# Oddly shaped rat...



## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

This is Graine and she is 29 month old. Her sister Mistigri died during surgery to remove a prolapsed tumor on her vaginal wall in late July. She eats and drinks like normal and has lots of energy for her age. I can't open the cage for more than a couple minutes without her escaping to the floor out of the top of the DCN she shares with three 4 months old rats... The weird shape has been going on for a little while now, and has become a little more pronounced the last week or so...she also has two small mammary tumors, but they have stopped growing since I gave her some broccoli extracts (as recommended by a breeder) and some 4Life Tranfer Factor supplement once, sometime twice a day. I have being giving herthose two supplements for 2 months or so now...She has lost a little weight...about 10% of her weight in the last few months- she was a little chubby though. Even though she looks rounded around the stomach area(can see that in the pic from above), I can now feel her spinal cord and shoulder blades. It sounds like she could also have some kind of tumors inside, probably benign as she is so well and looks pain free. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.


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## Grotesque (Mar 19, 2014)

I really really hate to say this, but my Granny rat started having that shape when cancer started taking over her abdomen. It wasn't a specific lump... it was more of a "fatness" as her abdomen expanded.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

Grotesque said:


> I really really hate to say this, but my Granny rat started having that shape when cancer started taking over her abdomen. It wasn't a specific lump... it was more of a "fatness" as her abdomen expanded.


Yea I 'm pretty sure it is something like that...either tumor or cancer. Hopefully it is benign tumor and she has a couple more months. She is happy and active, more so since she got her new friends two months ago...she is acting all adventurious.


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## Asteria (Jul 6, 2016)

Poor Gal, tell us how she goes. It's good she's still active, hopefully she has more time left.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

I hope so too. I'm going to get metacam in case she starts to show signs of pain. In the meantime, I'm going to extra spoil her- not sure how to spoil her even more but I'm going to figure it out


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## Grotesque (Mar 19, 2014)

Well Granny lived many months with it before signs of pain set in. It wasn't until the last couple days that she was in pain. I hope for many more happy months for sweet Graine!


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

Thanks! I hope Graine is ok for a while...she started to get into that shape maybe 2-3 months ago. It was very subtle at first, her belly is only getting more oddly shaped for the last week or two. I'm so happy I got her new friends after Mistigri passed, Graine has been acting all silly and adventurious since she got her new friends, lol. It is like she says: " look I can do that too, and I bet you can't even keep up with me" lol.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

It could also be that her body is aging, and gravity is pullimg her belly down but her spine and hips are more prominent. You should be able to feel any masses gently in her belly. I love feisty old girls, wishing her many more months of happiness


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

lilspaz68 said:


> It could also be that her body is aging, and gravity is pullimg her belly down but her spine and hips are more prominent. You should be able to feel any masses gently in her belly. I love feisty old girls, wishing her many more months of happiness


I didn't feel any masses when I felt her a week ago or so...I'll check again later when she wakes up. Fingers crossed it only is gravity


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

I couldn't find any mass. She is just rounded from the sides and below as seen on the pic below. Looks almost like she is pregnant actually. She can't be pregnant because all my males are neutered, and living in a different cage anyway.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)




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## Grotesque (Mar 19, 2014)

Have you considered megacolon?


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## Finnebon (Jul 15, 2013)

Is she pooping? And if you find poop in the cage, are you 100% sure it's hers? What does the lump feel like inside when you palpate it? Does it feel like small lumps inside the big lump, or just soft?

Poor girl. I hope she'll be ok. That really doesn't look good at all. What has your vet said?


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

I didn't go to the vet yet. It has been subtle up until now really. I think she poops as I saw her do it yesterday I believe...there aren't any small lumps, just a soft big lump. It isn't megacolon as she is 29 month old and it has been growing very slowly over the last 4 months. She has lots of energy. From what I know it sounds more like a benign tumor, but soon can make her uncomfortable.


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## Asteria (Jul 6, 2016)

Definitely sounds like a tumor. If it was fluid buildup, trapped gas or megacolon the lump wouldn't be malleable and soft.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

I just put her in a spare cage with paper towel as bedding so I can see if she pees/poop. I added pellets, water, apple sauce. Her sister died during surgery a few months ago...she had a prolapsed tumor, that is the tumor on her vaginal wall came out of her uterus...l wouldn't be surprised if it was a tumor too. Her sister died during surgery but was strangely unbothered by the thing coming out, was still drinking and eating normally too. The vet said that even if she had pulled through the surgery, the tumor would have grown back as it was impossible to be sure that everything was taken out... I put a timer for 90 mins, she should pee and poop during that time.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

I put some coconut water in her water bottle and let her drink it for a minute or so before replacing it with water only...didn't want her to drink more in case she can't urinate...now I'm sure she drank. She just LOVES coconut water. I'm trying to rule out problems with urinating and pooping...but I really don't think it is it.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

Thanks for your inputs guys, I appreciate it ok so she peed but didn't poop in those 90 mins. She begged to be to let out of the small cage do I put her back with her friends. She is walking in the wheel now. Her appetite is great as usual. I'll see if I can get a vet appointment tomorrow.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

I'll update as it goes, so hopefully it can help someone through a search in the future. Her swollen belly can't be constipation because she is eating and drinking as usual. When badly constipated, the last thing a rat (or anyone) would do is eat as it would make the rat feel worse and nauseous. Also no signs of pain. I texted my vet and he agrees it must be tumors in her abdomen and some fluids accumulated in the tissues (can't remember the medical term he used now). Per his advice I gave her a little Lasix- I had it on hands from a previous rat. She is sleeping now. I can bring her to him, but he said there will be nothing to do except put her down and since she still looks happy I'm not going to do it yet. The ONLY thing that could have prevented it is if I had spayed her while she was still very young.


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## Rat Feng Shui (Aug 8, 2016)

*I had the same thing*

I adopted a rat that had exactly the same thing, subtle when I adopted her then bigger and bigger. I also thought she was pregnant for a while. I took her to the vet but was unable to afford an x ray at the time. However after she passed away they did an autopsy for educating the veterinary interns. It was a self enclosed infection. Aka "abcess". I wish I had done the X ray. These are hard to treat because they have very little blood flow. But antibiotics can help, unlike a tumor. After another rat later had an abcess that did show up on an x ray, I asked the vet if we could inject the abcess with antibiotics to quickly "kill" it directly. She said it's not that simple unfortunately. But if you can determine it's an abcess and get the antibiotics going maybe it will be OK.


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## rottengirl (Mar 16, 2016)

Pyometra maybe? is she spayed yet?


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

Bet is out of the office for the week...texted him and said that I can start her on Baytril in case there is any infections going on...so now she is on Baytril and small dose Lasix. She is eating, drinking, peeing, and pooping as normal. I give her some extra coconut water too. She is climbing around the cage and doesn't even use the ramps I put back for her; the other 4 month old rats with her, use the ramps, LOL. Otherwise she is acting as usual too.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

rottengirl said:


> Pyometra maybe? is she spayed yet?


Thanks. I have her on Baytril in case something infectious is going on. My vet said it was best just in case she doesn't exhibit the typical signs of Pyometra though.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

Rat Feng Shui said:


> I adopted a rat that had exactly the same thing, subtle when I adopted her then bigger and bigger. I also thought she was pregnant for a while. I took her to the vet but was unable to afford an x ray at the time. However after she passed away they did an autopsy for educating the veterinary interns. It was a self enclosed infection. Aka "abcess". I wish I had done the X ray. These are hard to treat because they have very little blood flow. But antibiotics can help, unlike a tumor. After another rat later had an abcess that did show up on an x ray, I asked the vet if we could inject the abcess with antibiotics to quickly "kill" it directly. She said it's not that simple unfortunately. But if you can determine it's an abcess and get the antibiotics going maybe it will be OK.


Thanks for the suggestion. I haven't thought of that my vet said to put her on Baytril so I started her on it yesterday. What antibiotics did you vet prescribed for that?


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

As I thought it is tumors in her abdomen. The vet believes they are benign tumors and depending on how fast they grow she has weeks or months to live- there's no way to know for sure. My vet said there is no point in trying to get it out, as he won't be able to take it all out, plus a high chance she might not make it through surgery...However, most of the bloating look was due to temporary fluids accumulation which was taken care of So far she is as happy and active she used to be, her appetite is great too. I give her several 1ml syringes of coconut water a day, and her usual salad of fresh veggies so I know she stays well hydrated. If she starts to show signs of pain I'll ask the vet for some narcotic pain meds. Fingers crossed she stays well for a while. Both of her parents were pet store rats so unfortunately it means more health issues and health issues earlier on; so considering that I'm happy she made it to 29 months without any other health problem. Of course she is getting extra spoiled and is very happy about all the extra attention


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