[Alleyxandra]

Hey guys.
TLDR version: New rattie owner, both girls have bruised tails, no fights or injuries I know of. Could it be the hot weather?

I've just gotten my girls out for free range time and noticed both their tails are bruised. Blueberrys isn't too bad, just a couple small splotches at the top to middle of her tail, however Meelos is kinda bruised pretty much all over. Both purple bruises and lighter yellowy ones.

Today has been the first day since I've had them it's been hot (34-36c here today I believe. It's officially summer now. -.-) and I did my best to keep them cool, could the heat be the reason? They haven't fought or had their tails caught in anything so I have no idea what else it could be.

So. Uh. Yeah. Any clue?

 

[Nieve5552]

Are you sure that they are bruises? Do they react if you touch the tails?

Once I noticed dark blue splotches on my rats tails, turned out it was from coloured paper (I immediately threw it away) that they were stole from my room while free ranging and stashed in their hideout. Maybe the colours on your rats tails are stains from something in the cage?

Also good luck surviving the Australian summer! Im in NZ and we hardly ever need AC here, but the other day it got up to 33C and I used all sorts of methods to keep my rats cool haha
I even used a syringe to 'inject' cool water onto the skin between the fur on their shoulders, it perked them up pretty well but I dont think they appreciated having wet fur ;D

 

[Alleyxandra]

Are you sure that they are bruises? Do they react if you touch the tails?

Once I noticed dark blue splotches on my rats tails, turned out it was from coloured paper (I immediately threw it away) that they were stole from my room while free ranging and stashed in their hideout. Maybe the colours on your rats tails are stains from something in the cage?

Also good luck surviving the Australian summer! Im in NZ and we hardly ever need AC here, but the other day it got up to 33C and I used all sorts of methods to keep my rats cool haha
I even used a syringe to 'inject' cool water onto the skin between the fur on their shoulders, it perked them up pretty well but I dont think they appreciated having wet fur

I'm pretty sure they're bruises. There's no stains on them anywhere else but I guess it's possible. They just look very bruise-like.
I touched their tails very gently to feel if they were warm and they didn't seem to mind.


Oh man, thanks! I'm gonna need it. They're in my bedroom which gets and stays the warmest so I'm trying everything to keep them cool. If my room gets too too warm I'm just gunna put them in a smaller cage and bring them down to the lounge room with the aircon during the day. My poor babies D: I hate this heat, I can't imagine how bad it sucks for them.

 

[OutbackRat]

Hi Alleyxandra, Queenslander here so I'm hearing you on the heat. We've had 3 days under 30 degrees since the 1st November so I've pretty much got hot weather rat care sorted! Regarding their tails, if they seem ok I wouldn't worry. If they seem to be in pain you can give them some children's Nurofen for the pain. It seems odd that they both would get bruised tails at the same time. Is there anything in their cage they could get their tails caught in or stuck under?

 

[Isamurat]

I'd get some warm water and soap and a cheap toothbrush and gentley give there tails a scrub (don't go hard against the scales but otherwise see how it goes), see if they stay the same after.

Rats tails are quite prone to getting stained, especially from things like parrot toys (brightly coloured wood) and coloured paper / card. I even had one with a strawberry stain once (he smelt lovely with it lol). Stains don't stick nearly as much to the fur and they generally don't believe in tail hygene so you notice it there most often.