First Aid for your rats

Critical Care of Rats and other small animals in the Home
From a lecture by Patrick E. Currivan, MVB MRCVS
Goddard Veterinary Group, London UK

When rats and other small animals fall ill, there is often a delay before veterinary advice can be sought. Patrick E. Currivan very kindly prepared these notes and gave a lecture on the best ways to nurse and care for small animals in this circumstance.

This article is designed to give basic, first-hand emergency nursing care advice to owners, and is not intended to replace the advice or guidance of your own veterinary surgeon.

Things which you can control:

Heat
Light
Quiet
Immediate Environment
Nursing
Fluids

Specific Problems:
Bleeding
Seizures
Skeletal Injuries
Respiratory Distress
Diarrhoea
Urinary Bleeding

Other Notes:
Open Wounds/Removed Stitches
Flushing out & Cleaning Abcesses

DON’T PANIC
There are a number of factors which should be taken into consideration when one finds one’s much-loved pet in distress.

It is vitally important that your initial actions help to stabilise your ill pet during that critical period before you can visit a veterinary clinic.