Mammary tumor

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Roxymachado

Active Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2017
Messages
32
Location
San Francisco
One of my female rats I believe she is just a little over a year old has developed a tumor about 4 weeks ago. Already it's the size of an egg, two weeks after discovering it I took her to the vet. Just the office visit alone was $80 they told me if I had her tumor removed more than likely it would grow back. The vet also told me that having her fixed in the process would not help with it not growing back. She said since she's over six months old the hormones already in her body. I live in San Francisco which is extremely expensive, in this time and place. The estimate they gave me for removing the tumor is around $900. No do I think that she's not worth spending the money of , course I don't. But if I spend almost $1,000 and it comes back within a month what was the point. My thought and my husband saw as I should just make her as comfortable and happy for the few months that she has left possibly a year and when it gets too big put her to sleep. Does anyone in the Bay Area know of I vet who cares for rats with a more reasonable price range. Or anybody's thoughts on what I should do. Thank you
 
Rats have more then an 85% chance of developing mammary tumours, and if then get one they will get more.
Mammary tumours are on the surface so easy to remove and they do not grow back, unless the vet left part of the tumour behind. They usually grow quite fast and unless removed the rat will have to be put to sleep when they get too big. (btw I have never heard of a girl spayed by 4 months old who developed mammary tumours)

Spaying at any age helps to prevent mammary tumours and may slow the growth of mammary tumours already growing, but the younger the girl, the more effective it is.

As you mentioned, spaying a rat and also removing the mammary tumour may slow down the growth of tumours that have already started to grow and may prevent new ones from growing … this has happened for some other rats. I rescued an older girl who had a mammary tumour, had it removed, had her spayed (2 separate surgeries so she would not be under too long) and she did get another mammary tumour but it remained very tiny and never needed to be removed. Another rescued girl who was spayed and had a mammary tumour never got another mammary tumour. But this does not happen for all rats.

The most important thing is to have a good vet with the experience and knowledge to safely operate on rats and to spay rats ……..
but I would suggest that you look around because that is extremely expensive.

In July I took a 3 day trip to have a group of female rats spayed because the vet was as good as my vet but charged less then half what mine charges ………………… other rat people in your state as well as rat rescues, shelters etc may be able to recommend vets in your area or nearby - so you might ask on rats rule (goose moose) and on facebook groups to find out who are recommended as good vets for rats and then contact the vets to find out more info

Please read this info http://ratguide.com/health/neoplasia/mammary_tumor.php
If a tumour can not be removed people do try a med
and if after tumour removal sometimes people try to prevent further tumours with meds if a spay can not be done

https://www.ratshackforum.com/threads/things-to-discuss-before-surgery.7691/

Sorry I can't be of more help
 
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