Fast growing lump on neck

[DarkBlade]

Hi guys,

Been quite some time! X)

Anyhow, I went to visit my mom this week-end and when i came back, my little 8 weeks old female Boo had a lump under her chin on her right side. It's growling very fast and wasn't there when I left so from my point of view, it must be a darn abscess. In 12 hours, it grown double size. It's not black or anything yet. I just see her fur normally but elevated because of the bump. I had such a bad experience with Yuki last time. I'm gonna beg the vet to squeeze me somewhere quick for an appointment in 2 hours when they open. Can't sleep since 5 AM, a sick rat makes me so nervous. X_X I had a nightmare. But enyways, the lump seems hard and I'm starting to notice some discomfort in Boo, which she didin't show when I went to sleep. She keeps grooming her face, her eyes are all gummy / crusty so she has trouble opening them. She refuses to let me try to check her mouth but when she yawned, I think I saw some changes in her lower incisions. Ohh I hope they aren't crooked. Her teeth has always been white. I know it's a sign of sickness. Dunno. What should I do in the meantime? I so don't want her to land like Yuki with a hole in her face and having to remove one of her tooth.

http://simpsons87.deviantart.com/art/Bo ... -157711212 - Pic from right before the week-end, lump side.

I have yet to take a pic of her now but the lump is.. maybe 50% of a peanut size. *cries*

Thanks in advance

 

[jorats]

Oh boy... I do hope it's not due to any teeth. It could very well be an abscess from rough play. Hopefully your vet will be able to clear it all up.

 

[SQ]

Hopefully it is an abscess and it has not yet gotten into the gum etc.
Hope you get her into a vet very soon to determine what it is, if she needs antibiotics, etc.

 

[DarkBlade]

The fastest appointment I could get was Wednesday at 6:50 pm. I so hope it doesn't screw up her teeth before then! :cry4:

Anything I can do to help it not spread or something by then?

 

[jorats]

You could try to use a warm compress on it, bring it to a head on the outside.

 

[DarkBlade]

Oh good thing. This morning, the bump didin't seem to have grown. Its starting to turn dark, slowly but it is. The bump is still hard though. Vet tomorrow! Hang on, ****oo! :dance:

 

[Rattus]

If its starting to turn black on the bump it may be an abcess, I hope that it is! one of my boys had a HUGE bump near his genitals and then it got this huge patchy black spot in the middle and I was able to soften it and rip it off.. it was so gross :sick2:

 

[DarkBlade]

Well, it didin't grew more but it didint turn black either except a small spot. We'll see what the vet has to say tonight.

 

[jorats]

A small dark spot is usually the spot where you'll want to compress to get the pus out.
Your vet should be able to clean it out well enough.
How did it go?

 

[DarkBlade]

Sorry for the very late update. I went to the vet 2 times I think since then. The lower incisor on the lump side completely disappeared. The vet checked and thinks it may have broken off... The lump never turned black too. It's still there and hard and the tooth never grew back like the vet expected. So, next Wednesday, we're going back for another check. I can see the lump inside her mouth, it's just like a big mound of red flesh. It didn't grew... Baytril didn't work that well. But, it cannot be a cancer or a tumor since it grew in a matter of 4-5 days, right?

Also, I tried but me and my boyfriend are so unable to trim her upper incisor as they grow by curling inside her mouth. Can't seem to get a hang of it. Are they gonna continue growing like this forever? If we still can't manage to cut them... I wonder what we're gonna do. Can't go to the vet every week! :thud:

I managed to get a pic. It was hard work with that little horror of a freaking out rat child. X) I'll post it tonight as I don't have it here.

 

[jorats]

It sounds like a nasty abscess. Is your vet experienced with rats? If he's able to, perhaps ask to have the teeth removed as well as cleaning out the lump?

 

[mamarat]

In my experience a tumor can grow that fast, sorry. If you can't trim her teeth the vet might be able to cut them right to the gums. But I've had to take a rat in every 15 days for a trim.

 

[LA]

My vet gives me a deal for continually trimming Erin's teeth. We have issues with her mouth as well. Finally it seems to have calmed down now but her teeth need trimming often. Erin is too quick and strong for us to do it ourselves.

 

[DarkBlade]

Yeah it's the same vet I've been with for nearly a year now. It's where Lindsayfawn goes too if I'm not mistaken.

I'll talk to my vet about the tumor possiblity. She thought that Boo got into a fight or something for food and her teeth broke and it caused her gum to swollen. She decided to leave it be for now to see if it was gonna go away. Seems not and the teeth never grew back too so he wouldn't need to remove it. I think I'm just gonna ask her to clean out the lump but a surgery in the mouth. Gah, I hate mouth problems. A surgery there is quite delicate. X_X

I think I'll ask for a continuous teeth trimming too. I'd rather make sure it's trimmed often than take the risk of finding her teeth are too long at the wrong moment and have to wait for an appointment to find out it pierced her by that time.

 

[SQ]

Hope the vet is able to remove the lump.

 

[Rachael]

Do you have any pics?

 

[DarkBlade]

Yes I have a pic finally! And a high-quality one X) I noticed her missing lower incisor... seems to have regrown but as flesh? How is that possible? What is going on anic:

Also, her teeth always been white. That's a sign of illness if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Rachael]

Yeah the teeth are not the right colour. Poor girl...

 

[Cigar]

I read here on RS (viewtopic.php?f=26&t=1216&hilit=white+teeth) that white teeth can be associated with abnormalities of liver or kidney function I believe. Don't freak though, it's not uncommon and there's also a theory that the color is inherited. Both are entirely possible and my vet agreed.
My boy has white, brittle, uneven teeth from hell and it's so funny.. his right lower broke and never grew back either except for flesh and my vet and I chalked it up to nothing because no infection came from it. When he took a 2 week vacation I went through a similar lump on Puzzle's neck. viewtopic.php?f=20&t=13084&start=15

It left a big hole that healed nicely and he hasn't had problems with it since. I hope that your kid patches up easily. <3

 

[mamarat]

Wow Cigar, I remember your sweetie. It sure gives us hope that little Boo will recover. Fingers crossed!!