1 testicle, store vet says it's normal+greetings

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trav1121

Junior Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2017
Messages
3
I'm not entirely new to owning rats(I helped take care of 7 around 8 years ago), but this is the first one in a long time(plan on getting another buddy for him ASAP). I searched for quite a while for a local breeder and even called a locally owned pet store(non-chain) with no luck in finding "locally" bred rats( I prefer breeders due to bad experiences with chain stores, most notably petco). I ended up resorting to Petsmart since the local pet store told me on the phone that their rats were not locally bred either(and look miserable from what I saw last time I was in the store). I ended up calling Petsmart to get more info on their rats.

The lady at Petsmart told me they had 1 rat(even though they should be sold in pairs) and that he had just got back from a local vet. I proceeded to ask her what the problem was and her response was that the rat had a testicle he had retracted into himself. She told me they were worried when discovering it(to my surprise) and immediately took him there. She claimed this was normal and that the vet said he shouldn't be neutered(and that he had no other illness). I ended up buying the rat saving him from loneliness, trusting what she had said.

After researching more out of curiosity I discovered that this could be potentially cancerous to the rat(some sources say it's a defense mechanism some say it's abnormal). I'm just wondering if this is something serious, or if the vet that they allegedly took him to(they said I could call and verify) was right and it is quite normal. My girlfriend is planning to pick out the 2nd rat as I'm very aware that they NEED to be in pairs(the lady at Petsmart said they would have more rats in-stock within a few weeks).

I know that getting rats from big chain stores is almost always a bad idea but after moving back down south(AL) there are not many places to choose from(when I had the other rats years ago, I lived up north and there were more local places/breeders to choose from) and the breeders down here are like 5 hours away.

Any help/advice would be much appreciated. Glad to be an active member as well :)
 
Well from what I understand, if there is another testicle up inside it needs to be removed. I agree it could be cancerous.
 
Well from what I understand, if there is another testicle up inside it needs to be removed. I agree it could be cancerous.
I also noticed the rat acting rather strange last night. It was running in a circle chasing it's tail and going crazy. Unfortunately for me, vet bills for small animals can cost a hefty price here :( I am still under their 14-day return policy though(this is only the 3rd day), but I feel bad returning the rat(although it is the cheapest way to get him cared for). I don't see why the vet wouldn't have neutered him, maybe they didn't wanna waste time on a rat?(most people I've met down here see rats more of a nuisance than a pet :( ). And what if I end up having to take him to the same vet since there aren't many for exotic pets around here and they end up saying the same thing? It would be quite a bit of money down the tube to just hear the same thing. Also, it'd be kinda disappointing to pay all the money to get him neutered(if they'll do it), get attached to him, and then have him contract another illness like breed-mill rats tend to do, but as I said I'd feel really BAD for just giving up on him like that. In other good news, my girlfriend went to the local flea market and found a breeder there and got her number. She breeds multiple varieties and sells a pair for 15$ or 1 for 10$. She didn't have all the rats with her and told my gf to come back tomorrow.
What do you guys think I should do?
Return the rat and get one of the locally bred ones instead?(Petsmart does have a deal with the vet and can get him cared for)
Keep the rat, get attached to him, and hope nothing bad comes from it?(I feel really bad returning him to the lonesome prison he came from)
Sorry for the long response, stuff like this just gets to me(I care a lot for the animals I take care of)
EDIT: After further examining, it appears that both of his testicles have retracted and that it is just a scrotum(and if it is only one testi, it is a lot smaller than those of other rats I've seen). He's really nice and doesn't show signs of pain but he can be a little shy.
 
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Im so sorry if this post is blunt...

It sounds like he has cryptorchidism, which is where there is a gap of sorts that will not allow the testifies to stay where they belong. Even with budget friendly vets this can be more expensive to correct. If you plan to go this route I would encourage you to call around for prices.

I recommend you take him back to the pet store and ask for another veterinary evaluation. Ask them if they think it could be cryptorchidism. Ask them if this is something they will correct under the guarantee.

My sad opinion is that they will likely tell you that they will take the rat back but will not correct the problem.

So...I see it two ways.
1: You fork over what I estimate to be $200-400 for the surgery and keep him, knowing that if the surgery is done while he is young he has no more chance of getting cancer than any other rat.
2: You take him back and understand that he will likely not have it corrected by the pet store. You get 2 other rats from the breeder and don't have to worry about the surgery.

I hope I was at least a little helpful and not too abrasive. This was definitely a tough question to answer.
 
Im so sorry if this post is blunt...

It sounds like he has cryptorchidism, which is where there is a gap of sorts that will not allow the testifies to stay where they belong. Even with budget friendly vets this can be more expensive to correct. If you plan to go this route I would encourage you to call around for prices.

I recommend you take him back to the pet store and ask for another veterinary evaluation. Ask them if they think it could be cryptorchidism. Ask them if this is something they will correct under the guarantee.

My sad opinion is that they will likely tell you that they will take the rat back but will not correct the problem.

So...I see it two ways.
1: You fork over what I estimate to be $200-400 for the surgery and keep him, knowing that if the surgery is done while he is young he has no more chance of getting cancer than any other rat.
2: You take him back and understand that he will likely not have it corrected by the pet store. You get 2 other rats from the breeder and don't have to worry about the surgery.

I hope I was at least a little helpful and not too abrasive. This was definitely a tough question to answer.
Thank you a lot. This was very helpful. You are completely correct, if the vet wouldn't fix him the first time I doubt that they would again. I'll probably take him back tonight and clean the cage out I feel sorry for the little guy but there is likely nothing that will be done. Judging by the cost you stated, that's probably why they didn't neuter him at the vet;They didn't deem him worthwhile(money). I'm going to print off a page explaining cryptorchidism for them, that way they will know in the future. PS: I talked on the phone with a different person at petsmart and he sounded surprised that they even sold me the rat, and continuously apologized. Thanks again for all your help. Hopefully this can help people in the future. DO NOT BUY RATS WITH CRYPTORCHIDISM.
 
Yes this is very sad, really. They should never have sold you an animal with the condition, knowing that it needs to be corrected for the animal's health. I hope they can learn from this.
 
Hi,

I had 2 boys each with one undescended testicle and had them neutered because of the cancer risk. The most important thing is to have a good knowledgeable vet with successful experience and knowledge regarding neutering rats. http://www.ratshackforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7691

Rats can be expensive pets and when ill they need immediate vet care from a good vet knowledgeable about rats. All vets seem to be very expensive and the prescription meds rats often require are not inexpensive either. It is recommended that people have a bank account with at least $300 for the first rat and at least $200 for each additional rat for medical expenses and that you keep adding to the account and replenishing it as the money is used. If you can not afford to provide medical care, please do not get pet rats ...... all pet rats, regardless of where they are from are prone to respitory issues, tumors, etc.

This is a rescue forum so I would encourage you to get rats from a rat rescue or from people rehoming rats, instead of supporting the breeding of more rats by buying from breeders or stores.

I agree, if you return the little guy, the store will not have him neutered. Even if a vet says the baby does not need to be neutered, you can still get him neutered when he is old enough ....... people neuter rats for many reasons.

good luck
 
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Yes this is very sad, really. They should never have sold you an animal with the condition, knowing that it needs to be corrected for the animal's health. I hope they can learn from this.

Yeah pretty sneaky on the sellers part.
 
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