Foot Injury

by AmyLynn Tue 22 Jan 2019, 2:54 pm

Hello All,

My dear mouse Ruby hurt her foot some how. She had looked ok yesterday but earlier this morning my daughter was checking on the girls and took Ruby out of her enclosure for some cuddle time and noticed that one of her claws on the back was virtually missing. (now keep in mind that I am at work and did not see it.) It look like it had dry blood on it, not swollen and she is walking normally.

If that changes or I can get a picture I will update that.

Has anyone had experience with this kind of issue that could offer some advise for care of the foot. She does have 3 cage mates.

by MerciToujoursMaPetiteBoop Tue 22 Jan 2019, 4:12 pm

Avulsion! Don't worry -- you can handle this.

It may work out that a new nail will simply grow back to cover the area where one was lost, no complications.

Or the nail may grow back irregularly, but otherwise healthy. If you see a nail forming over the injured tissue, check it frequently to make sure it doesn't (a) become ingrown, or (b) grow up away from the toe so it snags on things (risking another avulsion) or scratches Ruby, or (c) curl around (or even into) the end of the toe. Those are situations you should consult a veterinarian about mitigating risk from.

It is also possible that no nail may grow at all, and Ruby may not even notice.

For the immediate, you will have to watch for infection. There is likely to be some amount of inflammation/swelling just from the trauma of having a nail ripped off, but if the toe becomes infected Ruby will probably let you know by how she walks. You should also watch for increased redness, increased swelling, and/or the typical bleccch smell of infection. If any of those symptoms show up, you should get a vet to help clean up the damage and prescribe an antibiotic.

You may want to move Ruby to a hospital tank so she won't be walking her injury around in so much potentially soiled bedding. Otherwise, keep cleaning that little toe (no need to scrub -- just a little soapy water footie bath, maybe just in the palm of your hand, and a warm rinse, followed by a tiny, thin application of the Neosporin stuff advised elsewhere on this forum. Or another mouse-safe antibacterial is fine. Then watch for infection and nail regrowth: A jewelers loupe with 10x magnification is great for seeing up-close detail like that. (The American Science & Surplus site usually has them in stock for a nice price, if you do not have one already and cannot locate one in your neighborhood.)

Keep us updated.

by AmyLynn Tue 22 Jan 2019, 4:23 pm

You Rock! Thanks for the advise! Will keep you up-to-date.

by MouseLover Wed 23 Jan 2019, 5:22 am

Great advice above. Just wanted to add that you may want to look around the cage/tank and see if there are any toys that her nail may have got caught/snagged on that might need to be removed. Look out for blood on items as a clue. Anything with a tiny crack in it or sometimes fabric toys can be the culprit. I used to make hammocks and toys from fleece (generally recommended as mouse-safe) but one of my mice seemed to have particularly sharp nails, and despite the others being fine with it, her little nails were often getting stuck on things. I made the decision to remove them.

Just make sure the cage and especially wheels are kept extra clean right now.

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