# TUMOR!!!! O.O



## RatQueen (Sep 26, 2007)

I just noticed Juniper has a tumor on her underside!!!! It's under her left hindleg. What should I do? I can't afford a vet bill for surgery...  I really wish I could but the vets around here are to expensive... What should I do?!


----------



## glindella (Sep 9, 2007)

how old is she? Are you sure its a tumor and not an abscess? Your best option is going to a vet just to find out what it really is


----------



## Sparker (Jun 17, 2007)

Definitely take her to her doctor. There are things other than a tumor that can cause a lump. Good luck!


----------



## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

One of my girls currently has exactly the same thing, and the vet seems to think it's an abcess not a tumour (as it's squidgy and white - she's hairless so you can see the colour of it)

Get her checked out. It may not be as bad as you think.


----------



## AustinXAPMX3 (Oct 23, 2007)

I would see a vet first you want to rule out what it exactly is. Just to be on the safe side.


----------



## RatQueen (Sep 26, 2007)

It's a tumor!!!  I had a vet look at her. (It cost almost $100 for the vet just to look! 8O )What should I do? Juniper is about a year old and the omega of her pack...she's also the oldest.... I've had rats a good 8-9 years now and had the good fortune to not ever have a rat get a tumor in all this time...so what should I do? I can't get her the sugery...I had to pull alot off just to make the bill for the check up...  Please help!!!


----------



## Night (Feb 23, 2007)

There really isn't anything for you to do if you can't afford a lumpectomy.


----------



## RatQueen (Sep 26, 2007)

Should I seperate her from the others? (They REALLY pick on her) Or maybe I should put her with Marble...? Marble is the baby at only 4 months and she is currenly alone becouse the other girls WONT except her. Juniper gets along with her ok though... What should I do? How is the tumor going to affect her? Is her life going to be cut short? ......  ......What should I do...?


----------



## Night (Feb 23, 2007)

Considering where it's located, it's more than likely a mammary tumor. A small few don't grow very fast, but most of the time they rapidly double or triple in size. If/when that occurrs, she'll have more trouble walking, and if it gets large enough to touch the ground, it might become ulcerated from the friction. She more than likely won't have as long a life with the tumor, no. Again, it all depends on how fast it grows.

If she's stressed out from the other rats picking on her, I would suggest housing her with the baby. Stress is never a good thing for a rat, especially one who's ailing somehow. 

There are _some_ treatments for tumors, but in all honesty they're just a band-aid for the situation. A lot of people suggest the medication Tamoxifen, and supplements such as shark cartilage and coriolus (aka Turkey Tail) mushrooms.


----------



## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

I've had a couple of rats now that have had tumours (usually inoperable ones) and my vet uses antiinflammatories (sp?) to help inprove quality of life. I've been told that tumours are mostly inflammation and I've known anti-I's to shrink the size of the tumour.

They're not a cure, but they certainly help as a temporary cause.

Can you not keep in under control for a while and save up for the op? Perhaps there's another vet close by that may be able to do the op for less? Just an idea. I know how hard it can be to afford vets sometimes!


----------



## simbakitten (Oct 10, 2007)

if you cant get the operation i dont think there is really much you can do, im so sorry for you


----------



## RatQueen (Sep 26, 2007)

The tumor has tripled in size and I'm moving to a friends house up in a wooded area and I'm very worried about pregnancys from the wild rats. I'll be putting Juniper with Marble asap though and I'll let you know how things go...


----------



## mainstreet (Aug 28, 2006)

My rat has gotten a tumor that I just noticed yesterday. It is about the size of the ball in my computer mouse. took her to the vet today and they said it was a tumor and that we should just remove it for $225.


----------



## RatQueen (Sep 26, 2007)

mainstreet said:


> took her to the vet today and they said it was a tumor and that we should just remove it for $225.


Where do you live?


----------



## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Ration1802 said:


> I've had a couple of rats now that have had tumours (usually inoperable ones) and my vet uses antiinflammatories (sp?) to help inprove quality of life. I've been told that tumours are mostly inflammation and I've known anti-I's to shrink the size of the tumour.
> 
> They're not a cure, but they certainly help as a temporary cause.
> 
> Can you not keep in under control for a while and save up for the op? Perhaps there's another vet close by that may be able to do the op for less? Just an idea. I know how hard it can be to afford vets sometimes!


Sadly the anti-inflammatory effect is only on the tissue surrounding the tumour not the tumour itself.  That is why prednisone is only effective for so long with PT (pituitary tumour), etc.

Its removal or the "watch and wait" approach usually. Wait and watch for signs they have had enough and the tumour is leeching too many nutrients from their body.


----------



## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

Super smart as always lilspaz 

Mine have always seemed to do well on anti-inflammatory's while the tumour is reasonably small. It gives them a little extra time, or so I've found at least.


----------



## RatQueen (Sep 26, 2007)

What sort of meds can I get without a vet that would work and how do I get Juniper to take'em?


----------



## RatQueen (Sep 26, 2007)

Hello?


----------



## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

There are no meds you can get for a tumour, you'll just have to watch it grow and have her pts when her life quality is not there anymore. Be warned they adapt pretty well and its you that may have the mental difficulty in seeing her with it. When the tumour has grown too big it will start to leech the nutrients from her blood supply and she will start to seriously lose weight. One of the things you can do is limit the sugar in her diet as the sugars actually feed the tumours and make them grow faster. 

I would say 75% of intact females develop mammary tumours, from my experiences.  You have been extremely lucky not to have gotten any.


----------



## RatQueen (Sep 26, 2007)

lilspaz68 said:


> You have been extremely lucky not to have gotten any.


Until now.  So there's nothing I can get "over the counter" to help Juniper? What about what Ration1802 said,about the Anti-I's? What exactly do those do? Oh and is there anything special I can give Juniper food wise? Extra vegie's...? Let me know!


----------



## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

I've only ever had anti-inflammatorys by injection at my vets. It's only a short term solution though, it will decrease the size of the lump (lilspaz is most likely right when she says it's the swelling and inflamed tissue around the lump). The comfort they can provide is short lived, and if the tumor is too large already, they won't have much of an effect

I don't know of anything else (I've certainly not been given anything else) for lump treatment. Maybe someone else does


----------



## RatQueen (Sep 26, 2007)

Oh...ok. Thanks for clearing that up! ^.^ So does anyone know if there is any food I can give her to help counteract the tumor leeching all her nutrients and such? You know to help or at least try to help keep up her body wieght? Oh I forgot to tell you I put Juniper with Marble and they are getting along just fine! ^.^


----------



## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

there is nothing you can do to treat this... it is like trying to put out a fire by tossing gasoline on it

If the tumor is sucking the life out of her, by boosting her intake it will only increase the available resources that will consequentially increase the growth of the mass


----------



## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

You need to feed them higher fat foods rather than higher sugar foods so the tumour will still grow but not at such a fast rate.

Its very sad, I hate tumours...


----------



## Meliss (Sep 1, 2007)

My boy is having the surgery tommorrow to take out the tumor. After the tumor gets taken out the vet will send it out for someone to look at. I hope he gets all the tumor and that my boy will live long. Right now I am praying that he makes it through and that the vet will get all the tumor out. 

He has just gotten his strength back from the ear infection now he has to go through this too.

Please pray for my rat!!!


----------



## spanky (Nov 7, 2007)

Wow, removing my rats tumor was only about 100 bucks, seems like the only thing that's cheaper here (I'm living abroad in Germany at the moment.) I would recommend calling around a bit. Is there a major city nearby perhaps?
I remember taking a friends cat I was caring for in for a vaccine once and they quoted me close to 100 bucks but when I lived in the LA area but I was able to find a vet in the inner city that did it for about 25 bucks.


----------



## mainstreet (Aug 28, 2006)

Ok, sorry I hadn't checked back. I'm a jerk. Anyway, I live in Oregon... so yeah, I got it removed for $200 (she didn't need the take home meds of $25) and she has been healing really well.... it's been what, like 2 weeks?

They had just told me it was a tumor. Didn't say what kind or anything. They also asked me if I wanted them to send the tumor to get tested so we could find out what it was.. but I didn't see any reason for that. All I was thinking was "it will be gone, and that's all that matters..." 

And now....The tumor is growing underneath her little slitted scab. I'm so outraged. I can't believe this is happening. I want to cry. I mean, when you get medical treatment for something, you expect it to go away!!!!!! *tear* I can't believe this...

Before she even had the surgery, she seemed just fine for the duration that she lived with the tumor. Didn't seem to phase her at all. I guess if it comes to that, I will just get some kind of medication you guys are talking about. [email protected]#^&()(*&^%$#@! :?: :roll:  :roll: :roll: :roll:


----------



## Stephanie (Mar 25, 2007)

My rat Meeha (RIP 10-14-07) had a tumor removed and never had another occorunce but it is common for them to come back. I would suggest that you go to a different vet and then after the tumor removal start treating her ith echinacea and GSE (grapefruit seed extract) these two things help boost immune system and can help fight off tumors, myco, and other illnesses. I have been treating all ofmy rats and the number of sickness seems to have dropped greatly.


----------



## JoshDeMott2010 (Aug 25, 2007)

My first rat was a bald rat and it had cancer tumors. I regret not spending the money at the vet to get it removed because it grew and buddy passed away. He wasnt young tho so i wasnt completely ashamed ......... I would let ur vet kno if u have financial issues maybe the vet can help. Surgery is gonna be needed if the vet sais so... meds from the vet are prolly the only way to go ..... hope i helped and plz let me kno what happens!


----------



## mainstreet (Aug 28, 2006)

THE BATTLE RAGES ON...

So, I was totally fine with spending the $200 on my Lola if it meant the tumor would be removed and she would be okay. But like I posted, it came back 3 days after her surgery (which she had on 11/6/07). So she has had this tumor since then. It has grown to the size of a ball in a computer mouse. I got to the vet yesterday so I could "yell" at the doctor. The doctor wasn't there and they said they would have me speak with another doctor. I had to wait at that **** clinic for 2hrs. before I could even speak with the doctor. And all she did was tell me, "Oh darn, this is unfortunate. These things happen. There's really nothing you can do". And then she gave me 3 references for vets that specialize in exotics. One, she said was in the phone book, and I have yet to look it up. The second was a wrong #, and the third was closed on Saturdays. So I left a message on their machine. So I guess I am just waiting for a call back from them.

But in the mean time.... I'm wondering if I should just get advice and treat her with some kind of antibiotics, or just some Echinacea and GSE (where do I get those & how do I administer them??)... I mean, if I remove, I feel it will just come right back. I let them out of their cage to run around and I feed them holistic rat food. They seem very happy. I think it's best just to make sure that she is happy and that she isn't in pain. And if she begins to show signs, I will have her euthanized. 

No one told me, but I am pretty sure it is a mammary tumor. And from what I have been reading, information sites say that if it is hard, it is malignant. It is very very hard and very round. That worries me. But I swear, she isn't acting any different that she usually does. If I had to pick out something, I'd say she sleeps a lot more and doesn't eat as much. But like I said, it's not very noticeable.

Saying that I am willing to get her euthanized makes me feel like a monster.  Am I that bad??  :roll:

I am also worried about the cost of removal with a specialist. BUT if it is around $200 total and I can do payments, then I will most definitely do it..... *sigh*


----------



## Stephanie (Mar 25, 2007)

you can order GSE and Echinacea online though I don't have the sites handy right now. You put the GSE in the water one drop per ounce of water BUT you need to get them used to it first. I started with putting only one drop in the bottle for about three days then upped it to two drops for three days until I got to the desired amount. The echinacea is given on a small crumb of bread or cracker or something just one drop once a day for two weeks then take a two week break then back to two weeks on and so forth. 

What doesn't make sense to me is that they are not willing to go back in and redo the surgery for no cost. My vet does that automatically. I mean if it was a year between then probably not but 6 days is NOTHING. My guess is that they didn't get all of the tumor. I would wait and see what another vet has to say before you jump to putting her to sleep. Ask around for prices andwhat not as well. My vet only charges $40 for a tumor removal and that includes all after care.


----------



## mainstreet (Aug 28, 2006)

Ok, so I have been "calling around" for vets in Oregon that specialize in rats. BUT I only found one! Out of the 15 vets I called, only 1 is an actual specialist. The receptionist says it's around $250 for the procedure. That's even more expensive than before!! So, I think I'm going to apply at carecredit.com.

I think I'm going to take the word of a vet receptionist and Stephanie. I don't think they removed the whole thing. And that is a mistake on their part. So I just called the clinic where she had the surgery and the receptionist there told me she would have Lola's doctor call me. I'm so mad!! They should give me my money back or something. :evil: We'll see how that goes...

I think the plan (if that stupid vet doesn't help me out) is to apply for carecredit, make an apt. for surgery, and drive up to Portland.

And as for the GSE and echinacea, two vets said they don't necessarily condone it because it isn't *proven* medicine. But I am all for natural remedies. So I will probably be doing that. (It's okay to give to both rats, even if the other isn't sick, correct?)

Thanks for everyone's input, please keep posting! I need all the support I can get!


----------



## Stephanie (Mar 25, 2007)

Yeah it is great for preventative measures as well. GSE is an immune system booster and will help keep a healthy animal healthy as well as boost whatever immune system a sick rat has.


----------



## mainstreet (Aug 28, 2006)

Yea, I will be purchasing some of that.

Also, the vet that performed the surgery is having me go in there tomorrow. They are going to do tests on the mass. She says it could be inflamed tissue or something, but it is extremely hard, so I'm pretty sure it's not. (-_-)

Gosh, after those tests, it's going to be even harder to ask for my money back. Gah!


----------



## Stephanie (Mar 25, 2007)

The tests are probably their way of trying to compensate for their mistakes. Just be firm with them that they need to fix it (be it redo the surgery or refund the money) if they were at fault in any way. Be sure it isn't an abscess as well. Sometimes abscesses seem like tumors. you said it pulls away with the skin right? If so that could very well be an abscess. Ask the vets to do an aspiration on it to see what comes out. Good luck with it all nomatter how it turns out! I know dealing with inexperienced vets can be a pain but it can also be beneficial too. Think of it as a learning experience for everyone involved and try and keep the vet as informed as possible on how you are feeling about things and what you would like to see done.


----------



## mainstreet (Aug 28, 2006)

OH MY GOSH!!!! Thanks to everyone who followed my story. I went to the vet this morning and the surgeon took a sample of the mass and it actually turned out to be just liquid. I think she called it.. cyrosis? Or something like that (the word "abscess" never left her mouth). Anyway, I guess it was just her body's way of filling the hole that the tumor had left. I could have sworn it was just so solid, that it couldn't have been liquid!!! But lo and behold, that's what it was. Some brownish-greenish-yellowish nastiness. Soooo, the vet told me that there isn't any kind of medication I could take home and that it is completely natural. I tried my best to research and have never heard anything like this. I'm surprised no one mentioned it on this thread. She said the only thing I can do to help it along is to apply a warm/wet cloth to it.

LONG STORY SHORT: Lola is fine!!! I don't think I've ever been happier about something! Thank you everyoneeeee!!!! (^-^)


----------



## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

Seroma? I've had a recent issue with one of my rats, but hers were never hard =/

Hers have pretty much reabsorbed now though, did your vet give you any idea how long this lump should stay? Sometimes they should be drained if they stay too long. Also, static fluid build ups can cause infection, did they give you any anti-biotics or anti-inflammatories to help the fluid disperse?


----------



## mainstreet (Aug 28, 2006)

OOHHHH hmmm... she didn't tell me how long to expect. nor did she give me any anti-b. said that it was just a natural thing and that it wasn't an infection and i needn't worry!... I will probably call and ask if it stays for longer. to tell the truth, it did seem like it was getting smaller (before, when i was sure it was a tumor) so i don't think her body is really having any trouble. she is such a good little girl >.<


----------

