Torres - HUGE mass in abdomen

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dspch911

dspch911

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2012
Messages
7,963
Location
Chicago, IL
Torres went to the vet today, hubby took him (without me) so things went all wrong again. I really believe he should of been pts and I don't know why that wasn't done. Obviously, for me to say that, you guys know its bad. Brief history, these four boys have had varying degrees of respiratory issues for the past six months or more. About two weeks ago I took them all off their medications since they didn't seem to be getting any better, we wanted to clear their systems and try other options. Hank is doing fine. Hawk is on an experiment drug. Torres and Weston started sounding crappy again about four days ago so I put them back on the zithro. All of them have been on holistics only (except Hawk) for the past week. Torres has been declining and looking blah, lethargic, doesn't move around much, but is still eating/drinking. Last night he really looked worse so I went to pick him up and holy mass - he has a huge hard mass in his abdomen. This thing is about the size of a golf ball or bigger, its basically the size of him. I have no idea where it was hiding because it wasn't there two days ago. Honestly, it feels like a tennis ball. I also got a lot of dark yellow liquid out of his male gland "shafts" next to his winky when I checked for plugs and he had continual urine dripping. Now I told the hubby to tell her all this, but I'm sure he didn't since he wouldn't answer me when asked what she said about that. I wanted an x-ray taken and why that wasn't done also in not completely clear to me. I'm not sure who's decision that was hubby's, vet's, or a combo. I was told she said there is a mass growing off the huge mass, but that is not indicated on the notations sent home. What she did state was - large firm mass in abdomen, concerned its a large tumor. No **** - I suspected that yesterday!!! Not being at the appointment I'm not sure where the breakdown occurred, but I'm not a very happy person right now. Treatment plan - metacam - WHY? He's not a surgical candidate because of his lungs. This thing is huge - why, am I suppose to just pain manage him??? Am I missing something here, would euthanasia not have been called for in this situation. Metacam dose seems way to low too for pain management 1.5mg/ml - he is 549 grams .18 ml once a day - dose should be between .28 and .37 right (thanks Velo)
Any and all suggestions would be welcomed. Thanks
 
It sounds like it might be pressing or attached to his bladder..poor lad. These lurking monsters can show up like that...Whenever I pick up an older rat now and give them a feel over I also palpate the abdomen for lumps. if I find something I watch and wait for symptoms or signs of discomfort. IF your rat acts much happier on metacam, and still has quality of life, you can continue that way until its time to say goodbye. I found a lump in my Dillyman's belly, within a week I had to let him go even though it wasn't that big (marble-sized) when I found it.
 
Alright, so I've re-evaluated the situation today. Not the appointment situation - that still went wrong on all levels and I made that clear today. We will be seeing a different doctor on Saturday. I've re-evaluated his tumor. Its not as big as I thought - probably ping pong ball size or slightly smaller and if it doesn't grow could possibly be pain managed. I will get the x-ray done and re-evaluate. He came out for food and he was cleaned up (urine) when I got home. I gave him the .3 or metacam today so we'll see how that goes.
 
lilspaz68 said:
It sounds like it might be pressing or attached to his bladder..poor lad. These lurking monsters can show up like that...Whenever I pick up an older rat now and give them a feel over I also palpate the abdomen for lumps. if I find something I watch and wait for symptoms or signs of discomfort. IF your rat acts much happier on metacam, and still has quality of life, you can continue that way until its time to say goodbye. I found a lump in my Dillyman's belly, within a week I had to let him go even though it wasn't that big (marble-sized) when I found it.
Click to expand...

That was my thought too that his had something to do with his bladder or infection of his male glands (I was stretching on that one). This thing just came out of nowhere. I have to pick him up to give meds so I know it was only about two days from nothing to this "hello" I'm here.... since daddy does meds too.
 
Torres had his vet appointment today with the other vet. Good/Bad news - we had an ultrasound done instead of an x-ray. It's NOT a tumor, but a fluid filled cyst. The "second" tumor is an enlarged kidney. So far that is the good news. I took the risk and had her aspirate some fluid out of it hoping and praying it would be fluid and not blood. Knowing that if it was blood and it continued to bleed after the needlestick he most likely would die from blood loss. Fluid was clear and yellow - okay, not blood, good news. Now she's afraid its urine - bad news - if it is she's thinks its a swollen ureter. If he doesn't pee its blocked - very bad news. They tried looking/testing what they pulled out, but it was inconclusive. I have an appointment on Monday to completely drain the cyst. However, I am on urine watch for now and so far its been two hours and nothing. He's drinking ensure when I offer it, but no urine yet from him. I don't want to overload him incase he's not peeing. If he doesn't pee I have to take him in to have him pts since there will be nothing they can do for him. Come on Torres pee ....

EDIT: 06/12/16 0136, after about 9 hours (when I left for work) no urine in travel cage. Some tiny red spots, which I'm assuming could be urine drops since there was blood in the fluid they aspirated, but nothing to show me he is urinating. Damn it.
 
Last edited:
jorats said:
Poor little guy. Does the vet think he's in pain?
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He's on metacam. Still haven't witnessed any urine. Mass is hard, but no fluid cyst anymore. He's eating, drinking, and moving around. We have an appointment in three hours and I have no idea what to do. I need to see pee!! I've kept him mostly alone since Saturday (unless I'm sleeping or working) hoping for wet spots, but nothing so far.
 
Torres had a huge prostate tumor. What we thought was a cyst or enlarged ureter was actually his bladder. It did not burst (thank goodness), but urine did drain out of it probably from the needlestick. His ureter/urethra, which should be almost impossible to find in small animals was enlarged and stretched out. His enlarged kidney was also due to the back up from the bladder. No telling how long this process was going on. Since he still had urine in his bladder they tried to push it out. They applied so much pressure that they got to the point the bladder would burst and nothing got through. There was no way he was ever going to pee. Basically he had prostate cancer. It's possible its hereditary, but hopefully it will not be. RIP sweet boy, Mommy and Daddy will miss you along with Hawk, Hank, and Weston. I'm sure Clark was there waiting for his buddy :redbud::sad4:
 

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