Abscesses An abscess is a collection of pus that forms a lump on the rat.  If an abscess is left unattended, it is possible for the infection to enter the blood stream causing the rat to go septic and, in severe cases, causing death. The best way to prevent abscesses from forming in the first place is to keep your rats and their cages clean and to treat any wounds, no matter how small, immediately. Recommended treatment: You can either try to empty the abscess yourself, or take your rat to a vet to be lanced and drained. If you try to drain it yourself, it is very important that you take the time to drawn the infection out instead of simply squeezing the abscess. Squeezing it can force the infection into the rat's body instead of drawing it out and can cause serious illness. To drain an abscess, you will need to hold a rag soaked in very warm water on the abscess for about 5 minutes. Have a bowl of warm water near you so that you can reheat the rag as it cools.  This will soften the contents of the abscess. Once the abscess has softened, you will need to either gently lift the scab (if there is a scab) or gently make a hole in the top layer of the abscess with a needle. Once the abscess is open, gently work out the contents. Once the abscess has been emptied, you will need to clean it out with either chlorhexiderm flush or sterile saline. Continue to keep the abscess clean and empty of all pus until it heals. Abscesses can be difficult to eradicate and may reoccur.   If you decide to empty the abscess at home, you should also treat orally with an antibiotic to help clear the infection. Some good choices are Trimethoprim Sulfa (Tribrissen) or Amoxicillin.   Dosages: • Tribrissen - 15 mg/kg to 30mg/kg twice per day • Amoxicillin - 22mg/kg twice per day To link to this page: http://www.raisinrats.com/medical/abscesses.html [back to top]