Wounds and Bleeding

 

By Debbie Ducommun

 

Updated 3/21/13

 

The body skin of rats contains few pain receptors and minor wounds usually bleed little and heal quickly. Rats heal so quickly wounds less than 1 ½" long do not need to be stitched. You really don’t need to do any treatment. The rat will lick it clean and would lick off any medication anyway. If the wound seems to be painful for the rat you can apply a little Bactine. (This is also helpful for treating scratches rats sometime inflict on humans!) A rat with an open wound must be kept in a spotless cage with only rags or shredded paper because litter may contaminate the wound. These two pictures show how fast a skin wound can heal in a rat. The first picture was taken shortly after Vinnie was wounded by another rat. The bite went completely through the skin and the underlying muscle was visible. It was about an inch long. By the next day you can see that the wound is already partially healed and the muscle is no longer visible.