When Pepper first arrived at the hospital, the sight of her was truly heartbreaking. She was small, fragile, and clearly in a great deal of pain; at that moment, her prognosis was uncertain.
Pepper had several painful wounds around her face, mouth, and tail. The injuries had already become infected and were extremely sore. It appeared that the wounds had been caused by bites from another animal, most likely another rat or a small predator. Sadly, this kind of injury is not uncommon among small rodents, and the damage can quickly become serious.
With animals as tiny as Pepper, there is always an added worry. Even when their injuries don’t seem immediately life-threatening, the trauma alone can cause them to go into shock. Because of this, it is often impossible to know in those first few hours whether they will survive or how well they will recover.
Our wonderful vet, Judith, immediately set to work to give Pepper the best possible chance. She carefully examined each of the wounds before gently draining, cleaning, and disinfecting them. Unfortunately, Pepper’s tail had been so badly damaged that the tip could not be saved. Judith had to perform a small amputation to remove the injured portion before delicately stitching the tail closed again. Once the procedure was finished, Pepper was given medication to manage the pain and help encourage the healing process.
Pepper then began the slow but hopeful journey of rehabilitation. Despite everything she had been through, her personality quickly started to shine through. Our team have affectionately described her as “extremely difficult”. Pepper has liked to make it a challenge to catch her when it’s time for her medication. For such a tiny patient, she keeps everyone on their toes. Thankfully, once she is caught, she takes her medication well and has been recovering just as we had hoped.
For now, Pepper remains safely in our care while her wounds continue to heal. Each day, she grows stronger, and the team will continue to monitor her closely until she has fully recovered. Although her journey started in uncertainty, Pepper has already shown remarkable resilience, and we’re hopeful that she continues to recover well.
If you would like to learn more about British wildlife, take a look at our fact file page!
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Could provide medicine for a sick animal
