How common are tumors in male rats?
- Thread starter fusion200
- Start date
Help Support The Rat Shack Forum:
lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
Mammary tumours can happen as males do have mammary tissue but they aren't anywhere near as common as on females. They can also get malignancies as well...when I see a lump on a male I usually think more towards malignancy. There is no specific type that is prevalent.
Another tumour males can get is PT or pituitary tumour. A tumour of the pituitary gland that presses on the brain and causes some very strange but recognizable symptoms. Originally people thought there was no treatment (there IS no cure though), and then steroids were tried, which reduces the swelling of the tissue and reduces the symptoms for awhile, until the tumour grows too big and the natural progression starts again. There is no bromocriptine or cabergoline (depending on availability and what you can afford) as more of a longer term treatment, although the PT has to be a pituitary prolactinoma (most common type) to work. There are other PT's that do not respond to treatment though.
Another tumour males can get is PT or pituitary tumour. A tumour of the pituitary gland that presses on the brain and causes some very strange but recognizable symptoms. Originally people thought there was no treatment (there IS no cure though), and then steroids were tried, which reduces the swelling of the tissue and reduces the symptoms for awhile, until the tumour grows too big and the natural progression starts again. There is no bromocriptine or cabergoline (depending on availability and what you can afford) as more of a longer term treatment, although the PT has to be a pituitary prolactinoma (most common type) to work. There are other PT's that do not respond to treatment though.
How common are the non-mammary tumors in rats? How common are the cancer tumors?
lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
Depends on your area I find? How bad and careless the backyard breeders and mills are.
We've had 7 males. Jacob and Jonathan died from PT. Gregory had multiple abdominal tumors that required us to have him euthanized. Justin was euthanized due to an inoperable jaw tumor. Dominic, Quilt, and Jenner were tumor free.
So, in our case about 50% of our tiny sample of male fuzzballs had tumors that were directly related to their deaths.
So, in our case about 50% of our tiny sample of male fuzzballs had tumors that were directly related to their deaths.
How old were they when they died/were put down from the tumors?
Carol Weekes
Well-Known Member
Out of the 60 or so rats I've had in the last 14 years, I had seven males who developed either PT (some of which seemed to occur after a surgery for other reasons) or lumps on the body that worsened or seemed to go hand-in-hand with something neurological. They ranged from 17 months to almost 30 months in age. It isn't as common in males, but I agree with Lil'Spaz when she says that there seems to be a malignancy going on somewhere when males develop cancer in most cases (not all cases). When two of my males developed what looked like mammary tumors and/or lumps elsewhere on the body (especially hard, flat tumors, or solid, dark reddish looking ones) they also seemed to have neurological issues at the end, which could also have been PT or the cancer metastasizing into the brain area.
All you can do is try prednisone; it's been said to treat tumors, and I've had some luck with the flax seed/cottage cheese/coriollus versicolor slowing tumor growth as well.
I wish you the best with whatever is going on.
All you can do is try prednisone; it's been said to treat tumors, and I've had some luck with the flax seed/cottage cheese/coriollus versicolor slowing tumor growth as well.
I wish you the best with whatever is going on.
