mass/bruising?

[beachcomber]

Ok so I might be just paranoid, but I'd rather ask about it now and get some feedback.

I just took the girls out for some cuddle time, and when I was handling Bell I felt a firm mass on her left side, just back from her ribcage. Felt solid and movable. She's also got blue/black coloration not directly overall of it, but very close and over some of the lump.....Could this really be a tumor at her age? Could it just be her stomach from being a pig? Her belly has always bee quite bloated, but I thought I felt something similar on her sister too, Neela does not have this though...

The red area on the picture is roughly the size and area I felt it at

 

[jorats]

Oh boy. That's not good and on a baby too. I'd bring her to a vet asap.

 

[lilspaz68]

She's just a baby, I wouldn't even panic over a tumour yet. It could be an abscess, or a bruising from a fall. Does it seem painful when you touch it? Is the darkening part below the lump itself?

I agree with Jo, I would get her to the vet.

 

[jorats]

Aren't these the ones with pinworms too?

 

[lilspaz68]

Can you put up more pics of these babies? from the side and from the top? I don't like the shape of Bell, but it could just be the picture you put up.

 

[xxchelle]

Yes Jo, these are the ones with pinworms. From a breeder.

Can you get a picture of her from above, so I can see her shape?

 

[Nekopan]

If there's bruising, it's most likely just an abscess. They often appear very suddenly. What does it feel like? If it's not attached to the underlying tissue, that's a good thing. I find abscesses usually start out quite squishy and then get very firm and hard.

You probably want to go to the vet, especially if you haven't dealt with an abscess before. Make sure you see an exotic vet, because I've been written off by regular small animal vets before and it was incredibly frustrating.

 

[beachcomber]

I'll be phoning the vet in the morning to make an appointment this week, hopefully it's nothing It's not sore, and the discoloration is above it I think. I'll try and get some pictures tomorrow if i have time. I've just finished dealing with abcesses on 3 of my sheep after a dog attack, this does not feel like an abcess....

 

[Joanne]

Have you been to the vet yet? What did they think?

 

[MMak]

I agree, take her to the vet... could be MC...

 

[smilez_n_hugs]

I agree, take her to the vet... could be MC...

That's what I was worried about as well

 

[xxchelle]

Yup, me too, that's why I asked for a picture of her from above.

 

[beachcomber]

didn't feel anything today...? thinking it was just her stomach being full from after I filled their food dish! Forgot to check if the dicoloration was still there, but whit rats could have different colour skin under their fur eh?

 

[jorats]

No, they should be nice and pink under their white fur.

 

[smilez_n_hugs]

I would think it would still be a good idea to take her to the vet just in case.

 

[MMak]

Have you seen her defecate since seeing her bloated belly and finding the lump?

 

[beachcomber]

Have you seen her defecate since seeing her bloated belly and finding the lump?

Yes, she was pooping before, after and during.

 

[Joanne]

Pooping is good!

 

[beachcomber]

I sent them back after the second smallest was bloated today. I shouldn't have to deal with that, they never should have been sold, and I should have known better than to take them. I don't really care how she comes across now that I've been refunded my money. She sold me those runts without informing me of it before I went to pick them up. If I hadn't asked about the bigger one that was available I never would have known they were stunted. They were also from an "ACCIDENTAL" litter, which is why they aren't on her website. Never BUYING rats again, I'll rescue......I'm already feeling bad about giving up Bell though, she was such a sweatheart :sad3:

 

[xxchelle]

It sounds like maybe megacolon to me... I really hope the breeder properly evaluates them and gets them to a vet...

I can't believe a breeder had an accidental litter... this completely reaffirms my belief that the only good breeders are in the States