# Sudden huge lump on Ellie's neck?!



## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

So, I decided to get Ellie out for a bit as I couldn't sleep and she was playing around a lot. Well, I looked at her and one side of her neck has suddenly swollen up huge like a ball. I'm guessing it's something to do with her lymph-node system as it's on one side of her neck? Going to take her to the vet ASAP to get it checked out. It's so strange because she had nothing there a few hours ago and then BOOM - a lump half the size of her head appears! I'm thinking either it's her lymphnode or it's an abscess that's suddenly appeared; it feels hard but it moves around. I'll get pictures up when I wake up in clear daylight. I hope she'll be okay!


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

I've done some research and it looks like lymphoma! What can be done to treat this? Of course I'll get a better diagnosis tomorrow morning as it's nearly 6 AM here in the UK and I need to sleep. Can't believe this has suddenly happened within the past few hours it's insane.


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## socal_sarah (Mar 5, 2013)

Ugh, how old is Ellie? Hope you get everything figured out quickly at the vet today. Keep us posted...


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

She's only coming up to 4 months old! I'm hoping it's just an abscess or cyst when I check it when I wake up later but it's seeming more like lymphoma... gahhhh!


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## Opheliona (Apr 6, 2013)

Oh no, I hope everything will be ok! Post when you get back from the vet!


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## Sugapot (Mar 3, 2013)

Wow! Really that fast? I hope everything is ok!


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

So, I have some pictures I just took. It's increased in size since last night (so over a few hours) and I can't find any visible red mark to indicate neck trauma or any whiteness on the surface to indicate it's an abcess or cyst, so I'm going with lymphoma as it's swollen up so suddenly. I can't get her to the vets til tonight as I can't drive and have no other way of getting there; I'm in my home city for the last week of Easter and back at my home home not uni house where my regular vet is a 5 minute walk from... and to make matters worse I only came home 2 days ago, what luck. Here are the pictures anyway and I'll let you know what the vet says later, I'm assuming he'll have a feel and probably prescribe me some Baytril, hopefully her gland will go down in the next few days!

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## alexn (Sep 30, 2012)

With the speed of growth, I would say that it's most likely fluid, maybe she got something stuck in her throat, and her body's compensating in that should-be-awesome-but-in-reality-is-just-annoying way that only organisms can do. 

However, that's based on nothing but the speed of growth. Don't take it as fact, as I fully expect to be wrong; but hopefully that's all it is. Antibiotics or a quick lance should hopefully work if so 

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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

I really hope so, I mean it feels firm so it's likely not an abscess cause they're meant to be soft and squidgy. It just feels like one of her glands has gone super swollen, I don't know. I have a vet appointment at 6 so we shall see, hopefully some Baytril should make it go down if it's some kind of virus making her ill. None of my other rats are affected however so hmmmmm...


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

So I went to the vets, and he said exactly what I suspected - either an abscess or a lymphoma based upon the rate of growth and location. I have been prescribed Baytril for her twice daily to see if the swelling reduces. If not, I'm going to have to have a sample analysed which is gonna be expensive, and if this is the case then it'll probably be a removal which will cost A LOT. Hopefully it will go down by itself with the Baytril; she just turned 4 months old so it should be very effective on her as she's never had it before of course.


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

I can't imagine it would be lymphoma this early... I really hope the baytril comes through! Poor Ellie. Will she ever get a break?


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

You'd be surprised haha, my older girl Storm got a mammary tumour at just 3 months old which is supposed to be very rare so I can't see why this would be different. I'd like it to be an abscess or cyst but as I said, there's no bite mark/scratch or anything and her cage mate is a 2 month old baby so she can't have done anything deliberately. I hope she will get a break after this is resolved, a good one! Despite all her hardships she's the tamest rat I've even seen.


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## Jenzie (Dec 26, 2012)

Poor girl. Hopefully the medicine works! It sucks that she'd get sick so young, but the one good thing is at least younger critters are easier to treat and bounce back better. Good luck!


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## joey.winston1762 (Apr 27, 2013)

Sounds like an abcess but who knows. joey just had surgery on thursday for one. luckily i used to work at the vets office and they discounted his surgery. but yeah i noticed it one day and three days later had doubled in size. came out of no where. well goodluck!


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

Just realised I never updated this haha. It turned out to be an abscess and once I cleared out all the gunk she was fine; it disappeared after a week and a half and her fur is starting to really grow back now from where I shaved it off the lump. Usually abscesses go away once cleared out so I don't see why Joey would need surgery really, unless it was more of a cyst? Anyway hope he's okay!


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## Kirsten1303 (May 25, 2013)

That's really good news, I'm glad tour rat is better. I just hope my rat is the same as he is only 6 months and it sounds exactly like what your rat had. He's going to the vets tomorrow to get it checked out though.


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## sunshadow (Apr 5, 2013)

im glad it wasnt lymphoma. ive had more dogs die from that at work ( i work for a porteguese dog breeder) and it SUCKS


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