Joanne
Well-Known Member
Yay! No tumours is good!
Smidgen: Not sure this is a hernia, see last post pg3
- Thread starter Petunia
- Start date
Help Support The Rat Shack Forum:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/catnapt/7647125430/
does this look about the same as the first photo, or does it look any different to you?
sorry it's not taken from the same angle, the poor girl is tired of my fussing with her butt and doesn't want me to even look at it any more
:giggle:
does this look about the same as the first photo, or does it look any different to you?
sorry it's not taken from the same angle, the poor girl is tired of my fussing with her butt and doesn't want me to even look at it any more
:giggle:
OK I am not so sure the vet is right about this, I got her to relax (Smidgen, not the vet :giggle: ) and felt her all over and to me, it looks like, and it feels like, she has a large mass inside her, on the same side as the "hernia"
It's gotten bigger, is shiny looking, no hair on it, still fairly soft but very swollen looking and dark pink to almost red.
in all ways Smidgen seems fine- eats, drinks, pees, poops but does have trouble sometimes if she hasn't had enough veggies, then I have to kind of lube her up with a bit of KY jelly to help her pass stool, but if this thing keeps getting bigger, it's going to block off her anus completely.
It already is distorting the anatomy in that whole area, her vagina is gaping open and is off to one side.
I will try to get a photo but she is a wiggly girl, so it's not easy. Maybe my neighbor can help me. It might have to be a video, that might work out better.
anyway!
my concerns are:
my vet does not have a ton of experience with tumors and is reluctant, in general, to do surgery on rats (I think she may not have done a spay yet, she does neuters but she's lost more coming out from anesthesia than I think is normal for a good vet, I don't know, I'm not sure how many she's done but I know she had several losses in a row)
so, if she needed surgery, I don't think I've got a vet who can do it, and I don't know, if what I am feeling is really a tumor, it's massive- so I don't know if she could even survive it.
BUT, what on earth do I do if she can't poop anymore?
I feel like I am facing the possibility of having an otherwise healthy rat, I mean, one with no outward signs of illness,
put to sleep.
Is there anything else I can do for her???
It's gotten bigger, is shiny looking, no hair on it, still fairly soft but very swollen looking and dark pink to almost red.
in all ways Smidgen seems fine- eats, drinks, pees, poops but does have trouble sometimes if she hasn't had enough veggies, then I have to kind of lube her up with a bit of KY jelly to help her pass stool, but if this thing keeps getting bigger, it's going to block off her anus completely.
It already is distorting the anatomy in that whole area, her vagina is gaping open and is off to one side.
I will try to get a photo but she is a wiggly girl, so it's not easy. Maybe my neighbor can help me. It might have to be a video, that might work out better.
anyway!
my concerns are:
my vet does not have a ton of experience with tumors and is reluctant, in general, to do surgery on rats (I think she may not have done a spay yet, she does neuters but she's lost more coming out from anesthesia than I think is normal for a good vet, I don't know, I'm not sure how many she's done but I know she had several losses in a row)
so, if she needed surgery, I don't think I've got a vet who can do it, and I don't know, if what I am feeling is really a tumor, it's massive- so I don't know if she could even survive it.
BUT, what on earth do I do if she can't poop anymore?
I feel like I am facing the possibility of having an otherwise healthy rat, I mean, one with no outward signs of illness,
put to sleep.
Is there anything else I can do for her???
Joanne
Well-Known Member
I would recommend seeing if you can find another vet and get a second opinion. You may have to drive a bit to get to them, so you will have to decide how far is too far. It's sad, but I had to euthanize my rattie because of large tumours - she was sweet and bright and happy right up to the end, and it's tough to do if they're not really sick and unhappy, but necessary to prevent suffering that you know is coming soon...
I think that it is important to find a vet that has a better track record with losses if you are considering surgery.
I think that it is important to find a vet that has a better track record with losses if you are considering surgery.
Joanne said:
oh Joanne, I would go to the ends of the earth for my rats, but I do not drive and the person who has generously been taking me places is going back to work and will not be able to drive me around any more, she really doesn't have the time any more to take me to any place that she is not going herself, like the grocery store.
I'm not even sure surgery can be done on her, though, I mean, if the tumor is as extensive as it feels, would a vet open her up knowing they could only get part of it?
I'll call the vet I have and see what she says.
temblabamomo
Senior Member
I second the second opinion, if a vet will hear you out via phone.
mamarat
Well-Known Member
OMG poor baby. Wish I could help.
hopefloats
Not active.
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2010
- Messages
- 8,668
wow that looks like a testicle hanging off her! is it hard? or soft?
hopefloats said:
it's pretty soft, so fortunately she's still able to poop but needs sufficient fluids and fruits and veggies to keep her stools soft enough to pass easily
jorats
Loving rats since 2002.
That's a tumour for sure. It looks exactly like what my sister's girl had. My vet said it was a mammary tumour but it did have suspiscious looking cells.
jorats said:
did they do surgery? I don't think my vet can handle surgery of this sort, so what the heck do I do??
she's still bright, happy, active etc
the idea of having to put her to sleep for eventually not being able to poop is making my head and my heart hurt so bad
Joanne
Well-Known Member
Any luck in trying to get to another vet for a second opinion?
Joanne said:
there is only one other exotics vet in the immediate area who sees rats and they are worse.
I will see if my friend with a car would be willing to take him to Concord, about a half hour away. There's an exotics vet there that is supposed to be very good.
jorats
Loving rats since 2002.
We did do a removal and a spay on Irene.
It's in a spot where you can hold out for a while. My vet said it was easy to remove though.
It's in a spot where you can hold out for a while. My vet said it was easy to remove though.
jorats said:
your vet said it was easy?
oh wow, that would be awesome if it was easy!
mine has never done a spay as far as I know and is very reluctant, at best, to touch any tumour in that general area
and she has a cut off for the age of the rat as well (by her cut off, Smidgen is already too old- she was born in early Feb so she's about 19 mos old)
Smidgen is a chubby girl who looks like she swallowed a foot ball, side ways
I"ve felt her all over and I *think* she has a large mass internally on that same side as the ahem, "hernia"
you can sometime see the bulge when she's stretching out.
I'll try to get photos
Joanne
Well-Known Member
Heck, that's not far at all! Hopefully she'll be up for it...Petunia said:
