First Aid Supplies

First Aid For Rats

As a responsible rat owner you need to be prepared for injuries and illnesses. The first step is to research rat health so that you will be aware of the health problems that may occur with the breed. The internet is an excellent source of information. Be sure to stick to reputable sites when gathering information. Another good source is the Merck Veterinary Manual which can be ordered or read online.

It is advisable to make up your first aid kit and have these items on hand before your rat becomes ill or injured. Often rat emergencies occur during the times when the veterinarian’s office is closed. If you are ordering and receiving supplies through mail order companies (unless one can overnight express) keep in mind they can often take a long time to arrive at your door and result in delayed treatment to an already sick or injured rat.

Be sure to find a good veterinarian before you have any medical problems. Your vet can help you to learn basic first aid procedures and help you to obtain certain emergency supplies. Waiting for an emergency to find a veterinarian is not advisable.

Listed here you will find first aid supplies, instruments, equipment, and medications (both prescription and non-prescription).

Some of these items are to help you get through a medical emergency until you can get your rat to the veterinarian. Others are for illness maintenance and for injury or wound care. For more information refer to the RMCA article Be Prepared For Medical Situations.

Only perform health care and/or procedures on your rat if your veterinarian has shown you the proper methods. Only use prescription medications under the advice and assistance of your veterinarian. Be sure to use the proper methods for administering medications to your rats.

First Aid Lists

Supplies

First aid tape or Zonex athletic tape (1 or 1 1/2 inch)
Gauze (pads and rolls)
Telfa (pads)
Cotton balls & swabs
Coflex or Vetrap or Secure-Flex bandage tape
Surgical glue
Elizabethan collar
Butterfly strips
Corn syrup (sweetening medication)
Distilled water for mixing up medication into a liquid
Nolvasan (chlorhexidine) antiseptic solution or ointment (wound care)
Blairex Sterile Wound Wash Saline
Peroxide
Betadine
Sterile saline solution (flushing, diluting injections, and hydrating)
Normal saline (synonymous with isotonic saline or physiologic saline) for use in cleansing skin or surface wounds. In an emergency can be made at home by placing 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 pint of warm water and mixing.
Lactated Ringer’s solution (hydrating)
Hypoallergenic moisturizer

Instruments

Scalpel
Tweezers
Fingernail clippers
Small scissors
Guillotine scissors (multiple tooth trimming)
Cat claw scissors (single tooth trimming)
Eyedropper
Syringe- 12 cc Monoject curved tip (wound care)
Syringe- 1 cc without needle (oral medications)
Syringe- 3 cc without needle (oral medication and feeding) or specific oral syringes
Syringe- 1 cc with needle (injections)

Medications & Solutions (Non-prescription)

Children’s or Infants’ Tylenol
Children’s Benadryl
Bene-Bac (for gut flora stability when using antibiotics)
Fruit flavored yogurt with live cultures (also an aid for gut flora stability while on antibiotics)
Styptic pencil or powder (stops bleeding)
Antibiotic ointment (topical) (e.g., Polysporin or Bacitracin)
Activated Charcoal (poisoning)
Ivermectin oral paste or topical (parasites)
Revolution (selamectin) topical (parasites)
Blu-kote (bumblefoot)
Zymox Otic Enzymatic Solution Hydrocortisone (used for bumblefoot)
Nolvasan (1% chlorhexidine) antiseptic solution or ointment (wound care)
Bach’s Rescue Remedy (anxiety and shock)
Lactulose (mild laxative)
Granulated sugar (wound/abscess care)
Manuka honey (wound/abscess care)

Medications (Prescription)

Dexamethasone (long acting corticosteroid by injection)
Prednisolone or Prednisone (intermediate acting corticosteroid by mouth)
Silvadine (topical for burns and wound care)
Lasix (furosemide/diuretic)
Aminophylline or Theophylline (bronchodilator)
Albuterol 0.083% (bronchodilator for nebulizing)
Banamine (pain reliever/non-steroidal anti inflammatory injection)
Metacam (oral pain reliever/non-steroidal anti inflammatory)
Terramycin or Vetropolycin (antibiotic eye ointment)
Animax (anti inflammatory ear ointment)
Amoxicillin (antibiotic)
Baytril (antibiotic)
Cefadroxil (antibiotic)
Doxycycline (antibiotic)
Zithromax (antibiotic)

Note: Prescription drugs only to be obtained through veterinarian for use with rats. Refer to the Rat Medication Guide for proper usage and dosages.

Nutritional Care

Nutri-cal
Ensure
Soy formula for infants
Jar baby food
Instant maple & brown sugar flavored oatmeal

Pedialyte or Gatorade, which can be found in local grocery stores. Please note that Pedialyte is only good refrigerated for 24 hours after opened, but can be frozen as ice cubes and kept longer, and then thawed when needed.

Equipment

Scale
Pill cutter
Pill crusher
Shaver
Magnifying glass
Otoscope (ears)
Stethoscope
Nebulizer
Humidifier
Heating pad (e.g. thermostat controlled heating pad, or microwavable heated pads such as SnuggleSafe®)
Handheld Woods ultraviolet exam lamp (for assessing eye and skin disorders)
Flashlight
Wire cutters (to free stuck rat from cage wire)
Carrier or hospital cage

First aid supplies photos and information:

Fig. 1: Dietary
Fig. 2: Instruments
Fig. 3: Equipment
Fig. 4: Wound Care & Medication Supplies
Fig. 5: Carriers and Hospital Cages

Useful First Aid Links:

Making an Elizabethan Collar:
http://www.ratballs.com/RatTails/Tails84.html

Merck Vet Maual Online
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp

RMCA Supplies
https://www.rmca.org/Articles/subqfluids.htm

Pet Care RX
https://www.petcarerx.com/

Pet Vet Supplies
http://www.petvetsupplies.com/ — Archived page from 2013-08-20 (via the Wayback Machine)

Medi-Vet
https://www.medi-vet.com/small-animal-medicine-s/1818.htm

Poison Hotline
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center 1 (888) 4ANI-HELP [1 (888) 426-4435] Open 24 hours, -or- 1 (900) 680-0000 Open 24 hours. A $65 consultation fee may be applied. (Remember, you cannot induce vomiting in a rat!)

Thank you to “Nat” Baldwin and Kristin J. Johnson, for contributing the photos shown in the various
Figures links.