My old rat's leg gets caught. Is a smaller cage safer for him?

Thanks for reaching out about your rat. Wire bars are a mild concern as their feet or legs can slip through, leading to sprain or even fractures. A solid bottom cage is preferred for rodents because of this. Good luck.

Just make sure to keep an eye on it and try to clean it very gently at least once a day with warm water and a mild soap, you can use a gauze pad to do this. Dry it carefully and then apply your topical treatment. However, if this stresses him out too much, just continue as you have been doing. Make sure his toes stay pink and warm and he keeps getting better. If anything at all changes for the worse, swelling, weeping wound, loss of appetite or activity level, if his toes change color or get cold, get him back in to see your vet right away. It sounds like you're doing a good job caring for his injury.

I am sorry to hear about your rat! There are numerous possible causes for this issue, including trauma resulting in skeletal injury or injury to a nerve or the spine. Degenerative disease as well as some tumors can also cause paralysis of the limbs. I would recommend having Falicity examined by a veterinarian to ensure she isn't in pain and to see if something may be done to help (for example, some tumors may be surgically removed). Best of luck to you and Falicity!

This could be commonly due to a spinal cord problem (slipped disc with nerve compression, or spinal cord stroke). A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is immediately essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Possibly further investigations (like abdominal imaging as ultrasound or radiographs) may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

I am sorry to hear about Remy. Unfortunately without a vet I don't think there is much to do for Remy besides being sure he is provided with a nice soft/comfortable area to sleep and being sure there aren't areas in his cage he could fall (such as a tall shelf or box) and monitoring to be sure he is eating and drinking. If he is having trouble getting around then be sure he has easy access to food and water. If he isn't moving on his own you may need to offer him water via a syringe and place his food right in front of him. If he isn't improving you may need to travel to wherever a vet is located closest to you. Best of luck.

I'm worried about Biggens. Two years old is actually pretty old for a rat. I would be worried about a blood clot or tumor causing damage. Unfortunately there's not likely many treatment options for him. If he is not improving within 12- 24 hours, take him into the veterinarian for an exam and to find out what the next steps are. You definitely want to make sure he's not in pain. Best of luck with Biggens.

Thanks for reaching out about Luna. Sounds as if she needs to be seen by a veterinarian to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Back injuries respond better to earlier intervention, than later. Remove all platforms, or anything else she could fall from to lessen chance of re-injury. Good luck.