[Hippy]

Ok, now that Alice has gotten over whatever she decided to pull on me for a day, Maggie isn't using her back right leg. I dont know what had happened, there is no blood, I didn't notice it until I moved them into their new cage. Its slightly swollen but she doesn't seem to be in any pain.

She moves up and down the ladders fine, can walk, sniff, checking her new cage out like all the other girls but just isn't using it. when she walks she keeps it up. The toes aren't spread out like her other feet are like they would be when moving around to grip onto things. I don't know whats wrong or what to do, sure, I know go see a Vet ASAP, but she isn't in any pain. I touched it, she didn't respond to me touching it and seems hunkie dorie, is it maybe broken? sprained? Bruised? I don't know of anything in her cage that could have hurt her.. :[ Will this maybe go away?

 

[crapola]

ash had that problem when i was housesitting a couple of weeks ago. i first noticed that she wasnt using one of her back legs very late one afternoon, so i picked her up to see if i could work out what was wrong. she squeaked at me when i touched that leg but i couldnt see anything wrong and it didnt seem damaged in any way. i decided that if it was as bad in the morning i would take her to the local vet, even though i had already checked and none of them had any experience with rats.

anyway, the next morning she was still limping a bit but nowhere near as bad, so i left it for a few hours. later that day she was back to normal, and today you would never know there was anything wrong... she popcorns around like a lunatic!!!

hopefully whatever is up with maggie will be self-healing too... if not, take her to the vet.

 

[Hippy]

Well things haven't changed. She is acting the way she has since I got her, ignores the back leg unless she is cleaning it. I touched it, rubbed it, moved it around, feels normal compared to the others, she just doesn't use the toes. I know she is using the legs though.

I don't see anything that requires a vet trip seeing she isn't in pain, the foot size is the same as the others, she limps or drags it around. Is this normal? That some rats injure there leg and it just does this or they grow into it or what?

 

[Mana]

That's not normal. Even if it doesn't seem like she's in pain, there's some reason she's not using that foot, so I think that does warrant a trip to the vet. You never know what might be going on with her. She may have some sort of neurological problem that's starting to show, or like you said she may have sprained it or something. In any case, it's definitely something that should be checked out.

 

[Hippy]

I guess you are right. I just read there isn't much a vet can do for a rats foot unless its severely damaged.

 

[OnlyOno]

so she just drags her foot around, or is she just picking the foot up when she walks? does she put the foot down when she is just standing around? if she does, try to flip her foot over forwards so that the top of her foot is on the ground. if she flips it back the right way, then she knows that her foot is upside down and she still has nerve response. if she leaves it upside down, then she has some neurological problems that can be anywhere from her lower back all the way to the ankle itself and there's not much you can do. a vet visit *can* help, and acupuncture might as well, but that's costly sometimes and i'm not sure if anyone would be willing to do that for a rat.

if she's just picking it up when she walks, i would say she probably strained it or something, and it should get better in a couple days.

*but* it's already been a couple days, so tell us, how is she?

 

[Hippy]

Well the vet appointment is in the afternoon because it seems everyones taking their dogs in for shots but he squeezed us in. >___>"

She doesn't grab it, only when going down the stairs. She does pick it up when she walks and does set it down when she it just sitting sitting there. I know she uses it sometimes because I feel her leg pushing on it when she is in my hands but she doesn't open up the feet, you know, for support and what not.

Hopefully the vet can give me some good news and if not, Imma just have to change the cage around so she can get around better. Hope the vet gives me some good news.