Zera has a lump..

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EDK

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2012
Messages
1,720
Location
Texas
As the title states... I discovered a lump on Zera's upper left side, close to her arm. It's about a nickle size.

I was shocked I never noticed it before, in fact I'm sure 3 days ago I never saw it. But last night when I picked her up I noticed it buldging out her side. So I immideatly checked the rest of her, and I couldn't tell, but it felt like there might be more then one in her abdomen...which means...:cry:

I'm trying not to assume the worst, maybe its fatty tissues but... I'm trying to make myself accept the worst of the worst...I'm hoping its just fatty tissues or none lethel tumors...but if it's cancar...I don't know what to do if they tell me that's what that is.

We have an appointment tomrrow around 2:30pm...but if we find out that day its the worst of the worst... what is the best course of action for Zera if its cancar? Do I take her home and try to make her life as painless as possible? Or do I...No... I mean she's eating, she's drinking, she's as energetic as always... but if those lumps get bigger she'll be misserable I'm sure... The fact that buldge wasn't there 3 days ago and now is already a nickle big... Gah..

Anyways, support, prayers and advice are needed for the EDK rat pack. We appreciate it.
 
Kona has fatty begin tumors popping up all the time. He's had them removed twice. Do they fell attached to anything? The one he has now is HUGE - I mean HUGE biggest one he's every had, but I don't see the use in removing it since more will just appear and its not bothering him. I'm calling it his turtle shell... Best wishes at the vet...
 
I honestly can't tell if its detatched or not... She doesn't seemed bothered by it either which is a plus, but still... I can't just neglect it...
 
I honestly can't tell if its detatched or not... She doesn't seemed bothered by it either which is a plus, but still... I can't just neglect it...

Can you feel all around it? I certainly hope its nothing. I'm thinking of having his removed too, but this one grew within 3 weeks of his last surgery and its around $400 each time. As long as his vet says don't worry about it unless it seems to bother him that is what I'm doing...
 
How old is she? Is she spayed? Sounds to me like a typical benign mammary tumour. Very common in unspayed girls and easily removed.
 
It sounds like a benign mammary tumor. You can try several things to shrink them. I've had luck using an equal mix of cottage cheese, flax seed oil, and adding a sprinkle of turmeric and 1/4 capsule of the powdered 'coriollus versicolor' mushroom powder purchased from any health food store. Mix about a tablespoon of the cottage cheese and oil together. Some people also add a few goji berries that have been soaked in hot water and crushed. Some of my rats had tumors that shrunk right down with this, while others had their tumor growth slowed considerably. It's worth a try. I used to remove the things, but unless a vet tells me it's life-threatening not to remove it, I don't anymore because they always just grew right back. It's your call. Try not to worry; they can go months and months with these things. Best of luck at the vet's.
 
She's about a year and 8 months old. And after a much closer inspection, the mass seems unattatched to anything, meaning its directly under the skin, might even be a cyst, but I cannot be sure. I also thought I felt more lumps in her abdomen but I could have been paranoid cause I was shocked when i first discovered the lump

Yes she is an unspayed female, the cheapest vet that does spays which I go to, is still quite an ammount for me to take on, and I don't want to spay her unless absoluetly neccissary. I know others would argue, the 86$ spent now will save you hundreds of dollars of surgery in the long run, but its still alot for me right now, I'd like to avoid it for now if I can. But if it is infact a tumor... then I'll talk to my vet about removing it along with getting her spayed.
 
Well yesterday I took Zera to her appointment, they attempted to see if it was a cyst...and it defiently was not... They strongly believe its a mammary tumor. So she stayed over night to have surgery today to have it removed. It was outside her ribs just under the skin and class sized as a blueberry.

Doc says they are very confident in an easy extraction, however he wouldn't be surprised if it may come back and maybe somewhere else, which if it does, he says long as it doesn't interfere with her ability to eat/drink, and she's happy, not to worry about it too much. Sadly he says he gets these all the time thanks to poor genes and abusive breeding. He says he remembers the days when he'd get in rats over 3yrs old, now he's seeing 2yrs or less.

So...prayers for Zera please... for a quick surgery and healing...
 
Well Zera's back home, safe and sound, though doc recommends she stay seperated from the others for about two days. She came out of surgery like a little trooper, wide awake and energetic, not seemed bother by the incision area. I do have metcam to give her though incase she's uncomfortable tomrrow, but they've given her something for the pain already. So at this point she's in a temp cage, next to the others, resting in a hammock and looking like "Why can't I go see Lyra Gizmo and Nes? :cry2: "

IM SORRY ZERA!
 
:flowers2: Get better soon Zera !! That's about how long we keep them separated too, but sometimes we take them out for play time together as long as they leave the incision site alone and we limit the play area.
flowers4.gif
 
My girl Ruby had one in the same spot, and it came on in the same way. On a Thursday I was playing with her and nothing was there. On the Monday or Tuesday following, there was a big lump in her armpit. I freaked out seeing as how she was young, cancer is scary, and that was my first girl to have that removed. Now I've had 4 out of 5 with one or more mammary tumors. My experience has been they bounce back fine from these sort of tumors, and if your rat isn't very old, it's worth spaying them as well to prevent it from recurring
Hope your girl is better quickly! <3
 
Well she's almost 2yrs old, I don't think I'd feel comfortable risking a spay. Long as she gets better now and enjoys her little life I"m happy. Thanks for your support rattie shack!
 
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