My rat's neck abscess burst. What is this black scab after it drained?

I can see that the wound is moist and there is a scab in the center..An abscess is likely to be raised and closed, and this wound appears rather open. Because the wound is large, it may take several days to heal, but I can see that it is beginning to close. If you are concerned that Hashbrown is uncomfortable, you can always bring her to a vet for pain medication and antibiotics. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

Thank you for your question about Shadow. The most common tumors that occur in the belly/leg regions of rats are mammary tumors. Based on the location that you described, this may be the case with Shadow. The reason I bring this up is because it is very common for these tumors to be like a ball under the skin, and only have a small string of tissue that connects it to the body. So, when they are removed surgically, they shell out very easily once the skin has been cut. There is the potential that after the skin become necrotic that the tumor was able to "fall out" of the defect left in the skin. The other alternative is that it could be becoming very heavy and stretching the areas of skin to make it appear like it has pushed itself out. I would recommend taking Shadow back to your veterinarian, as they may be able to remove this more easily now. This may be a good idea regardless, due to the necrotic tissue that you had described. I didn't see if that was still present now, but they can provide her with antibiotics, if they are indicated, at the same time. I hope that helps to answer your question, and congratulations on having a three year old rat. It says a lot about your care of her.

In this case a picture would be really helpful to understand the extension of the damage and offer you the best treatment options. Antibiotics are likely to be needed, but disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking/scratching (if any). 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

What you are seeing is likely dead skin and will fall off soon. Once the skin falls off, there will likely be an open wound. Once this happens I would see the veterinarian for a recheck examination as it will need to be cleaned out from infection to ensure healthy tissue grows back in. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Hello. I do not think this requires a veterinary visit. Clean this once or twice a day with a skin antiseptic like Hibiclens ( available in all pharmacies ) & dab the wound with just a tiny bit of triple antibiotic. If this does not heal in 10-14 days, do see your vet. Rats are prone to developing tumors, so you should have a non-healing wound looked at. But if it appears to be healing with this treatment, it is very unlikely to be worrisome. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Usually once the incision has healed you would not expect further changes to the skin. Blood vessels beneath the skin may have been damaged leading to bleeding and bruising, or she may have rubbed the still delicate tissue. To be sure I would take her back to the vet so they can check the site and ensure it does not require any treatment.

Thanks for reaching out about Galya. You can clean the abscess are with a warm, moistened cloth or cotton tipped applicator. Topical medications are often ingested and can cause gastrointestinal upset, so not recommended. Try clipping the fur around the open lesion to lessen contamination. Continue with the oral antibiotics if hamster appropriate. Providing heat support in the 75 F range could give some aid, not letting it get too cold. If this veterinarian can't help you, find one who can. Good luck.