Possible neck abscess?

[CardboardCastles]

So...Jude had a tiny little pea sized lump on his throat...

On his throat in such a place that I'm nervous to do warm compresses in fear of crushing his little airway...

Called a few of the local vets that will take rats, one says other than warm compress she has no suggestions unless it gets worse and impedes his breathing or eating, another said ignore it it might go away on its own...

To me it looks like Max may have nipped him, there's a tiny spot of fur missing just above the lump, but that could be my eyes playing tricks on me, too.

Should I try to do a warm compress anyway? He doesn't mind me touching it at all, but he's my more skittish boy...He doesn't like to be manhandled when he's out, he comes and cuddles on his own terms.

Suggestions? I'm just worried if its an abscess and it gets any worse that I won't have -time- to get him to a vet. Its placement makes me very nervous.

 

[Rachael]

It might be an abscess or it could be a tumour. My girl had a tumour on her neck which was removed, she then got an abscess there post-op and that didn't affect her breathing. Of course it wasn't good, but the positon didn't make it any worse than any other abscess so I wouldn't worry too much.

 

[xxchelle]

I'd do a warm compress anyways. You don't have to press hard, even if you just gently hold a warm damp cloth over top of it. Don't be worried about hurting him!

 

is it hard? does it move?

 

[Fidget]

You have to do the compresses hon or you won't know if it's something you can heal at home or not. You don't have to put any pressure on a compress, you just need to provide the warmth to attract infection to the surface (have I said that right?) You got to do it tho, even if he doesn't like it. So many of us have squirted saline into body cavities that shouldn't even be there, and even heard our baby squeal & squirm and it killed us to do it. But that's what being a mom is about sometimes. Did your mom ever squirt stuff in your ear and make you hold it in there a while even tho you whined? To save you from a middle ear infection? Did she ever take you to the doctor and let him stick a needle in in you even it if you were scared and it hurt? Same thing.

 

[jorats]

I'm very surprised those vets didn't recommend an antibiotic. You can do the compresses, gently, it may take longer to come to a head or go back to the vet and ask for Baytril or Novotrimel.

 

[CardboardCastles]

My longtime vet doesn't take small animals, he knows me well enough to prescribe antibiotics I've needed for the cats without an office visit, but I don't know if he'd do the same for rats.

I really disliked the vet I took Mishka to, and going there a week's supply of baytril and a week of metacam were $45 a piece! On top of a $130 office visit. (And they wanted to do a $700 x-ray. I didn't even pay $700 when they x-rayed MY arm)

I'm still trying to find a good vet for these guys. I have a friend who has had rats her entire life, she swears by her vet, but its about an hour away...if he's the best I can find, though, an hour might be worth it.

Either way, for today we're doing compresses, because its Sunday. Happy Mother's Day to all you guys! Tomorrow we call Dr. Cobb (my longtime vet) to ask about baytril, and to call a few more small animal vets in the area. Thanks for the advice, I'm definitely going to "man up" and spoil Jude with yogies while I get a warm compress on him for awhile! I just can't stand his little "Let me go!" squeaks. I literally cry

What a sight we'll be, lol.

 

[smilez_n_hugs]

I would avoid yogies in general but especially now on the off chance it might be a tumor as tumors feed off sugar :thumbup:

 

[lilspaz68]

the heat and damp is what draws the infection to the surface.

Did the lump show up very suddenly? It really does sound like an abscess.

 

[sarunia]

Good luck with the abscess!! I've had some success with compresses, but I'd recommend a vet visit just to be safe.

Just be warned: if it should burst/open before you get your rattie to the vet, the puss that comes out is pretty... putrid.

 

[CardboardCastles]

It -was- an abscess. Never got to be larger than a pea. I dunno when it broke, but the lump is gone and its a clean scab (not like a scab over remaining goop, it actually looks amazing and clean and on the way to healing up).

 

[jorats]

Rattie did the job and cleaned it all up nice and clean.