Small bite from pet rat, how serious
Discussion
So my OH is looking after her stupid friend's pet rats whilst they are on holiday. Clean healthy and well cared for rats i must add.
My 2 yr old has just wandered over to cage and one of then has bitten him on end of finger.
It pierced the skin very slightly and he stopped crying after 30 seconds.
Of course a Google search brings up all sorts of possible outcomes, including death.
How worried ahould I be? And how do I monitor it over the next few hours? Or should I just head down to A+E for a tetanus jab for him just to make sure?
I would rather not head to A+E, purely because its Bradford royal infirmary, about the worst sthole of a place imaginable.
My 2 yr old has just wandered over to cage and one of then has bitten him on end of finger.
It pierced the skin very slightly and he stopped crying after 30 seconds.
Of course a Google search brings up all sorts of possible outcomes, including death.
How worried ahould I be? And how do I monitor it over the next few hours? Or should I just head down to A+E for a tetanus jab for him just to make sure?
I would rather not head to A+E, purely because its Bradford royal infirmary, about the worst sthole of a place imaginable.
Turn7 said:
I thought Rats were supposed to be non bitey as pets ?
They aren't (bitey) as far as rodents go.HOWEVER if tou stick fingers through bars as with any rodent expect a nibble.
Don't panic and don't bother A & E. They're incredibly clean animals, domestic rats anyway.
Lesson learned for the wee one.
Rats are like little dogs, mine was name respondant and happily came into town in a hoody with me. He was epic, it's a shame the only live a few years 😐
dazwalsh said:
CoolHands said:
A fun Friday night!
Sat in waiting area now, half full of people coughing and crying, the other half with a police officer sat next to some pisshead/nutjob.Oh the joys...
Domestic rat will very unlikely cause an issue tbh. I would not have worried going to A&E if it were my child, I assume your child has had tetanus jabs as a baby. I would have sought medical help if finger swelled a lot or seemed very painful though.
It is wild rats that are the danger.
As for being bitey, they tend to only bite of you stick your finger in the cage as they think it is food.
It is wild rats that are the danger.
As for being bitey, they tend to only bite of you stick your finger in the cage as they think it is food.
Roscco said:
Turn7 said:
I thought Rats were supposed to be non bitey as pets ?
They aren't (bitey) as far as rodents go.HOWEVER if tou stick fingers through bars as with any rodent expect a nibble.
Don't panic and don't bother A & E. They're incredibly clean animals, domestic rats anyway.
Lesson learned for the wee one.
Rats are like little dogs, mine was name respondant and happily came into town in a hoody with me. He was epic, it's a shame the only live a few years ??
The rat's intention wouldn't have been to 'bite' as such. They use their teeth to grab things, so the rat misinterpreted the offer of a finger and thought it was food. They are usually fairly gentle when doing this; seems like this rat misjudged it.
If you frequently put your fingers into their cage, they'll soon learn to tell the difference, but perhaps this rat wasn't accustomed to fingers through the bars.
A well socialised rat will never bite out of aggression, and even when being injected at the vets my rats never bit.
As far as hygiene is concerned, I wouldn't worry. Rats' teeth are a yellowy-orange colour, but this isn't a sign of decay or bacteria as it would be in human teeth - rats' teeth are not made of the same material.
If you frequently put your fingers into their cage, they'll soon learn to tell the difference, but perhaps this rat wasn't accustomed to fingers through the bars.
A well socialised rat will never bite out of aggression, and even when being injected at the vets my rats never bit.
As far as hygiene is concerned, I wouldn't worry. Rats' teeth are a yellowy-orange colour, but this isn't a sign of decay or bacteria as it would be in human teeth - rats' teeth are not made of the same material.
Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Monday 9th January 07:45
dazwalsh said:
I would rather not head to A+E, purely because its Bradford royal infirmary, about the worst sthole of a place imaginable.
which side of Bratfud are you ? might a run out to Airedale or the MIU at Wharfdale have been an option ... or from the south of Bratfud, Middleton MIU or Dewsbury A+E ?Gassing Station | All Creatures Great & Small | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff