Tumour?

[Argent]

I've just noticed a large squishy lump on Hugo's hip...with it being soft I'm guessing it's a tumour, right? Abscesses are hard..and he doesn't have any bite marks. In fact, for a while I've thought his back end looks a funny shape, but put it down to him losing weight with age etc. He's 2 years 4 months old now and I don't know if I want to risk him going through surgery to have it removed. It's about the size of a smallish strawberry at the moment, and doesn't seem to be bothering him though he does look quite simply old, skinny and run-down these days.

I've ordered some Senior-Aid, which apparently has some amazing results in older ratties, though I'm fearing it'll be too little too late. I have no intention of giving up on him, I'm just torn between operating, and letting him live out his life with that tumour...I'm hoping if I start giving him and Mako some extras to build them up, they'll thrive and stay happy and comfortable longer. Mako has become a bit of a bag of bones too, though he's a lot more active and interested thanks to the younger boys keeping their spirits up.

Anyone have any tips on keeping oldies well fed without putting extra fat into them? I don't want their kidneys to take a beating with too high protein. I'm considering simply porridge and maybe some soaked chickpeas, couscous and such.

 

[SQ]

Lab blocks made it mush by soaking in cool water, then add a bit of olive oiol.
Baby cereal mixed up with soy infant formula.

Get the vet to check him out.
The vet can give you information as to if it is an abcess or a tumour and if removal would be a good option.

 

[jorats]

It's a hard decision and being that old and he's already losing weight, it's probably best to just keep him happy.
I usually give baby food and Ensure for my oldies and sick guys.

 

[Argent]

I've been tempted to take him to my home vets and ask for 3-4 weeks of meds to give him a chance to build his strength up, clear his snufflyness then assess whether or not he'd be strong enough to survive surgery. I'll just keep him fed and happy for now though, he's still perky and willful.

 

[lilspaz68]

I doubt the tumor will affect his life/life span. I personally would leave it, since he may not survive the surgery or recover very slowly from it.

I like baby cereal and Ensure for a supplement for my oldies.

What is SeniorAid?

 

[Argent]

It's mainly used on cats and dogs, but it's a liquid supplement that helps with oldies joints, and it's full of vitamins and minerals too.
People here in the UK have seen a real difference in their oldies when using it.

http://www.ratwarehouse.com/shop_detail ... 362&cat=11

Will buy some Complan and porridge/baby foods tomorrow, we don't have Ensure here

 

[lilspaz68]

How much is that bottle in Canadian? How much do you think it would cost to ship here?

 

[Argent]

It's pricey here tbh...in Canadian dollars it's $16-17 but that's with postage here...I'm not sure if they ship worldwide, but I reckon it'd be rather pricey, around $20-30 maybe altogether. You could send them an email and ask, they have very good customer service so you should get a fast reply