Need Some Advice

[sausage4ever]

I recently adopted two hairless boys for my 2.5 yr old boy, Eli, but have an issue. Eli has always had problems; when he was 7 months old he snapped off a toenail and it needed to be cut and cauterized. Currently he is being treated for bumblefoot and has previously been treated for myco (who hasn't) but he's getting a lot of lumps. I have had a few checked by the vet, one was checked in June a fatty lump that now seems to be increasing in size, another two that are side by side were checked in August (last week) but the vet said they were in the muscle and shouldn't be a bother. He also has some hair loss but I think that's caused by him (he scratches a lot) and the fact that he's old.

But the real issue is ths buldge I found a while ago. I had thought at first it was his xyphoid process (that triangle thingy where your lungs meet in the middle) but it seems to be gowing but I don't want to grasp it in fear of dislodging the xyphoid process that can cut up your insides, but whatever it is it's big and it hurts (he squeaks when I poke it). I'm positive it's cancer that's how his brother went almost a year ago. I wonder whether to get diagnostic testing or to just sit it out and let him go when it's time. I have the two new boys that I want to introduce to him when their quarantine is up but if he's going to keep getting worse I wonder if it is better to put him down before the introduction or anything (also I'm moving soon). He's already on meds for the bumblefoot and I don't want him to suffer but don't want to murder him either.

He's still running around as if nothings wrong but mommy (me) knows better. I just want to do the best thing for my boy.

 

[jorats]

Your poor boy certainly has his ailments. But still, if he's active, eating and happy... I recently introed my Pascal who is now 40 months old and can't walk to my 4 from New Brunswick. He really enjoys the cuddles with them, he can't follow them up the second shelf but when one or two or three come down to cuddle him, he's a super happy boy.
My advice is to do the intros when ready... let your boy live out his life with you, until you see him in pain. To me, that's the only time to have an animal pts.

 

[sausage4ever]

Thank you very much. I went to see him after writing the post and felt the lump again it seems smaller than it did a second ago, but it may just be his xyphoid, I don't really know the skeletal structure of a rat. I am a big worry wart when it comes to rats but I would really prefer if he stays on board with me and the newbs.

And since I still feel bad about it:
~The only reason I pts his brother was the location of the lump (by his throat and it was the size of two grapes, three weeks after removing it). I figured he's either starve or suffocate within the next month, so even though he seemed happy and healthy the reality was there wasn't much of a future for him.

 

[lilspaz68]

You can gently feel up under the ribcage...you use your fingers and gently knead your way in, you will know whether its a mass or that damn breastbone that makes my heart drop :roll:

If you don't think he's just complaining and there's pain, you could try a diagnostic dosing of pain meds (metacam or ibuprofen, etc) and see if it helps change things for the better for awhile.

 

[Moon]

Glad you mentioned the breastbone, Shelagh.. gets me all the time.

I hope it is nothing serious and that Eli is well.