jorats
Loving rats since 2002.
Unfortunately, it's looking bad now. I would think maybe cancer, like my mom's rat had.
Abscess, tumor, cyst or something else?
- Thread starter violet976
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violet976
Well-Known Member
My heart is sinking. I've never dealt with cancer, so I hope some with experience wont mind helping me out with a few questions in advance of my appointment. Would one normally opt to try surgery to remove it, or is that just a slim hope with cancer? Is there a good chance to remove it and be done with it, or to slow down the cancer? What does one normally do in this situation if they go to the vet & the vet also agrees this is probably cancer? I just want to give her the best shot at as much good time as she can have, but I also want to make sure I make the decisions that are best for her, her comfort & her quality of life. I have no problem opting for surgery, I just want opinions of what likely to expect here as I'm over my head.
Does one normally try for the surgery/removal, and if so, does one simply express to the vet that while they certainly want their rat back, they also want the vet to know to let her go if she truly needs to be? Forgive my panicky nature, I just want to have this all in mind *before* I possibly have to make these decisions with the vet. I want to do what is best for her.
Does one normally try for the surgery/removal, and if so, does one simply express to the vet that while they certainly want their rat back, they also want the vet to know to let her go if she truly needs to be? Forgive my panicky nature, I just want to have this all in mind *before* I possibly have to make these decisions with the vet. I want to do what is best for her.
violet976
Well-Known Member
ps: thanks for being very frank, Jo. I'll be taking the night on the bed with Merlin & Gizmo as I simply sewed morning til night yesterday. It's nice to know in advance that one really needs to snuggle the hell out of their wee ones, just in case.
(((((Melissa and Gizmo)))))
that's surely not a good sign that it's growing again, and with these guys, most growths do seem to turn out to be cancer, but I'm still hoping it's some odd skin disorder.
Since it's right there out in the open, I would think the vet would opt to remove it and perhaps biopsy it, unless he can tell by looking what it most likely is (I think there are some visible characteristics to even different cancers that help them to guess with some confidence what it is they are looking at, others probably only can be identified microscopically)
This is all based on my experience with human cancers, some can be identified by appearance and growth patterns, etc
Hopefully it's a single benign growth that can just be cut out. Even if it's malignant, it seems like it wouldn't be too difficult to remove, being right on the skin, assuming there's not much more of it inside.
If it were my girl and she was in good health otherwise, I'd first see what the vet has to say,
and then, if it seems she's got a good chance of this thing not coming back, I'd probably treat it, which I would *guess* would mean removing it, but who knows, maybe there's some sort of chemo for it?
it's so hard not knowing. I am hoping your vet has enough experience to have seen something like this before, and to know what it is or probably is, and what the best course of treatment would be.
so sorry you guys are going thru this! snuggle that girl, and take it one day at a time.
I know it's going to be a long day til you can get her in there, hopefully you can distract yourself with loving on her and her buddy
:hugs:
that's surely not a good sign that it's growing again, and with these guys, most growths do seem to turn out to be cancer, but I'm still hoping it's some odd skin disorder.
Since it's right there out in the open, I would think the vet would opt to remove it and perhaps biopsy it, unless he can tell by looking what it most likely is (I think there are some visible characteristics to even different cancers that help them to guess with some confidence what it is they are looking at, others probably only can be identified microscopically)
This is all based on my experience with human cancers, some can be identified by appearance and growth patterns, etc
Hopefully it's a single benign growth that can just be cut out. Even if it's malignant, it seems like it wouldn't be too difficult to remove, being right on the skin, assuming there's not much more of it inside.
If it were my girl and she was in good health otherwise, I'd first see what the vet has to say,
and then, if it seems she's got a good chance of this thing not coming back, I'd probably treat it, which I would *guess* would mean removing it, but who knows, maybe there's some sort of chemo for it?
it's so hard not knowing. I am hoping your vet has enough experience to have seen something like this before, and to know what it is or probably is, and what the best course of treatment would be.
so sorry you guys are going thru this! snuggle that girl, and take it one day at a time.
I know it's going to be a long day til you can get her in there, hopefully you can distract yourself with loving on her and her buddy
:hugs:
violet976
Well-Known Member
@ Petunia: Actually, I think it will seem like all too short a day, since I have this fear in my stomach for the worst of the worst & losing her tomorrow. *but*, I'm very thankful that I know in advance that this thing is not acting right again & can simply plan to spend all my time with her until the appointment, just in case. It's better than having the worst happen & thinking that I spent her last day sewing.
I'm leaning towards removal as well, just want to make that no one knows major reasons to discourage that course of action. Of course, the vet will hopefully know more & I'll base it off what he says. He was good enough to get in there & find/repair Bug's torn stomach, & removed Gizmo's neck tumor, so I feel pretty good about his ability to perform surgeries. Obviously, I think in the end there wont be many options to choose from, but I'm certainly hoping surgery will be one of them. She's still a bright, happy girl & I think she could have more time. Hanging out on the bed, stealing peanut butter & jelly sandwich, tilty girl nose kisses right on your face & beating up the ratty company time, to be specific. & I'd really love for her to get to meet the new girl when she arrives.
I'm leaning towards removal as well, just want to make that no one knows major reasons to discourage that course of action. Of course, the vet will hopefully know more & I'll base it off what he says. He was good enough to get in there & find/repair Bug's torn stomach, & removed Gizmo's neck tumor, so I feel pretty good about his ability to perform surgeries. Obviously, I think in the end there wont be many options to choose from, but I'm certainly hoping surgery will be one of them. She's still a bright, happy girl & I think she could have more time. Hanging out on the bed, stealing peanut butter & jelly sandwich, tilty girl nose kisses right on your face & beating up the ratty company time, to be specific. & I'd really love for her to get to meet the new girl when she arrives.
jorats
Loving rats since 2002.
With both Cocotte and Sam, my mom's rat with "open" wounds/lumps, they continue to live some time with their lumps. They have good quality of life. The only reason Cocotte had to be put to sleep is because one of those developed in her neck/throat, otherwise she was living pretty darn good with her lumps.
Joanne
Well-Known Member
My concern would be how close it is to her girlie bits, and if the removal is possible without affecting things. It does look like it's grown outwards more compared to the previous pictures. Good luck tomorrow!
violet976
Well-Known Member
Gizmo is going in for the tumor removal Wed. morning. He said it could be cancerous, could be another type of tumor that simply keeps pushing out, then dying off, then returning again & repeating the process. Didn't really feel there was much benefit to a biopsy. He also said that he could feel the tumor going down a bit inside, so he'll simply try to get as much out as possible & we'll hope for the best.
jorats
Loving rats since 2002.
I think that's a good plan.
violet976
Well-Known Member
It was pretty much what most of us were expecting, as the photos looked like it had to be a tumor by yesterday, when it was forcing it's way out. I guess to me it didn't feel like the worst news, since I was pretty much thinking cancer at this point and was afraid the vet might way he didn't want to operate on it.
& while I was leaning towards the biopsy simply to know, the vet didn't think there was much to gain from that except for the knowledge. He said pretty much it would either not be cancer, and hopefully we'd get it all or it might come back. Or it would be cancer, and hopefully we'd get it all or it might come back. So my gut, unless someone knows of a reason why I should be going through with the biopsy, was that it was better to keep that money for vet care that would be more worthwhile to the wee ones (like new girls upcoming spay, or whatever else may pop up)
& while I was leaning towards the biopsy simply to know, the vet didn't think there was much to gain from that except for the knowledge. He said pretty much it would either not be cancer, and hopefully we'd get it all or it might come back. Or it would be cancer, and hopefully we'd get it all or it might come back. So my gut, unless someone knows of a reason why I should be going through with the biopsy, was that it was better to keep that money for vet care that would be more worthwhile to the wee ones (like new girls upcoming spay, or whatever else may pop up)
mamarat
Well-Known Member
With my vet she "saves" a part of the tumor and when it comes back she has it tested for cancer. She won't remove it a second time if it's cancerous.
Fingers crossed for your sweetie.
Fingers crossed for your sweetie.
Joanne
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't bother with the biopsy unless you have the money to burn. He needs to do surgery to see if he can remove it all anyway, so...
dspch911
Senior Member
:heart: :cuddle: Good luck with surgery :cuddle: :heart: :cuddle: Healing vibes from all of us :cuddle: :heart:
violet976
Well-Known Member
I got the call that she made it through & should be coming home today. They said it went even deeper than the vet thought initially, and that two tumors were removed. The vet recommended a biopsy, but also said we had the option of saving them in formaldehyde so we could biopsy at a later date if the tumor (or others like it) reoccurred.
mamarat
Well-Known Member
Sending lots of healing vibes
violet976
Well-Known Member
Yay! Gizmo is home now and looking pretty alert. I peeked at her incision and she was still glued shut so fingers crossed there, and they have her tumors stored there in case I have the need to biopsy them down the road.
Out of curiosity, does anyone happen to know the recommended dose for endotorb? I'd like to double check & make sure Gizmo has enough pain meds (I think my vet is one of those who is apprehensive about giving rats pain meds after surgery, though I've no idea why). & also, how soon do most people allow their rats back with their cagemates after surgery?
Out of curiosity, does anyone happen to know the recommended dose for endotorb? I'd like to double check & make sure Gizmo has enough pain meds (I think my vet is one of those who is apprehensive about giving rats pain meds after surgery, though I've no idea why). & also, how soon do most people allow their rats back with their cagemates after surgery?
Violet, I read that your rattie should be OK to return to her cagemates one to two days after the surgery, depending on how she is doing. Cagemates will rarely pick at the incisions of other rats. But let someone quote me on this, I'm not 100% positive.
