abdominal mass, advice or experiences?

[temblabamomo]

This morning I took my 2 1/2 year old boy, Barnaby, in to get his foot checked out, he's had a bumble for a week or so now and I was concerned about infection and the like. Long story short - during her examination of my rat, the vet said his abdomen felt odd, and while he's a chunky monkey she thought this was something other than just a fat tummy. An x-ray showed a large mass growing in his abdomen. I can't believe how big it has gotten without me knowing about it, but again, he's always been kind of tubby and felt no different to me than some of my other older boys have felt. So this x-ray basically looks like he's eaten a ping-pong ball. At his age, the vet said she did not feel he was a good candidate for surgery. At the time, I was too upset to argue and was inclined to agree.

However. I have never had any experience with tumors or unidentifiable masses. Barnaby lost hind leg function very suddenly a couple of months ago, at the time everyone sort of agreed that he and his cagemate must have tussled and he had a bad fall, because beforehand he hadn't shown any signs of weakness back there. Steroids helped a bit, and he gets around pretty well, although he's rather awkward. The vet said this mass could be pressing against a nerve, but she doesn't know if it is what caused the sudden hind leg weakness or not. For the moment, it is not pressing against his heart or lungs, and they are functioning just fine. Her main concern was if this thing grows more and presses against his intestines. She said there wasn't much to do for him except keep him comfortable and make sure he keeps passing stools, and that when he stops, or if he won't eat or shows any other sign of distress, it will be time to have him put to sleep.

Should I have asked for a biopsy or something? At the rate my boy has been slowing down these past two weeks, I estimate he won't be with me much longer because of this mass growing inside him. I thought maybe it was just age and those clumsy back legs that had him being less than his usual active self, but how am I to know if it's actually a result of this thing in his abdomen or not? Aside from being old and chubby, he's always been pretty healthy. I have questioned my vet's ability to care for rats before, she is not a certified exotic vet but their clinic is the only one around that treats exotics, and for the most part they do an okay job. I'm just worried she didn't want to try surgery because she may be inexperienced with this sort of thing. Am I doing right to just agree with her? Or should I talk to her some more about surgery? I just don't know what I should expect right now.

 

[smilez_n_hugs]

If it's an internal mass which by the sounds of it, it is then surgery isn't usually an option. Your best bet is to keep your boy on a low sugar diet to slow down the growth of the tumor as much as possible and keep him comfortable until he makes it clear to you that he isn't enjoying life anymore or is in pain.

 

[temblabamomo]

If it's an internal mass which by the sounds of it, it is then surgery isn't usually an option. Your best bet is to keep your boy on a low sugar diet to slow down the growth of the tumor as much as possible and keep him comfortable until he makes it clear to you that he isn't enjoying life anymore or is in pain.

I sort of feared that. I just wanted a little peace of mind I guess. If I were learn a few months from now that this was a totally treatable thing I'd feel pretty awful. But I reckon for now I'll just keep him comfy and happy for as long as he's willing to stick around. Thanks.

 

[SQ]

If the mass is on the surface surgery asap is a good option.
If the tumour is deep, sugery may be beneficial.
If the tumour is deep and attached to any organs, surgery is not an option.
Usually by the time an abdominal mass can be seen, it is too late.
A good rat vet will be able to examine your rattie, give you info and make recomendations.

 

[temblabamomo]

If the mass is on the surface surgery asap is a good option.
If the tumour is deep, sugery may be beneficial.
If the tumour is deep andattached to any organs, surgery is not an option.
Usually by the time an abdominal mass can be seen, it is too late.
A good rat vet will be able to examine your rattie, give you info and make recomendations.

This is definitely a deep, internal tumor. The only thing in question seemed to be which organ it is growing off of. He seems pretty comfortable for the time being. I just hope I will be able to tell when it starts to bother him to a point where it would be unfair to keep him alive, ya know?

 

[jorats]

It sounds like you have a very good vet. I'm really sorry your little one has this. It's truly heart breaking. My sweet Ness had something similar.

 

[mamarat]

I'm sorry for your poor boy. I too had a few with inoperable internal masses. But you will be able to tell when he is in pain although I'm sure his age is also slowing him down. Good luck with your sweetie.

 

[Moon]

Oh god, I am so sorry. These things are so sad. But those deep tumours that are in the way of all those organs are usually not good options for surgery, as said previously One my best girls, Lucille had an internal mass that attacked her bowel and it was so taxing and upsetting to watch her go through. Keep him happy and healthy as long as you can. At this point, he gets whatever he wants when he wants, and enjoy every minute of it. You will know when it's bothering him, absolutely.