In the wild, animals like rats have to hide any pain or weakness they feel, because it can make them more vulnerable to predators. Unfortunately, that makes it harder for us as owners to tell when they might be in pain or need medical attention.
If you really get to know your rats, and their daily habits and behaviours, you’ll probably notice when something is off with them.
In this article, we’ll cover a bunch of the signs to look out for that your rat might be in pain, as well as some of the potential treatments and care so you can keep them happy and comfortable.
Signs of pain in rats
These signs can help you assess whether your rat is in pain.
If your rat has had surgery or an obvious injury, chances are, they are in pain. Talk to your vet about giving them a medication for pain as they recover, and caring for any open wounds.
Even without an obvious injury, your rats may try to tell you they’re in pain using other signs:
- “Screams” rather than squeaks – this may happen during a threatening event or an accident.
- Sometimes they might not make an audible noise, but you can hear them breathing in sharply, like a gasp in humans. (They will only do this a few times – if you can hear them breathing all the time, check for other signs of respiratory illness.)
- Your rat may show signs of stress if they’re ill or in pain:
- Fur is standing on end and looks puffed out
- Unusual amounts of porphyrin staining around the eyes and nose
- Weight loss (without being on a diet)
- Squinting eyes – either half or fully squinting.
- “Grimacing” – scrunching up their nose and cheeks, so that their whiskers stand on end. This is a similar expression to the one humans make when in pain.
- Pawing at or licking the sensitive area a lot.
- They may be defensive over a part of their body – not wanting other rats, or you, to touch them. They may squeak when you try to touch the area. (Note: some rats can be dramatic and do this when they’re holding food or just don’t want to play, so use your best judgment to determine if they could be in pain from something.)
- You may notice your rat walking strangely if they have pain somewhere:
- Limping or favouring one paw, leg, or side of their body
- Arching their back upwards like a cat is not normal in rats. It usually means they have pain inside and need to see a vet as soon as possible.
- Sucking in their sides – another sign of internal pain.
- Trying to walk while stretched out & sides sucked in (“writhing”).
- Changes in behavior. Rats may withdraw from you or their cage mates or have less interest in eating or playing. Rarely, your rat may act more aggressively than normal when in pain.
- Other rats will sometimes protect an ill or injured rat by huddling around them.
Rats might show one, or several of these symptoms depending on what’s distressing them.
Did you know? Scientists believe that other rats are able to see pain in their cage mates. Just another sign that our little friends experience empathy, like we do!
The Rat Grimace Scale
A group of researchers developed a way to tell whether rats are in pain by looking at their facial expressions, called the Rat Grimace Scale (RGS).
The RGS is a modification of a similar scale used for mice. The researchers wanted to see if they could adapt this scale for rats, which are commonly used in scientific research. The result was a reliable and accurate method to quantify pain in our rodent friends.
The RGS focuses on four main facial features: the eyes, nose, cheeks, ears, and whiskers. When a rat is in pain, their eyes may narrow (squinted eyes), the nose and cheeks flatten (grimacing), the ears may fold up and look more pointed than unusual, and the whiskers look like they’re bunched up and standing on end, pointing away from the face.
Rat pain relief and management
If your rat has been injured, or suffering from an internal problem, it’s important to get them to the vet for proper treatment. Your vet can then recommend a good medication for ongoing pain management.
Medication for pain in rats
Rats are able to take a lot of the same pain medications that we do, just in a much smaller dose. Rats are so much smaller than us and don’t need a lot of medicine to feel better.
Always consult with your vet before you give your rats any medications. Even if it’s after hours, they might be able to talk to you over the phone about what to give them until they can see the vet.
Ibuprofen: This is the most effective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) for rats that many of us already have at home. It can be crushed up into a fine powder or given in liquid form.
Acetaminophen: Also known as paracetamol, this medication can be used to alleviate mild pain in rodents. It’s not as effective as ibuprofen, but it helps.
Aspirin: Aspirin can be given to rats for pain relief if you don’t have anything else. It should not be used over a long period of time, because it can cause stomach irritation and bleeding.
Some stronger medications can only be administered by a vet, like buprenorphine, carprofen, and meloxicam.
For tips on giving your rats medications, see: Tips for Giving Rats Medicine
Caring for rats in pain
After your vet has figured out the cause of their pain, here are some extra ways you can help keep your rat comfortable:
- Try giving your rats a heating pad, kept on the lowest heat, under a small corner of their cage so they can choose to lay on it or not. Keep their room at a comfortable temperature.
- Give them a hiding house on the lowest level of their cage so they don’t have to climb to it, with a soft nesting material like fleece.
- Make sure they can access their water bottle. You might have to lower it so they don’t have to sit up or stretch for it, if they’re in a lot of pain.
- Monitor them to make sure they’re still eating and drinking. If you notice weight loss, you can feed them some high-calorie supplements like Ensure or other meal replacement drinks, baby food made from meat, etc.
- Usually rats can be left with their friends to minimize their stress, unless you’re concerned that their cage mates might re-open a wound (or your vet has recommended otherwise). Just keep an eye on them to make sure your other rats aren’t bothering the one in pain.
- If your rat has a wound, keep a close eye on them to make sure they aren’t biting at it. Rats can severely injure themselves if they barber a wound or remove stitches, so contact your vet right away if you notice this happening.
Rat pain sounds
Rats often do short, quiet squeaks when they play fight and groom each other. These squeaks are more to communicate with each other and show submission, excitement or annoyance.
You will definitely be able to tell the difference between a normal squeak and a “scream.” Rats will scream when they feel seriously threatened or injured. (Or sometimes just when they’re being dramatic – you know your rats best!)
Sometimes when rats are in a lot of pain, they will even be unable to squeak. You can hear them trying to squeak, but there’s just a little wheeze instead, kind of like a “silent scream.”
I’ve only ever heard that sound once, when one of my (normally very calm) boys got spooked by a construction noise outside our house and launched himself between the bars of their cage. (Up until then, I thought their ferret cage bars were perfect for their size, but you live and learn!) He got stuck there by his hips, so we had to oil him up and slip him back through, but he was okay after that!
Conclusion
It’s no fun at all knowing our little friends are in pain, so I hope this article helped you figure it out so you can get them treatment for it. There are lots of ways to help them and make them more comfortable as they recover, so they can get back to their normal rattie self as soon as possible!