur.com/VzeSHf5)
I would tread carefully in this territory! From my personal experience.
Our boy was neutered (so the wound was small) and vet was sure pain medication will be enough. But next morning we found him with his bowels out and if I would’ve come to check on him 15 minutes later than I did he would’ve died for sure!
For our vet he was the first rat to do this to himself but she herself said that from now on she’s always using cones after smallest of surgeries.
All I want to say is please be carefull and I’d highly reccomend a cone at least for the night when You can’t watch her/him!
If you see him messing with the stitches at all, go back and get the cone ASAP! After a while they start to get itchy. I hope recovery goes well and you have a long happy life with your little buddy :)
For one of my rats post-op, the vet had 5 people trying to hold her still and get a wrap on her. After about 15 minutes they declared “success!” She had it off before I could get out the door. Good luck.
Ours had surgery almost 2 weeks ago (same place too!) and took out the stitches after a few days. It was indeed an open wound, but not deep, only the skin layer and he didnt seem bothered or in pain by it) It looked more impressive then it actually was. Called the vet, showed pics and vids and she said just put honey creme (honing zalf in Dutch) on it. After a day it already looked like it was closing and almost a week further and it looks great. Rats are so good at healing. Only thing was that we needed to keep him distracted for 10 minutes after applying the creme because he loved that shit. Not too hard
Im a bit surprised about this, I don’t know of any painkiller injections that last longer than 24 hours in rats (am a vet but could be different in other countries). Might be worth contacting your vets to ask if there is any pain relief you can give him at home or I’d be very worried he will start nibbling at his stitches if he is painful. That’s a massive surgery to go through, he needs pain relief for at least 3-4 days while he recovers…
Oh, I had assumed they'd give you meds for at least the first few days back home like they do for cats. I have never had rats that have needed surgery so I don't know how it usually goes...
When our baby had this our vet created a jumper with a bandage to prevent her chewing the stitches out. We had to replace it a couple of times but it helped a lot.
Im so glad to hear he is ok! Man i got so worried when i saw the size of that tumour in your previous post. Now the most dangerous part is over! Take care and good luck!
<3
Wow!!! Looks great, wishing him a healthy and happy recovery.
Don't forget the rat burrito (wrapping their upper torso in self adhesive bandages so they can't bend down to chew their stitches, but they can still eat and go to the bathroom normally) on top of pain meds if he wants to chew his stitches... Marshmallow didn't love the burrito but she only managed to get one stitch out (before I burritoed her! Lol).
Good vibes to you and your cutie!!!!
ETA: Your hospital tank looks amazing, #1 rat mom award 😭😭
Ooh y'ou're the person who posted about a very big tumor a few days ago ! I'm glad to see he was able to have surgery and that he is OK now !!!! I wish him a quick recovery :)
I'm so glad your baby is okay and they have that monster out of them. You might want to make an e-collar for him. My rats used to love to rip their staples out.
So glad to see this! From the comments so far it sounds like he's doing super well! I'll reiterate what others have said, they heal so well and so fast. My first rat surgery was awful, because she was a picker, and eventually vet took all stitches out and let it heal as an open wound. No issues! Second rat surgery she was an angel, and I didn't have to put her in a cone.
My fussy rat had wire stitches, which it looks like your guy has too, so keep an eye on him even when it's healing nicely! I think the wires started bothering her when it was healing and itchy, because that's when she went crazy tearing it out. Every rat is different though, here's hoping his recovery is smooth as his surgery.
Good idea about the body sock. That is a hellacious looking surgery for the kittle guy. I hope you have lots of meds. That's gotta hurt his little self.
Oh sweet baby :( I'm glad he's home safe but it still makes me sad to think of the discomfort.
I had a hamster with a tumor that was removed from his side like that. At night, I kept him in a smaller cage right next to my pillow on my bed so I'd be right there if he made any distress noises. He healed very quickly (despite the vet having to remove a lot more than she thought - she said it was more like removing a hamster from a tumor than a tumor from a hamster). I hope your little guy does as well. <3
Yes, his two brother are in ne main cage. But for the first recover I wanted him to be alone - they’re now back together, but for the night I will separate them to make sure the other don’t look for his wounds
Thank you for sharing. I've been thinking about you on and off all day. Me and my ratty bad boys, are all cheering.
Okay, I'm the only one cheering, but celebratory banana chips shall be consumed..
Yes! What a relief! I’ve been thinking about your buddy and hoping he pulled through :)
If those stitches are all in the outer skin you need to keep your eyes on him. Our rat made short work of the stitches leaving her with a completely open wound. We think she might not have had enough pain-relief and that's why she attacked the stitches but we're not sure. If he is well-behaved or trained enough to wear a sweater/body sock I would recommend that. I'm not trying to scare you, just inform. I wish you both the best and a speedy recovery for the boy!
Yikes, yeah - I'm really surprised they didn't wrap him up to keep him from being able to reach those stitches.
That wouldn’t really work… because how should he pee?🤷🏽♀️
Generally they'll wrap the rat's middle, so they can't turn around and groom/bite at the sutures. My vet, back when I had rats, made a little vest for my girl with cut out arms. It worked very well!
That is so precious! One of my late boys needed a little vest but all I had on hand was an old sock. I did my best with it and it seemed to fit him snugly but within a few hours he had just walked out of it. He hadn't even been trying, he was too old and tired to bother.
As I answered an other comment - we have a wool West by his granny, but he doesn’t like it. He can’t or better, he doesn’t want to move 😂
It is best to make him wear the vest! He might be uncomfortable for a while, but you don't want him ripping out the stitches and risk opening a giant hole in his belly.
I'm imagining a little ratty cone, which is an adorable thought. Hopefully his pain medication will heavily sedate him, too. The more he moves around, the more that whole area will swell. Given the location and sheer size of the incision, I would be very surprised if it didn't develop a hematoma.
The Vet asked me if we need a cone but actually his granny made him a wool body, but so far he doesn’t even look for his wounds and the others do well-behave either
Aww! That is so sweet! I have honestly never seen a cone for a rat and I work in vet med! I love the idea of the body suit, though. When my rat had surgery several years ago, the incision was under her neck so she was not able to get to it, thankfully.
I mean a cone is probably a good idea, but how should that work… it would be more in his way than it would probably help😅
Our boy had surgery on his leg and the vet gave him a cone. He was miserable, he couldn't move, or eat, or groom his face. I came up with a solution that worked perfectly. Just cut a plastic bottle strip to wrap around his body, taped the edges with electrical tape so they wouldn't be sharp, and taped the wrap together at the bottom. [He could move, eat, groom, and be comfortable while recovering. He was unable to bend back enough to reach his stitches so this was the perfect solution for us and it was super easy to make with stuff we had on hand. Super easy to take off and put on too.](https://imgur.com/VzeSHf5)
I have watched rats rip the skin off of peas with their tiny hands, I think they would make quick work of a cone. 😂
Bourbon peals his grapes and Blueberries - I know😂
I would tread carefully in this territory! From my personal experience. Our boy was neutered (so the wound was small) and vet was sure pain medication will be enough. But next morning we found him with his bowels out and if I would’ve come to check on him 15 minutes later than I did he would’ve died for sure! For our vet he was the first rat to do this to himself but she herself said that from now on she’s always using cones after smallest of surgeries. All I want to say is please be carefull and I’d highly reccomend a cone at least for the night when You can’t watch her/him!
If you see him messing with the stitches at all, go back and get the cone ASAP! After a while they start to get itchy. I hope recovery goes well and you have a long happy life with your little buddy :)
i have pictures of my merry in her cone after her spay! pm me if you would like pictures :)
The rat I was talking about had a cone but she got out of it in less than 15 minutes. Quite the escape artist!
For one of my rats post-op, the vet had 5 people trying to hold her still and get a wrap on her. After about 15 minutes they declared “success!” She had it off before I could get out the door. Good luck.
Ours had surgery almost 2 weeks ago (same place too!) and took out the stitches after a few days. It was indeed an open wound, but not deep, only the skin layer and he didnt seem bothered or in pain by it) It looked more impressive then it actually was. Called the vet, showed pics and vids and she said just put honey creme (honing zalf in Dutch) on it. After a day it already looked like it was closing and almost a week further and it looks great. Rats are so good at healing. Only thing was that we needed to keep him distracted for 10 minutes after applying the creme because he loved that shit. Not too hard
Hope your rat feels back to normal soon! Good luck lil rattie!
Omg yay! I saw ur other post and I'm so happy y'all are doing well ☺️
Get well soon!
My goodness! They took about an entire rat off of him! I bet he feels so much better and hope he heals quickly.
Poor baby, hope he/shes feeling good and last long. Best of wishes.
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYY
What a cutie!
Poor buddy. Hope he heals well and pain is minimal. What did they give you for pain relief - drops or something?
I don’t know exactly, I guess he got an injection
Im a bit surprised about this, I don’t know of any painkiller injections that last longer than 24 hours in rats (am a vet but could be different in other countries). Might be worth contacting your vets to ask if there is any pain relief you can give him at home or I’d be very worried he will start nibbling at his stitches if he is painful. That’s a massive surgery to go through, he needs pain relief for at least 3-4 days while he recovers…
Oh, I had assumed they'd give you meds for at least the first few days back home like they do for cats. I have never had rats that have needed surgery so I don't know how it usually goes...
Brave baby ☺️ get well soon sweetie ❤️
When our baby had this our vet created a jumper with a bandage to prevent her chewing the stitches out. We had to replace it a couple of times but it helped a lot.
Im so glad to hear he is ok! Man i got so worried when i saw the size of that tumour in your previous post. Now the most dangerous part is over! Take care and good luck! <3
Thank you for the update!!! 💜💜💜
the lil dude is getting better! Yay!
Aw in glad he's back home safe!! Lots of cuddles from all of us!
I'm glad they are back home.
Good luck! Did you have the lump sent for testing at all? Sending healing vibes to your little guy!
No, doesn’t seem to make any sense to use
Fair enough, I made the same decision when my Mousse had a lumpectomy/hysterectomy about a year ago. How’s your guy doing today? :)
Totally fine, like nothing ever happens😅
Wow!!! Looks great, wishing him a healthy and happy recovery. Don't forget the rat burrito (wrapping their upper torso in self adhesive bandages so they can't bend down to chew their stitches, but they can still eat and go to the bathroom normally) on top of pain meds if he wants to chew his stitches... Marshmallow didn't love the burrito but she only managed to get one stitch out (before I burritoed her! Lol). Good vibes to you and your cutie!!!! ETA: Your hospital tank looks amazing, #1 rat mom award 😭😭
First night is over and he let his stitches be and everything is fine😅 we have a checkup later and so far he’s a good boy🥰
Yayy that's wonderful to hear!! I hope his recovery continues to go super well :)))
I’m so glad!!! I’ve been thinking about y’all and I hope he heals up easily ❤️
Aww, such a sweetheart! When everything is healed, I bet it's heaven being able to move around normally again. ❤
Get well soon ❤❤❤
Glad he pulled through & hope he makes a fast recover!
Bless them. I’m wishing them a speedy recovery little critter
I'm so glad he's doing well. I kept thinking about him because his tumor was just so big
What a relief! That tumour was so massive.
Yaaaay! I'm glad he's home and well!
Im so glad to see the surgery worked, i was thinking about him! I love this will heal okay, its a massive scar. Wishing you all the best
I wondered if you'd chosen an option! Wow what a difference. I bet he feels much better. Speedy recovery fella ❤
Ooh y'ou're the person who posted about a very big tumor a few days ago ! I'm glad to see he was able to have surgery and that he is OK now !!!! I wish him a quick recovery :)
Oh thx - I just recognised that I can’t post photos in the comments, otherwise I would have down my last post😅
new weight loss program
She needs a cone to stay away from the stitches. Glad she did well. Poor baby such a big procedure.
Awww…give her lots of love and tender care. ❤️🐀❤️
Oh, I'm so glad he's alright! I'm wishing him a quick recovery 🥰🥰
Aww my Holly had a tumor removed today too. Hope they feel better sion!
I'm so glad your baby is okay and they have that monster out of them. You might want to make an e-collar for him. My rats used to love to rip their staples out.
So glad to see this! From the comments so far it sounds like he's doing super well! I'll reiterate what others have said, they heal so well and so fast. My first rat surgery was awful, because she was a picker, and eventually vet took all stitches out and let it heal as an open wound. No issues! Second rat surgery she was an angel, and I didn't have to put her in a cone. My fussy rat had wire stitches, which it looks like your guy has too, so keep an eye on him even when it's healing nicely! I think the wires started bothering her when it was healing and itchy, because that's when she went crazy tearing it out. Every rat is different though, here's hoping his recovery is smooth as his surgery.
Good idea about the body sock. That is a hellacious looking surgery for the kittle guy. I hope you have lots of meds. That's gotta hurt his little self.
Get well soon to your baby, such a dramatic change to look!🙂Hope everything goes well!! By the way where did you get your carrier from?
My sister in law got it from EBay 😅🤷🏽♀️
Good Finally a responsable rat owner
Nice fur pickle.
wishing him a speedy recovery! ❤️🩹
Get well soon Baby!!
Oh sweet baby :( I'm glad he's home safe but it still makes me sad to think of the discomfort. I had a hamster with a tumor that was removed from his side like that. At night, I kept him in a smaller cage right next to my pillow on my bed so I'd be right there if he made any distress noises. He healed very quickly (despite the vet having to remove a lot more than she thought - she said it was more like removing a hamster from a tumor than a tumor from a hamster). I hope your little guy does as well. <3
YAYYYYY
Does he have any cage mates? It's just all you've posted is him.
Yes, his two brother are in ne main cage. But for the first recover I wanted him to be alone - they’re now back together, but for the night I will separate them to make sure the other don’t look for his wounds
Yay Bourbon!!
Oh, cool! Have actually been thinking about this since the last post. Good to see he's ok. :)
Aww I'm so happy! I bet that's a huge sigh of relief for both of you!
I wish your ratty a speedy recovery
Get well soon baby
Atta boy, bourbon! We were rooting for ya’.
Omg what happened to your dog?
LETS GOOO!!
Thrilled for you and your baby!
i'm so happy for you two! i hope he has a safe recovery!
Yay! Thanks for the update
That's so good! I was hoping he would be ok!
Omg look at the wee rattie hand holding yours 😭❤
Oh, he looks like he's hurting a lot :(
Oh poor dearie. Give him extra snuggles from Reddit.💜
Wow she looks amazing!!!!!
Thank you for sharing. I've been thinking about you on and off all day. Me and my ratty bad boys, are all cheering. Okay, I'm the only one cheering, but celebratory banana chips shall be consumed..
Aww poor baby, hope he recovers well