Tumors that look like an abscess!
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Little pretty "Kate" with an unfortunate ruthless mammary tumor!!This is a badly infected tumor. You can see the pus and necrotic tissue. This rat has respiratory issues and therefore surgery is too risky for her.
If your unfortunate enough to have a vet that is not sure about rat care yet tries anyhow, please listen up. This is important info for all rat owners to know about.
Not long ago, a reader wrote in and sent along a photo of her daughters rat, Renee. Renee had an ongoing battle with a stubborn abscess, as per the Vet. He did numerous surgeries trying to debride the abscess but it kept filling up again. It was at the point Renee was beginning to get sick from the bacteria in the abscess and the vet said there is a good chance she would end up with sepsis, which means the bacteria enters the blood stream, which can be fatal, esp in small rats. Soon as I looked at the photo of the lump on Renee (and once I shook off my anger at the Vet) I let her know that her daughters rat does NOT have an abscess, but instead, it was a mammary tumor that had abscessed. The reason it would not heal is because it was a tumor that had grown from mammary tissue and had become infected. The vet had been putting this poor rat in danger each time he dug at the mass. Talk about a Vet that has no business seeing rats, this was one prime example. So of course I offered to give her names of other vets that were experienced with exotic animal care including rats, and right away the new vet took one look at the mass and confirmed what I had already said: Mammary tumor that abscessed and it must be removed at once in order for her to safely recover, which she did, by the way, and I am happy to report she is doing just fine now. Scary that I knew what it was just from a photograph when a person that has years of college under his belt was so clueless, which is why its vital you educate yourself as much as you possibly can.
Last week, a reader wrote in about her rat, "Rat-O" and included a photo. After looking at the photo for a bit, I also had a strong suspicion it was a tumor that had abscessed. After giving her the name of a vet in her area, which is The Westminster Veterinary Group located in Westminster, California, it was also confirmed that it was indeed a tumor that had become abscessed and needed removed right away. The surgery, performed by Dr. Nicole Dielo, who has a strong interest in exotic medicine, was a total success. Rat-O was kept over night for observation and nursing care and was released to go home the next day. He is recovering nicely at home with his owner, Natalie..
UPDATE: Pathology reports show that Rat-O indeed had a cancerous growth removed. The bad news it is the type of sarcoma that may have originated in the liver, spleen or other vital organs and there may be cancer cells still in his body. We are hoping for the best and keep our fingers crossed Rat O remains as happy and healthy as he is today, September 2, 2009.
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Meet Rat-O! This is him without any nasty lumps on his sweet furry body!!!!

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Tumor before surgery. Note the bloody drainage. It is easy to see where it could possibly be an abscess with
the exception of the fact the mass was not shrinking when it would drain.
Rat-O on the mend! Nice clean incision and staples to reinforce it since he is still wanting to be active!!
Boys will be boys:)
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Meet Rufus!

Rufus met his owner, Jenn, of Fresno, CA, in March 2009, when he was being sold at a reptile store as a feeder rat, of all things!! She quickly fell madly in love with his funny little self and they became best friends. His naked cuteness made him even more adorable to her. They had a special bond, as Rufus had a hard time trusting others and was very fiesty, but he was also a biter. He was a lone rat as he did not play well with other rats and only allowed Jenn to handle him. She did take a few bites from him herself, but I call them love bites. :)
This mass, which is located between his shoulder blades, came out of nowhere. Jenn cleaned it after Rufus had scratched it open, using an antibacterial solution, hibicleanse, and an antibiotic ointment. It did not appear to be infected as there was never any exudate, only bright red blood. After bleeding out, it appeared to go away just as mysteriously as it appeared, only to reappear about 2 weeks later. Again, Jenn cleaned it up and it went away. However, as a classic Sarcomatous growth does, it came back again, this time growing at an aggressive rate. It also started to seep blood and it developed a central keratinaous crater this time, and it was not going away, it just continued to increase in size to the point that it was putting added weight on his body, making him lean to one side. After calling nearly every Vet in town to see Rufus (all of them denied to see him) she contacted me and showed me his photos. I knew right away what we were dealing with and knew it was not good news.
The mass that he has, I believe, it is a Sarcomatous growth.
With the chance this was an aggressive sarcoma, removing it may only ruin his quality of life and he did not have much time left. This type of cancer is known to metastasize rapidly, usually to the liver, spleen, lungs and other vital organs. Finally I gave her the name of a vet that was qualified to see rats and we hoped for the best. The day before his appointment, Jenn found Rufus in his cage. Unlike his usual very warm leathery body, he was cold and pale. He had denied food and wasnt drinking and had become lethargic. His respirations were heavier than normal as well. Not wanting to leave Rufus alone but having to appear at her husbands game, she brought Rufus along with her. He allowed everyone to hold him and spent his time cuddled with Jenn. Within two minutes after putting him back in his travel cage, Rufus passed away. Jenn found him and immediately started CPR, but he was gone. Rufus was only 8 months old. The cancer had caused organ failure, as it more than likely had metastized to his liver and other organs in this short of time.
Jenn writes:
Please note for others that care of a naked one is different. They need baths or they get greasy and can get sores. They need extra warmth or coolness depending on the outside temps...they are not as easy as hairy rats to care for as they do have "needs". I didn't know these things when I first got Rufus, and had to learn very quickly that caring for a naked guy is much different. BUT...he enjoyed his warm showers, and I enjoyed the time we spent when he got them. He was always very playful after a shower, and during a shower he would climb the bars of his cage and put his face right into the water, close his eyes...and I swear to you he'd smile!!
Many who saw Rufus called him ugly because of his nakedness and wrinkles...he was beautiful and sweet and wonderful to me.
Jenn, owner of precious Rufus

Note the necrotic tissue that has formed a "muffin top"
Please note, this type of tumor usually causes alot of problems when it starts to invade the body, which is almost as soon as it appears. Removing a tumor of this origin, which due to the fact there had not been a necropsy done, it is only an educated guess, but the tumor itself tends to spread like branches of a tree, and when surgically removed, in order to get all of the cancer out, the Vet needs to actually cut into muscle and other tissue that can in turn cause permanent damage. Chances that he would have lost the use of his forelimbs were very high not to mention he could have even been totally paralyzed in his shoulder area. It was best to let him live his life out happy and in no pain at all rather than to have removed it, possibly causing it to spread faster, and if he did have damage done, he would have been uncomfortable and suffered needlessly. It is a blessing in disguise that he never made it to surgery. I was against it anyhow and would have told Jenn my honest opinion, as I would have hoped the Vet would have been honest about it too rather than just doing the surgery to make money.
Sleep well, young sweet Rufus. You will always be in the hearts of all that knew you.
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