how do you diagnose tumor or abscess behind eye?

[temblabamomo]

I ask for Maz because last night I noticed he had a ring of porph around his left eye. I know it could just be stress related. All the same, he's never had it before, and if it continues tomorrow I'll be making an appointment to get him checked out, just to be safe. I'm concerned though because my vet isn't that great, and I'm almost 100% sure she will merely prescribe some sort of opthalmic goop and want to recheck him in 2 weeks. I already have 2 different kinds of goop at home, and if that's all she'll do for him I may as well save us the trip. I read in another thread about various causes, and while I hope he may just be stressed I saw it could also be a tumor or abscess behind the eye.

If we do end up at the vet, I'd just like to have some other suggestions to bring up, instead of settling for "one of his cagemates probably scratched him while play fighting, put this goop in it for 2 weeks and see what happens".

Otherwise he's acting fine, not squinting or keeping the eye closed, eating drinking pooping peeing playing all normal.

 

[lilspaz68]

a tumor or an abscess usually causes severe swelling...yours could be an injury, stress or a illness coming on.

 

[temblabamomo]

I really hope it's just stress. The other boys tussel from time to time, but Maz is usually the one to duck for cover when fighting breaks out so maybe it's not an injury. Bringing a new rat home has got them all worked up, and we've been running the heat like mad with the arrival of cold weather, the rat room is the warmest room in the house and can get pretty dry. I run the humidifier, but I know it's not quite the same as just natural humidity and temperature.

Would it hurt to start putting some of the opthalmic stuff in the eye twice a day? Can't remember the name of it offhand...

 

[jorats]

I've had a few rats develop a ring of porphyrin and there wasn't much of a reason other than stress and then out of the blue it goes away. But be on the look out for other symptoms like swelling and change in behaviour.