Growth on the face....

[CardboardCastles]

So I just peeked in on the girls, I gave them a little bit of pasta and Mishka, my fat girl who is always first for goodies is being really sluggish....and then I saw her poor little face. She's got a bump about the size of a pea on her nose, like smack dab in the middle of it. It is hard to the touch, she doesn't squeak or struggle any when I touch it lightly, so I'm assuming it doesn't hurt her, but just watching her walk around she's going VERY slow compared to how she usually is.

I can't afford a vet visit right now, my vet funds were used up by the cat a few weeks ago...I've been mostly out of work for a month, I almost didn't make rent this month...

Should I just keep an eye on it? Or, since she's a rescue rat, should I return her to the rescue because they can get her proper vet care...

This was like.....the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I'm sick myself at the moment and it seems like its always Mish.

 

[jorats]

I'm guessing it's an abscess... Can you do warm compresses on it and to see if it pop, once it does, it will be easy to keep clean and it should heal nicely.

 

[CardboardCastles]

even though its hard to the touch? I thought it was a scab at first, but there's no broken skin. I'll try to get her to sit still for a warm compress.

 

[jorats]

Almost all the abscesses my rats have had were hard to the touch and no visible scab until a few days into the warm compress treatments.

 

[CardboardCastles]

ok, I just don't know what to expect with absesses >_<


Any tips on how to do a warm compress to the face without freaking Mish out......or should I wrap her up.....

 

[jorats]

I would dip a washcloth in warm water and hold it on the lump while holding Mishka. Hopefully it will pop and then you can use a needleless syringe to flush the open abscess. It could take a couple of days for it to pop.