HELP: big swollen belly and not eating. Tumors?

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Cricketnbowie

Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2019
Messages
14
Location
Kentucky
Cricket is 2 years and 2 months about. He just recovered from a URI with antibiotics but lost a lot of weight. I’ve been trying to feed him eggs, avocado, brown rice, and chocolate ensues but he won’t touch any of it. He’s so skinny that you can feel his spine but his belly is HUGE...last night he started acting really lethargic. I took him out today and tried feeding him ensure with a syringe but he didn’t want it. I laid him on his back for a picture and he just let me, usually he hates being on his back. The vet can’t see us until Monday, and that was after I called to push it up from the 11th. He saw the vet a couple weeks ago and the vet said they didn’t feel any masses but his tummy feels so hard and lumpy to me
 

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Hard and lumpy could be masses inside the abdomen, or masses inside the digestive system causing blockages, gas, and pain. Him lying on his back is a bad sign. I'm so sorry.

Is he still eating, drinking, pooping and peeing?
You need to keep him comfortable as possible. I assume you don't have Metacam (meloxicam)? Do you have or can you get liquid infant ibuprofen?
 
Hard and lumpy could be masses inside the abdomen, or masses inside the digestive system causing blockages, gas, and pain. Him lying on his back is a bad sign. I'm so sorry.

Is he still eating, drinking, pooping and peeing?
You need to keep him comfortable as possible. I assume you don't have Metacam (meloxicam)? Do you have or can you get liquid infant ibuprofen?

Thank you for responding. He has had changes in his digestive habits for a few months now switching between diarrhea and constipation. The vet didn’t notice any masses about a month ago but it’s hard to miss these changes. He seemed to recover from pneumonia but now it’s back and he collapsed when I let him out for a free roam this morning. He laid on his side breathing hard. We are on the way to the vet but I think it’s just time to say goodbye
 
I'm sorry but yes I think that's best for him. :(

He got better after antibiotics for pneumonia then went downhill fast again. I suppose they could give him more antibiotics but there seems to be more going on. I hope I’m not making the wrong decision. Thank you for your advice
 
Sorry to read this. I know how awful it is. I had the exact same situation with a rat I rescued last year. She had hard lumps in her abdomen. They turned out to be a large cluster of malignant tumours growing inside of her and I had her PTS. It always feels rubbish, but you are makign the right choice. You have to make difficult choices sometimes, but it means your rats don't have to suffer.
 
Sorry to read this. I know how awful it is. I had the exact same situation with a rat I rescued last year. She had hard lumps in her abdomen. They turned out to be a large cluster of malignant tumours growing inside of her and I had her PTS. It always feels rubbish, but you are makign the right choice. You have to make difficult choices sometimes, but it means your rats don't have to suffer.

Thank you. It was hard and I cried all day. This was my first rat loss. He was a beautiful friend that impacted my life more than I ever would have imagined.
 
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