How to treat a rat's ear cut with pus? Does it need a vet?

Question

My rat has a small cut on the bottom of his left ear. There was a scab on it for the last few days, but it fell off today. There is, what appears to me to be, a small amount of puss in the wound where the scab was. The substance I see is not oozing or flowing from the wound. What is the best way to treat this and does it warrant a visit to the vet? Pet's info: Small Animal | Rat | Male | unneutered | 1 year old

Linda G, MS, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello. I do not think this requires a veterinary visit. Clean this once or twice a day with a skin antiseptic like Hibiclens ( available in all pharmacies ) & dab the wound with just a tiny bit of triple antibiotic. If this does not heal in 10-14 days, do see your vet. Rats are prone to developing tumors, so you should have a non-healing wound looked at. But if it appears to be healing with this treatment, it is very unlikely to be worrisome. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

How to treat a rat's ear cut with pus? Does it need a vet?

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