Mystery problem

[littledevils]

Ok there is generally not much anymore that baffles me anymore after I've fostered hundreds of ratties but every once in a while something really bizarre pops up.

It is so bizarre even my vet is baffled.

I was gone for a week.... Came home to find a lump on Kuno's back. It looked and felt just like an abscess. I started doing hot compresses.

No change for two days but then I wake up to find that the bump is now totally red, inflammed and scabby. And he had a bump on his head and two bumps on his right side.

Since then the bump on his back and the bump on his head have stayed the same in the last two days now but otherwise there are bumps that pop up all over his body and then disappear again usually after 12-24 hours e.g. this morning he probably had about 6 bumps on his right side alone... this evening they are gone. So there's just bumps that pop up and disappear... it's not abscesses though that burst.. the skin looks normal, there's no goo or anything ocming out...

He spent the day at our vet today and he is quite baffled. They did a needle aspiration and ran a cytology pannel etc. so we'll know more soon.

He has a lot of porphyrin but otherwise he's doing ok, he eats like a big as always, pee, poo ok....

Thoughts?

Bump on his head
http://photos.imageevent.com/littledevi ... %20046.jpg

Bump on his back
http://photos.imageevent.com/littledevi ... %20042.jpg

Bump on his head again
http://photos.imageevent.com/littledevi ... _5427a.jpg

Any ideas?

 

[rat.charmer]

Can rats get allergies? Hives? Pimples?

 

[Godmother]

That is bizarre. rat.charmer's idea of an allergic reaction is about the only thing I can imagine. Poor ratty! The lumps on the back look painful.

 

[littledevils]

Yeah allergic reaction is my guess too.. my dog has (or better used to have as he hasn't had any since we switched him to raw over 6 yrs ago) allergic reactions just like that.

The lump on his back looks a bit better today, it's not as red anymore but the color of the skin is getting back to normal.

 

[eagle]

I agree with the allergy suggestion. I could be way off base but any chance it could be some kind of a bug bite. Like I said could be way off base.

 

[ryelle]

non serious: I think he wants to be a unicorn.

back to serious: What could the allergy be from if it is one? I hope the vet has good results from their test, and that little devil will be okay. Ive never seen anything like this before! well, i haven't seen a lot of stuff if i think about it. that poor little guy

 

[theratlady]

what about immune related? which can be linked to allergy in a way esp the inflammation on the back bump. are they itchy?
i would try steroids.

 

[lilspaz68]

Can you pop him on benadryl to see if things improve for your boy? It won't harm and it might help

If not I would say its something systemic. How long has this been going on? Is he on any abs?

 

[littledevils]

My sweet boy lost his battle earlier today. He was starting to go downhill yesterday but he wasn't in distress when I went to bed, he was still eating and came to the door for scritchies.

He must have passed shortly before I woke up this morning as he was still slightly warm.

I'm having a necropsy done to hopefully get some answers. My other 4 boys plus my only foster are doing fine.

 

[SQ]

:sad3:

 

[Debbie]

Oh no!!! Not your dear boy! I'm so so sorry S. :sad3: :sad3:

 

[ryelle]

So sorry littledevils

 

[lilangel]

:sad3: so sorry

 

[mamarat]

I am so sorry. :hugs: Please keep us updated on the results of the necropsy?

 

[littledevils]

Pathology results came back from the needle aspiration.... Very aggressive type of lymphoma... affects all of their lymph nodes and it travels along those channels... then it goes into the abdomen and chest... I noticed that after he came back from the vet that all of the sudden he had problems breathing too but I kinda put it off as stress from going to the vet when you're already not feeling well....

 

[jorats]

:sad3:
I'm so sorry.

 

[Godmother]

I'm sorry. That is awful. Good thing you got a fast response from pathology, so at least you know what it was.

The strange thing is that when I first read your post about bumps coming up suddenly I thought of a friend of mine who once had Hodgkin's lymphoma. She had a big lump come up on her neck overnight. Hard to believe unless you see it happen.

I had never heard of a lymphoma that spreads so fast. Poor little ratty, may he be dancing at the Bridge.

 

[lilspaz68]

I am so very sorry...I am glad you got the results though, if someone else sees this we might have more of a clue.

 

[Dahlas]

I am very sorry....

 

[henry's_mum]

:hugs:
i'm so sorry. At least you got the results back quickly, although i'm not sure if that helps or not...
:sad3: