Face swelling on rat, below right eye.

[Pluie]

Am pretty desperate hoping for a solution to work out for this boy. He has had this lump beneath his eye. I brought him in the a local vet, asking if they could lance it and see if a small incision can be made to remove the remainder of the cheesy pus from an abscess he had on the back.

He came back, 2 stitches on the nose, no sign of any dental problems from initial inspection and no foul smell from his mouth.

They told me there was absolutely no pus in the cavity and that they had injected steroids to bring the swelling down.

Also he is on 0.56ml/twice a day of Clavamox in a 156.25mg/ml suspension.

I will probably lower this to 0.36cc twice a day as Shelagh has very nicely helped me to recalculate the dosage.

These are the post surgery pictures. I'm worried about SDA, but that seems very unlikely, seems more like an eye or tooth problem but I couldn't smell any signs of infection. The stitches from his back are from an abscess that they apparently said might be cancerous if left alone and removed it. Sadly the vets here are definitely not well versed in rat medicine, I should have known better to stop them. Could have saved my poor boy alot of pain.

Also, I'm not from the states, I live in Singapore which is a part from Asia, but if any of your vets are nice and willing enough to take enquiries via email. I'm willing to pay a fee to write in for advice.

Thank you all in advance.

 

[Pluie]

its been almost 3 weeks since the incident, his stitches are removed but the lump stays put.

I suppose I might let my boy live it out. I don't exactly know what else I should do given that the surgery would be risky

He's still going to be brought in for an x-ray, am just hoping for the best while being prepared for the worst.

 

[victoria]

If it's not bothering him, it may be the best option. You can also have a biopsy done to see what it is but it may not help you in regards to treatment options.

:hugs: to both of you.

 

[SarahA]

He looks pretty happy sitting in his wheel.
Hope the Lump doesn't get any bigger.
Good luck with the X-rays.

 

[Pluie]

Thank you victoria, i guess i would still try out the biopsy as suggested, appointment in a week's time. Thank you, your advice has really helped me tide through some of the tougher moments :|

Thank you Sarah, yes he does look happy!

 

[jorats]

I agree, if it doesn't bother him, leave him be. He's such a cutie.

 

[lilspaz68]

Poor lad. Could be several things but if you can get a biopsy and histology done on the lump you at least will know what it is and what to expect. If you don't want to go this route then leave him be...watch for it growing and interfering with this sinus cavities. He's lovely and he's got such bright eyes. He reminds me of a wonderful boy I had in the beginning of my rescue career.

 

[Pluie]

Yea, the possibilities seem endless, in fact my vet proposed hematoma, which is what I'm hoping for. He prescribed steroids to see if that would help the hematoma disperse with time. He is indeed sneezing a little more than usual and I do hear some squeaking, which does worry me

And you're right shelagh, sometimes its the look in their eye that keeps us going

I'll be updating this post as this seems like a pretty rare case.

 

[Carol Weekes]

A haematoma can take some time to go down; antibiotics and anti-inflammatory are good. You could try some gentle, warm compresses, but yes, a biopsy would let you know what you're dealing with. Could just be a benign growth. Please let us know how he does after his next appointment and what the biopsy results bring.

 

[dspch911]

:heart: :hugs: :cuddle: What a sweetie - hope he feels better soon! :cuddle: :hugs: :heart:

 

[SQ]

Hope he is soon feeling better.
He looks like such a sweet boy :heart:

If he is on steriods I hope he is also on antibiotics re the impact on the imune system

 

[Joanne]

I too would go for a biopsy if you can. That way you know what you are dealing with, and will know if and how to treat it. Good luck! He is adorable!

 

[mamarat]

Beautiful boy, sending healing vibes.

 

[lilspaz68]

It actually reminds me of Lilith's lump that was a tumour above her eye. There's a whole thread in health somewhere on it.

 

[Pluie]

I do have my fears, I've read that thread.

Moo's bump is squishy, but I don't know if it is because the softer tissue at the top is being pushed upwards or it is genuinely just a squishy mass. Idk why my vet only does punch and entire removal biopsies. I was thinking of needle ones.

 

[lilspaz68]

I do have my fears, I've read that thread.

Moo's bump is squishy, but I don't know if it is because the softer tissue at the top is being pushed upwards or it is genuinely just a squishy mass. Idk why my vet only does punch and entire removal biopsies. I was thinking of needle ones.

FNA isn't what you need, they need to actually remove a little chunk of the tissue and examine it under a microscope at a lab.

 

[Pluie]

Oh okay, The vet did mention something like, if it was malignant, it might agitate the tumour and it could dramatically worsen.

So many areas of concern. I have up till next Sunday to think it through.

 

[victoria]

My father in law was a well respected doctor and was diagnosed liver cancer in his liver when he was in his 60s. His colleagues called a meeting of the specialists in different disciplines at the time of diagnosis to try to figure out how best to proceed. One of the topics discussed was taking a biopsy and he refused for that reason - there is a very real risk that malignant cells will float off and take root elsewhere. If surgery is not an option (sadly, it probably isn't in this case no matter what it is) it's probably best not to do one, if you really want to know what happened you can do a necro when it's time.

If he's having some trouble breathing, the tumour may be partially obstructing the nasal passage. You can discuss a steroid with your vet to help reduce the inflammation and give him some temporary relief. Just make sure you're giving a broad spectrum antibiotic (pref. Baytril) at the same time. (And check the doses or have someone on the forum do it for you.)

 

[Pluie]

Thanks victoria I'll have that discussed with the vet for his next appointment.

Moo has made it past a year old, the lump is indeed growing, sadly, the clock seems to be ticking against my favour.

 

[victoria]

Good luck :hugs: