How to comfort a scared rat after her cage was broken by a dog?

The best thing is to just provide a safe and quiet environment for them until the get more used to their new surroundings. With time, she will become more comfortable. Make sure to also provide a nutritious diet and fresh water to keep her immune system healthy.

Thanks for reaching out about Cream. Sounds as if she is cage protective. Spaying her might calm her down. Continue to work with her, allow her to come out of the cage on her own and then handling. Hopefully this will allow her to acclimate to your presence. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Cookie and including photos. Placing in a small cage would help prevent complications. Rear limb paresis (weakness) is not uncommon in aging rats. Providing soft substrate such as old towels/T-shirts works well. Allowing time out for exercise is still important. Anti-inflammatory medications could prevent progression of paresis, but a veterinary visit is needed to prescribe. Good luck.

Time is your friend! Taking things slow and getting Dandie used to you over time may help her to feel a little more comfortable around you. You can begin by making sure her cage is in an area that is low traffic/low stress to help reduce external stresses. You can then begin to offer a favorite treat any time you walk past the cage, without touching or interacting. Once she is used to this, you can then offer the treat from your hand each time you come by. After a while you can graduate to petting and then gently handling while offering a treat each time. Over time she will begin to associate you with positive things (yummy foods) rather than scary (big giant person coming and handling her).

Thanks for reaching out about Rosy. She should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible, as something like a concussion will respond better if addressed earlier. See your veterinarian now. Good luck.

If he’s eating and drinking then keep him in a small cage so he can heal. He should improve over several weeks. The heavy breathing is probably from pain and will get better as he improves. Do not give any medication and I would let him be quiet and rest. With less movement and rest he should get better. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your baby rat.

Poor girl. Rats can carry some nasty diseases unfortunately, so it is best to wash this area with betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water for now and then I would go to your local pet store and rinse it also with an oral rinse that contains chlorhexidine. Ask the pet store employee and they should be able to point you in the right direction. This should be washed daily and then I would recommend scheduling an appt with your local vet to have her wounds checked out further. She likely will need a short course of antibiotics and pain meds if needed. I hope that your furry friend Chullie turns out ok. Best wishes and take care.