Mammary Cancer Tumour

[tagna]

Okay, this is going to totally sound weird perhaps but I need some info on tumours and more specificially Mammary Cancer. (if this isn't in the right spot, can the mods move it please. Thanks!)

I have a chinchilla that has this and this is VERY rare. So rare, in fact that the "experts" on my own chin forums have NO info on this. So I'm trying to educate myself on this and since I have heard rats can get this I thought I would ask here. Chinchillas very rarely get any tumours and it is VERY VERY rare for them to get cancer. Of course, I'm the lucky owner that has that one chin that has it. There is only one other case of chinchilla cancer on the 4 main chinchila forums and it wasn't this type.

My chin has a large tumour that has grown in size in a very short period of time.

What I am looking for is prognosis. Even though rats and chinchillas are nothing alike I just would like a starting point as I have nothing to go on at this point. I just got the test results today and have to set up xrays and blood work. Then if the xrays are clear, surgery. The vet said that the tumours can spread to the lungs.

I just want to make the best decision but when no one in the chinchilla world has dealt with this I have no idea what the best decistion is.

 

[Moon]

Mammary tumours in rats are most often benign.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammary_tumor

 

[jorats]

Unlike chins, female rats are prone to benign mammary tumours. There really is nothing a rat owner can do to keep them from popping up except for spaying. Spaying reduces the incidences of mammary tumours from 90% to 5% which is why I have all my female rats spayed now and it truly works.
In rats estrogen and fat can contribute to the growth of mammary tumours. There's also been studies that soy can contribute to it as well since it releases estrogen.
When a tumour develops, it's best to have it removed asap... they can grow so large so quick and suck the life right out of the rat.
I'm so sorry you are the one dealing with this in your chin. It's always a kick in the gut when you find a mammary tumour for us rat lovers.
What has your vet recommended? Some people have had a bit of success using Tamoxofin. It seems to shrink the mammary tumour and helps prevent them as well. Once one mammary tumour develops, in rats chances are there will be several more.

 

[tagna]

Thanks for that info. It's unreal that there are no documented cases in the chin world of this. Basically, the vet has said what they would first do is a blood test and xray. My chinchilla would have to be put under for that but I could take her home right after.

If there are any other tumours, they would do do nothing. She said that it can travel to the lungs and that's what they would be mostly looking for. If there are no other tumours, then they would remove the tumour. This tumour is not benign so my concern is that if, in the best case, they could remove it, would it return. I'm not sure if they would want to spay her as it is very dangerous to spay a chinchilla and is usually only done if a chin gets pyometra.

She is currently on a drug called Chloramphenicol but that was before the confirmation of cancer came in and I forgot to ask the vet if I should still give it or not. Needless to say, I was quite shocked that the test came back the way it did.

That is very interesting about the soy as I believe all chin food has soy in it.

So what happens if a rat has a cancerous mammary gland tumour? Does that ever happen or are they always benign? Thanks so much. I really appreciate any info since I have nothing else to go on.

 

[jorats]

They are mostly always benign but some are malignant, even males get this.
Was a biopsy done on the tumour? If so what type of cancer was it? Some recur, some are aggressive while others aren't and that's how you base your decision on.

 

[tagna]

The vet told me that it was a carcinoma but I'm going to call her tomorrow now that I have had a day to think about things. They did a biopsy and the results came in yesterday. It doesn't sound very good as it seems that these type of things keep coming back.

 

[jorats]

Carcinomas are very nasty. It's aggressive, spread fast and invades surrounding tissue.
We've had a few rats with carcinomas, the only time we were able to contain it was when the leg was amputated. All the others simply came back and if we could do it over again, we wouldn't have gone in and had it removed in the first place.
It's a bad thing all around.

 

[tagna]

The more I read about other mammals having these I'm not very hopeful. I really don't think I'm going to bother with the surgery at this time. My plan is to enjoy the next little while with her and then when her behaviour shows me it's time, I'll take her in.

Thank you so much for all this insight. As I said before, there are no cases of tumours in chins and I only know of one other case of cancer. All in all, it's a very bleak future for my girl Hestia. Here she is with her cagemate Loki, Hestia is the one on the right.

and here she is on the left

 

[Moon]

Oh, I didn't realize that it was definitely cancer! I'm so sorry.

 

[jorats]

Such pretty little animals. Are they as social with humans as rats are?

 

[tagna]

They tend to be more of a hands off type of pet. I still love them all the same and all their odd little habits. They bark and females can spray. Boys have their own specialized care, you have to do hair ring checks on the "man parts" every month. I have only girls! The good thing is that they can live to be 20 and, unlike this case, they don't get tumours or cancer normally.

Although they look cute and cuddly, they don't enjoy being handled all that much. I do have a couple of girls that I can handle and they don't mind. They all love to come up to the cage and get scritches though and love coming out for playtime. While they don't want you to touch them, they have no problem using you as a springboard.

All are rescues that I either adopted from a rescue or kijiji. Some have serious trust issues. Hestia and Loki have the most issues as they were passed around a lot before ending up at a rescue and were there for a year.

Here are the rest of my gang:
Calypso, my newest rescue

Pandora, a "free to good home" chin

Hera, a former "breeder" who loves to bark a lot.

Athena, an impulse purchase by someone and was only 6 weeks when I got her

 

[jorats]

They are soooo cute! I wouldn't mind a hands off kind of pet. How wonderful that you rescue these little ones.
One would need to do a lot of research before getting into this pet, I'm sure. But soooo sweet!!!

 

[Moon]

I have heard of some people having extremely personable, cuddly chins. But that's not the norm. I was strongly considering chins before I got back into rats, their longer lifespans sure are a perk!

I love Pandora

 

[tagna]

There is a woman in California that can get her chins to do just about anything. They come when called and she can handle them all quite easily. Some are like that. Most however, aren't that way. Pandora I can handle but she loves to try and eat my watch. Chins love to chew and unlike rats, can't have any plastic in their cages or material other than fleece.


I did notice when I was giving Hestia her meds tonight another much, much smaller "tumour" like bump. I don't think she has much time left but she is still quite active and eating. The vet agreed with my decision and did agree that this was the worst thing she could have been diagnosed with.

 

[smalltowngirl]

They are GORGEOUS! Such cute little faces...sigh. :heart:

 

[mamarat]

They are cuuute. :heart: I'm so sorry about your girl.