[Daniel]

Kairos is starting to get old now, and for the first time 2 months ago I noticed he had bled all over his cage levels. He had bumble foot and I didn't even notice ! So I patched him up and it went down in a few days, saving me a trip to the vet. About a month later it happened again - blood in the cage levels, cleanup, healing. Every week or so I take the boys (all now approaching 2 years old) and feel around their bodies for lumps or abscesses. Upon confirming Kairos has the lipoma he's had for over a year that has never grown further, I noticed the bumble foot is back yet again! After last time, I put him on a diet (he was a fat boy who loved treats) and he lost weight, I liberally clean his cage, but it keeps happening again.

The way my cage is, it requires them to do alot of climbing and jumping to get to other parts of it. Perhaps all of this is just irritating his foot? Should I keep him in a single level cage for awhile alone?

 

[Mojojuju]

Can you set up ramps that are foot friendly to get around on? He might ignore them, but if he's in pain he might give them a shot.

 

[Vegn]

Do the foot friendly ramps, and keep checking on it, if it's small use Blu-Kote. Its sold for like chickens and other farm animals but it works really well if you catch a blister early, unscrew the lid (get the hand pump not aerosol) DO IT VERY CAREFULLY IT STAINS. use a Q-Tip and get a little on it, put the Q-Tip on the blister. Blow on it so it dries, apply a couple of times a day until the blisters gone. It's not expensive, it works well and is easy to find. But it STAINS. Like BAD. And it's purple and a mess. But effective for the beginning stages of bumblefoot, IME

 

[Daniel]

I put ramps in there but if he wants to get up to the top level he just ignores them. He'll climb up the side of the cage. If he smells food, he'll climb the side of the cage to the top so he can beg. So in other words, I am starting to think I need to keep him in a small, one rat, single level cage for at least a couple weeks so he doesn't continue to irritate it.

I agree with the suggestion for Blu-Kote. There is a farm supply place near me and I am going to check it out.

 

[Vegn]

Maybe put all food and water on one shelf along with some comfy places to sleep and a litter box if you use one, possibly some toys. That way there's no reason for him to move. Taking him out of the cage and away from his buddies would probably cause stress. And I believe males are a bit more obsessed/picky about hierarchy and removing and then re-introducing him could really mess things up

 

[DustyRat]

My old lady Zelda has a foot sore that bleeds occasionally. I put poly on it and it goes down. But I think it will be there to stay. My cage has no rough areas, and she spends a lot of time outside the cage too. Not sure if it is actually bumblefoot or not though.

 

[PaigeRose]

I haven't used Blu-Kote but a rat of mine had a few flare ups of bumble foot and I used Vetricyn and that cleared it up right away. ~$30 a bottle though.

 

[Daniel]

Local farm supply didn't have Blu-Kote so I am probably going to mail order some. In the meantime, I went ahead and moved Kairos to the hospital cage so he doesn't have to use his feet so much. The redness in the foot that has BF seems to have gone down already.

 

[Daniel]

In other users experience, does neo-sporin do anything for bumblefoot? I started putting a little on his foot today, but it's too soon to know if it has done any good. I wanted to do something more than just waiting for it to heal before I am able to get Blu-Kote.

 

[PaigeRose]

I tried neosporin but I read somewhere that it doesnt allow the wound to breathe so it wouldnt heal. It didnt help my girl but i only put it on once or twice.

 

[Daniel]

I tried neosporin but I read somewhere that it doesnt allow the wound to breathe so it wouldnt heal. It didnt help my girl but i only put it on once or twice.

Yeah I put it on last night and today it looks more red. I will just try and let it run its course until I am able to get blukote.

 

[luvmy4rats]

Yeah I put it on last night and today it looks more red. I will just try and let it run its course until I am able to get blukote.

Topical antibiotics come in a cream version and an ointment version. Maybe try the cream version, however, ointments tend to stay on the skin better.

Also, line the cage with lots of soft fabric so the foot isn't coming into contact with a flat floor. It will relieve the pressure on your rat's foot. Laundering our rats bedding is extra work, but when their bumblefoot heals it is so worth it.