Giant lump under jaw?!

[Maisy Sleigh]

Hello everyone!

I have a 5 & a half month old Dumbo Rat named Enzo. He is the favourite out of all my rats because his personality is just perfect. Anyways, about 3 days ago I noticed a grape sized lump right under his chin. It's pretty firm to the touch and doesn't move with the skin. I tried to search all over the internet of what it could be and I think it's an abscess. Yesturday there was blood in his cage but he wasn't bleeding from anywhere when I realized. I inspected his mouth further & his inner left cheek seems to be swollen. His left bottom tooth is very red around the base and a small white bubble is at the base of the left bottom tooth. Is this another abscess? Now when I put pressure on the lump under his chin a thick whiteish/yellow pus(?) seeps into his mouth. It doesn't seem to hurt him but he does get annoyed when im constantly prodding at his mouth. I decided to dip a Q-tip into a salt water solution and try to rub it into his mouth and On the left side of his mouth.

I don't know what todo! Is it possible that an abscess is actually surronding a tumor? He is still eating and acting perfectly normal. Should I just put him down now before it gets worse? My parents will not pay for a surgery for a 'rat'. My mom did agree to euthinize him if he is suffering but he seems perfectly normal right now. Does it sound like a tooth abscess since it seems to be occuring around his bottom left tooth?

Please help!

Hello! I had the same problem with my boy Casper. To reassure you, rats release red stuff from their nose due to any kind of stress- it’s not blood. It could just be a result of a new smell or argument between his brothers. My boy had an abscess and I was in the same boat a you as I had no job to pay for vets, I ended up having an operation for him for Christmas! However, the lump came back in a different place. I Wouk recommend monitoring him for any sign of distress but if he is still play fighting, eating and not sleeping more than usual then I wouldn’t euthanise him yet.

 

[Lise Patterson]

It could be just an skin abscess, but there could also be a dental problem. Your description of the swelling and pus around his lower tooth does raise suspicion of a dental abscess. These are serious in rats - I've had rats die quite suddenly from an unidentified dental abscess - but they are also often fixable with antibiotic therapy..
The jaw is also a common location for squamous cell tumours, though these are more common in older rats. The Rat Guide provides useful info on these tumours:
https://ratguide.com/health/neoplasia/squamous_cell_carcinoma.php
Bottom line, it's too soon to jump to conclusions. Is there any way you could get a hold of antibiotics for Enzo? I understand that your parents won't pay for surgery, but what about one visit to a rat-savvy vet? (Maybe you could promise to pay them back in the future.) Such a vet would assess the situation and very likely prescribe a broad-spectrum antibiotic - this alone could save Enzo's life if the problem is a dental or skin infection.
I agree with RatGirl that Enzo deserves to live on for now, especially since he's not suffering at present. Rats never live very long, so every day is precious.

 

[Kye]

Just so you're aware this is a post from 2012! I'd recommend setting up your own post to seek help instead of posting on an old one

 

[schpier]

The person concerned is now 12 years older. Hopefully is now living independently and does not depend on inhumane parents.