Silly Cera's Bump - Gaping Crater-Hole Pics!

[M0onkist]

Ugh. No idea what's going on... Basically Cera's had a bump where her right whiskers are since maybe two days ago. It doesn't smell, it isn't discolored, she doesn't seem to notice it at all (wiggles her whiskers like normal etc). She doesn't really want me looking inside her mouth, but she doesn't like me checking either side, and from what I've seen all teeth are intact and there's no discoloration inside.

I realize these photos are sort of hit and miss - and with the way she's only a black capped, it sort of distorts the real view of how big or not big the bump is.

Definitely not the clearest - for the record the bump is on the lower side:

We were really not impressed at Mommy's attempts to hold us still:

Finally, Grand-Mommy stepped in and used the camera while I got to scruff her (and the death glares started):

 

[fenshae]

I don't really have anything constructive to add, but I just wanted to say that she has the funniest bug-eyed murderous glare I have seen in a looooong time. That 2nd picture cracked me up.

Here's hoping it's just a little thing. I wonder if rats can bite their lip?

 

[M0onkist]

It's funny, because her idea of 'killing' me (or making good on me scruffing her) is licking my nose and my cheeks and my forehead and my face...

If this is punishment, it's not half-bad! lol

 

[jorats]

LOL Love the second picture. She's got to be the cutest little thing.
The bump, is barely noticeable. And you know for a fact it was not there two days ago? This is something to keep an eye and nose on. (no pun intended) If anything it could be a tooth abscess and I pray to god it is not.

 

[Sharlees rattakisses]

Second picture caption: Air.....cut....off....Too much...... :heart:
VERY cute pix. :cuddle:

 

[jorats]

Second picture caption: Air.....cut....off....Too much...... :heart:

:laugh4:

 

[M0onkist]

LoL, she's fond of making hysterical expressions - or of trying desperately to back herself up out of my hands.

Here's a much better shot of the swelling (such as it is):

Attempted view of the slightly swollen side:

A little bit more:

And the funky-colored tongue part. I can't see any cut, or obvious bruise... so I don't know. And don't worry, she was only in this position for half a second - luckily, my camera's fast!

 

[SQ]

:? vet time .... facial sweelings are frightening
Such a sweet girl, hope everything is ok

 

[Joanne]

I would recommend taking her to the vet's so they can anaesthetize her and really look in her mouth. Do you think her lower incisors are long enough that they are impinging on her palate?

 

[M0onkist]

Lower incisors are fantastically long, Joanne - based on everything I've ever seen (including lower tooth removals), they're a normal length.

Here's a good example of tooth length relative to a rat's head: www.ratshackforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=23363

I got a chance to look more closely at the back teeth (well, the teeth behind the incisors), and there's no gap. Not sure who mentioned it in chat, that it looked like there was a gap between teeth, but I checked and there is none (it was just a sucky camera angle).

Her tongue looks fine now (go figure). I *think* her swelling is going down, or starting to at least. She certainly hasn't turned remotely poofy or sickly, she's bouncing around and causing havoc wherever she can in the cage, all her fur is flat, and no smell at all from her mouth. I have to say, she's a very useful helpmate when it comes to sniffing out infection - she's so busy licking my nose and nostrils she doesn't notice I'm sniffing at her mouth at the same time!

She's also on doxy post-Petrie, and I added Metacam when I noted the swelling. I'm going to make a judgement call tomorrow, based on if there's improvement or not, to take her into Dr. Munn.

 

[lilspaz68]

That's a good plan Patricia...the metacam should really really help that swelling, her teeth look good, her tongue is back to normal...now let's see how she is today?

 

[M0onkist]

I think it's either a little less or pretty much the same - but I got a chance to palpate it, and she didn't care at all - no signs of pain, no flinching, just a very curious look of 'why are you pressing on my whiskers?'

Still no smell at all, just normal sweet rat breath. The gum inside is fine too - it's a bit of a puzzle, isn't it?

 

[M0onkist]

I've still been giving her doxy and metacam, and while the bump *was* looking better for a few days, it seems to have gotten bigger, and now her breath is stinky.

I'm on hold now with the vet clinic to see if I can get her in tomorrow. >.< My poor Cera... but she doesn't seem to notice, she's still bouncing around all over the place, flat fur, happy go lucky (though now it's not so pleasant to have her lick my nose).

 

[M0onkist]

She's with Dr. Munn right now, I'm wwaiting on a verdict if it's an infection of the gum, tooth, or a tumor. I'll know in about an hour. Fingers crossed for my hippie lucky girl...

 

[lilspaz68]

Good luck little Licker. :heart:

 

[Dazzle87]

Good luck! I'm not sure which type of infection is "better" but I hope it is the easiest to treat one.

 

[M0onkist]

Apparently hard cheesy is better than thin and funny... LoL, go figure. No word yet

 

[M0onkist]

We are back!

Well, I guess good news and bad news - good news, it is an abscess, though in an odd spot and not the kind that Dr. Munn felt confident draining - it's right near where the tooth erupts from the gum (rather than being at the root of the tooth as is normal). It is, however, draining a bit, as Dr. Munn found out when he was manipulating around the tooth.

The small downside is that it appears that her upper teeth are awfully weird. If I didn't own a CN, he would ascribe it to bar chewing - basically (and I can try to draw a bit of it and scan it in later) her upper incisors are far thicker than they should be - my guess is double the thickness. Not in terms of width (so looking at her nose to nose they look normal) but from the side. And the way her incisors meet, the uppers got worn in such a way that there was a wee fang-like shape protruding out the back of her tooth.

Okay, I suck at descriptions. Illustrations forthcoming! Dr. Munn did do x-rays (which really showed the problem), and we think that the fang-part of the right side poked the cheek, or just from the general oddness of her teeth infection set in. He also trimmed the fang-parts off, but we aren't discussing removal yet. Gave me metronidazol (or metrodinazol, I never spell it right), and baytril to hit it hard, and she gets double doses of metacam for the next three days, then normal metacam until he sees her again in 2 weeks.

Right now poor Cera is quite swollen on that side, looking rather miserable and yet comfy (in her misery) resting on Nic's cozy boat. I have to say, cozy boats are THE thing to have in a travel cage if you're going to the vet (hope you don't mind the plug, Nic!) - it covers the bottom, but it obviously also has the cube-part, and they can sit on the top if they like or sneak inside for a rest. She's gotten her metacam, and once she wakes up again she'll get as much soft baby-food/Ensure as she wants. She's not really interested in licking anything but Ensure right now, but that I can totally understand.

 

[M0onkist]

Poor darling - she's back in the big cage now with two Cozy Boats (one flat on the level, the other suspended). She's also got water in a dish, and I'm freezing Ensure to make a nice little popsicle for her.

Cera says she feels about as good as she looks:

Ducky has been great to her sister through this - very gentle, not pushy at all:

 

[kscanuck785]

I can't give any advice, but good healing vibes your way!!!