Godmother
Well-Known Member
Good luck with her! Poor sweetie. Just the thought of a spider bite gives me a severe case of the willies. I grew up on the BC lower mainland, and I remember the size of some of those house spiders!
Swollen Face and Lump! Back from vet! (new picture)
- Thread starter KTyne
- Start date
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Ollie
Well-Known Member
If nothing has changed that should be a good sign. 
KTyne
Senior Member
Ugh, I know. When I was younger me and my mom were watching TV at night and thought we saw a mouse run across the floor from under a dresser to behind the couch. Turns out it was a GIANT spider, like, palm sized including legs. I HATE them. >_<
Since nothing has changed for the worse (like the bump getting bigger) I'm assuming it's nothing TOO too bad. Hopefully the vet can spread some light on all of this tomorrow!
Since nothing has changed for the worse (like the bump getting bigger) I'm assuming it's nothing TOO too bad. Hopefully the vet can spread some light on all of this tomorrow!
KTyne
Senior Member
Definitely does! She's back to normal besides that annoying bump on her head!
I can't wait until tomorrow to MAYbe get some answers!
I can't wait until tomorrow to MAYbe get some answers!
mamarat
Well-Known Member
Good luck with your sweetie.
KTyne
Senior Member
So I brought Bijoux in to the vet this afternoon and I left just as baffled as before the appointment!
We went in and the vet came in and I explained the situation to him, so he took her into the back to poke her with a needle to see what was in the lump. He came back a bit later and said that it was a Seroma, or basically a blood filled area but without red blood cells. After explaining that he said that he was going to get one of the techs to dye the blood sample to see if there was bacteria or white blood cells in the blood and if there was either of those then we would treat it as an infection.
A while later he came back again and said that they couldn't find any bacteria in the blood but there was a number of white blood cells which indicated infection and explained that he wanted to put Bijoux under anesthetic and lance the lump to drain it. He told me it'd only take about 5 minutes for the whole procedure so I gave the go ahead and was told to come back a half hour later.
Well, a half hour passed and we came back and were waiting in the waiting room when the vet came out holding a piece of gauze to show us what he'd found.
Not only was the lump filled with blood but he found a decent sized lump of tissue that was about the size of a pencil eraser or a bit bigger. He said it COULD be a clot but normally clots will fall apart when poked/prodded and this was solid and definitely looked like a tumor!
So the vet couldn't spread any light on why this happened or what this lump was; he did offer to send it off to the lab to be analyzed but I figured that it wasn't worth the cost. If the antibiotics don't stop whatever this was from coming back I'll be heading back to the vet anyways and we'll treat it as a tumor, of course.
It's just so strange to me because I keep wracking my brain trying to think what this could be, especially since it popped up in under 2 days (and with the facial swelling!). Also, Bijoux is only 5 months old!
I'm so confused. :?
*edit- When I picked her up after she'd woken up she was shivering and bruxxing like crazy and I know she is hurting but it didn't occur to me until after we'd left to ask for Metacam or some type of pain killer. I feel so bad now. >_<
We went in and the vet came in and I explained the situation to him, so he took her into the back to poke her with a needle to see what was in the lump. He came back a bit later and said that it was a Seroma, or basically a blood filled area but without red blood cells. After explaining that he said that he was going to get one of the techs to dye the blood sample to see if there was bacteria or white blood cells in the blood and if there was either of those then we would treat it as an infection.
A while later he came back again and said that they couldn't find any bacteria in the blood but there was a number of white blood cells which indicated infection and explained that he wanted to put Bijoux under anesthetic and lance the lump to drain it. He told me it'd only take about 5 minutes for the whole procedure so I gave the go ahead and was told to come back a half hour later.
Well, a half hour passed and we came back and were waiting in the waiting room when the vet came out holding a piece of gauze to show us what he'd found.
Not only was the lump filled with blood but he found a decent sized lump of tissue that was about the size of a pencil eraser or a bit bigger. He said it COULD be a clot but normally clots will fall apart when poked/prodded and this was solid and definitely looked like a tumor!
So the vet couldn't spread any light on why this happened or what this lump was; he did offer to send it off to the lab to be analyzed but I figured that it wasn't worth the cost. If the antibiotics don't stop whatever this was from coming back I'll be heading back to the vet anyways and we'll treat it as a tumor, of course.
It's just so strange to me because I keep wracking my brain trying to think what this could be, especially since it popped up in under 2 days (and with the facial swelling!). Also, Bijoux is only 5 months old!
I'm so confused. :?
*edit- When I picked her up after she'd woken up she was shivering and bruxxing like crazy and I know she is hurting but it didn't occur to me until after we'd left to ask for Metacam or some type of pain killer. I feel so bad now. >_<
Dazzle87
Well-Known Member
To me, tumor sounds like the most likely culprit. I'm glad whatever it is is gone, and hope it will not come back. In most cases, finding out what type of tumor you are dealing with doesn't change the treatment, so I don't think I would have sent it for pathology either.
Fingers crossed it doesn't come back!
Fingers crossed it doesn't come back!
Joanne
Well-Known Member
Odd. I hope that she recovers OK with no recurrence.
MomRat
Well-Known Member
If she is showing signs of pain you can treat with infant ibuprofen.
smilez_n_hugs
Senior Member
MomRat said:
I second this.
KTyne
Senior Member
Thanks guys! I really hope it doesn't come back too! It was definitely weird..
Would the dosing for Ibuprofen be on the Rat Guide?
Would the dosing for Ibuprofen be on the Rat Guide?
jorats
Loving rats since 2002.
KTyne
Senior Member
Why thank-you! I think that'll make her feel a lot better! ^_^
Dazzle87
Well-Known Member
Ibuprofen will certainly help, but most vets, if you call and say your pet is showing signs of pain, will just write a prescription and let you come pick it up. It's up to you, but I don't want you to think that having left the office means you can't get metacam or some other prescription pain med.
temblabamomo
Senior Member
I'm glad the procedure went okay, and hope your dear girl recovers quickly and gets back to her normal self. Fingers crossed that this thing doesn't come back.
KTyne
Senior Member
I think I'll try the ibuprofen first and if it doesn't seem to be helping her much I'll call the vet to see about getting pain meds from them. They are supposed to call in 2 days anyways to check up on her so we'll see by then.
I'm REALLY hoping this thing doesn't ever come back, because if she's starting to get tumors this early on in life that isn't a good sign. :'( I mean, she is a pet store rat but still, I hope this was just a freak incident.
I'm REALLY hoping this thing doesn't ever come back, because if she's starting to get tumors this early on in life that isn't a good sign. :'( I mean, she is a pet store rat but still, I hope this was just a freak incident.
Ollie
Well-Known Member
Poor Baby!!! :sad3:
mamarat
Well-Known Member
Your poor sweetie.
