Streaker RIP 01/21/2014 to 11/04/2015

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dspch911

dspch911

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2012
Messages
7,963
Location
Chicago, IL
About 10 days ago I saw a decent size lump on Streaker's chest area. I first thought abscess since there was a small scratch/scab in the area so I soaked him, buy didn't force the issue. The next day I went to soak him again and felt another lump next to the big one that seemed to be about the size of a small pea. So my gut told me this was not an abscess, but we'd watch for afew days just to see what happened. Well, they didn't seem to grow, but they obviously didn't go away either. Today he saw the vet and it was confirmed they are masses, most likely mammory - damn it he's a boy!! Anyway, she tried needle aspiration on both and got nothing. She said he didn't even flinch when stuck. He will have them removed a week from tomorrow.
 
Streaker went into surgery about 45 minutes ago and before the doctor even started I got a phone call. She palpated the mass and feels it had grown since last week and is no long free moving. She feels its now in the abdominal cavity and attached to something. She will remove what she can and feels we should biopsy it. I don't see the need for that since I don't think treatment will change. I'm kind of wishing now I had said just leave it alone if the whole thing cannot be removed. I hope opening it up doesn't cause it to spread and grow. Poor Streaker, he was sleeping in my arms when I handed him over....
 
He is up and eating. She got most of it. It was attached to the abdominal wall and appears to be an aggressive cancer. There was a lot of bleeding so they had to bring out the cautetizer and have techs applying pressure. We'll just keep him happy until its his time to leave us.
 
I have him home, but I'm very worried about him. The incision is bleeding on and offf - I have it stopped again for now, but there is a big lump under the incision. I don't know if it was there or not when we left - I didn't look close enough. He is so cold so a nakie!! I'm snuggling him to try and warm him, but its not working. I have a call into the vet, but no call back yet.
 
Velo said:
Sounds like a rough night. How is he now? I hope he's doing better!!!
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The vet called as I was posting that. I got the bleeding to stop and warmed towels in the microwave to wrap him in. Gave him about 6 mls of ensure to boost his metabolism and he started warming up. He was cool again around 2am, but I thought Lovee was the more critical one so I tended to him. The lump goes up and down and there is no active bleeding. He was eating oxbow this am and he ate some of the baby food I gave him. He is sleeping on my lap now since he can have the cone off when supervised and daddy has Lovee. He has been given his am meds.
 
dspch911 said:
The vet called as I was posting that. I got the bleeding to stop and warmed towels in the microwave to wrap him in. Gave him about 6 mls of ensure to boost his metabolism and he started warming up. He was cool again around 2am, but I thought Lovee was the more critical one so I tended to him. The lump goes up and down and there is no active bleeding. He was eating oxbow this am and he ate some of the baby food I gave him. He is sleeping on my lap now since he can have the cone off when supervised and daddy has Lovee. He has been given his am meds.
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EDIT: As I say he's doing better he starts bleeding again! WTH
 
Joanne said:
I'm sorry you and he are having such a rough time. I hope you can get the bleeding under control...
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Just caught him scratching with back feet. Velo helped me with doses and the metacam appears way to low for post op so we gave him more.
 
In addition to the rat cone I would wrap your rat in those vet tube socks. What I did with my one rat was not 'put in on her' but rather 'tied it around her like she was a gift' with the bow/knot on top making sure I had some non adhesive bandage against her incision so if bleeding were to occur the wrap wouldn't get stuck.

You can even cut up one of your own socks and tie it around your rat along with non adhesive bandage. Hee hee
 
fallblossom said:
In addition to the rat cone I would wrap your rat in those vet tube socks. What I did with my one rat was not 'put in on her' but rather 'tied it around her like she was a gift' with the bow/knot on top making sure I had some non adhesive bandage against her incision so if bleeding were to occur the wrap wouldn't get stuck.

You can even cut up one of your own socks and tie it around your rat along with non adhesive bandage. Hee hee
Click to expand...

Actually, I did have him in a sock when we took him back to the vet so I could take the cone off. We only kept the cone on for a couple days and only when he was out of our site. He spend about 4-5 hours with me on our living room chair every night.
 
Streaker had his follow up appointment today and his surgical site is healing well, but his tumor has already started growing again. Hopefully it won't grow too big or too fast.
 

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