Post by Mil on Oct 30, 2011 12:08:23 GMT -5
Transferred from the TRRQ Discussion Board Formerly on Facebook:
Pamela Wylie
Does anyone know much about tumors my rat has a lump near her leg
about 8 months ago
------------
Carol Weekes
A lump can be a number of things; it may be a tumor, or it could be a cyst, or an abcess from a scratch. Rats have much mammary tissue and as they age (around the 18 month mark) they can suddenly sprout a tumor practically overnight.
Most of the time, they are benign and are easily movable beneath the skin, although some benign tumors can feel firmer. More rarely, they can be malignant. In my experience with numerous rat tumors over the years, most are benign. The malignant ones usually look red, hard, can be lumpier, not moved as easily, and grow extremely quickly (such as from pea size to large grape size in a week or less).
The best thing to do is for you to have her examined by a vet; they may take a fine needle aspiration to look at cell matter extracted. See if you can see any kind of a scratch or puncture that may have allowed an abcess to develop. Is there anything like pus coming from the lump?
If it does turn out to be a tumor, there are things you can do to treat it:
1. Have it surgically removed (sometimes they grow back or others develop); if debating surgery, consider the age/health of your rat; rats with myco have a higher risk under general anesthesia.
2. Wait and see how it develops over the next week or so; try a warm compress and see if it 'comes to a head' like a boil. If not, it may be tumor. Sometimes cysts can feel like tumors.
3. Treat with either tamoxifen or lupron, or try some holistic tumor-fighting products like turmeric powder, coriolus versicolor mushroom, flax seed oil and plain yogurt, etc.
I have a 25 month old girl who developed a jelly-bean sized benign tumor behind her front right leg in early September, six months ago. Because she has some occasional light myco, and because she's a nervous rattie, I opted not to operate on her, for fear of the risk of the anesthetic. Usually, in the past I had them removed, but lost a rattie to a surgery, and with others, often the tumors came right back.
Anyway, I've been using daily, the following things:
Turmeric powder (the spice called Curcurmin); about 1/16 of a tsp mixed in with plain organic yogurt and flax seed oil, once to twice daily. About a tsp of yogurt to half that of oil. They love it.
Coriollus versicolor mushroom powder; can be purchased in any health food store; I mix 1/5 of a capsule in with the same of shark cartilage, with soy milk and give it each evening.
I put a drop of colloidal silver in with wet food every few days. I also use a drop of grapefruit seed extract in their water bottle, one week on, one week off. I put a smidgeon of Co-enzyme Q 10 in with the Coriollus mixture each evening (just a wee spot of it, the size of a sesame seed or less).
I feed them lots of red grapes, steamed kale, brown rice, fresh fruits and veg.
After six months, the tumor is no larger than a walnut. Usually, without these products (didn't know about them until this past year when I started researching more) after six months a jelly-bean sized tumor would have grown to the size of a small apple, or larger.
All of the above products are reputed to either slow the growth considerably, stop the growth, or shrink the tumor. They stop angiogenesis (the formation of blood vessels that feed tumors) and also boost the immune system.
I encourage you to read up on these yourself and make your own decisions. I am not a vet; just a rat lover who has looked for alternative treatment methods for these blasted tumors.
I wish you the best of luck; let us know how it goes.
about 8 months ago
---------
Pamela Wylie
Thank you so much for all your information, my girl zoey is about 18 months and it was a mammory tumor the size of a walnut. and i had it removed on monday and she died, when i brought her an hour later, she was overweight and had myco earlier in her life, i feel so bad about putting her through that.thank you for all your information i will use all of your suggestions with my future rats. she was my first rat. i didnt know what to do.
about 8 months ago
-------------
Carol Weekes
I'm so sorry, Pamela. As badly as you feel, please realize that you were doing your best to try and help her. There is always a risk to surgery. I had the same thing happen to a girl of mine several years ago, my sweet girl Pip. She had two tumors the size of small walnuts on her; one at the throat, one behind the front leg; I'd had tumors removed before, always successful, so had no reason to believe I wouldn't be bringing her home, fine, a couple of hours later. Perhaps it was shock that did it, or waking up in pain, then shock...but she woke up, and succumbed ten minutes later. Getting that call from the vet was one of the most upsetting moments of my life, and I felt terribly guilty.
The vet tech sat me down and said 'Listen, Carol; you do everything for your rats. You were trying to help her. She knows this". She'd had a tiny bit of myco too.
It's the reason I won't bring my Jackie in for surgery for her walnut-sized tumor. The vet tried twisting my arm last week when I had her in for a checkup and more doxy, and I said 'No. I won't, not when she has some on-again, off-again myco'. I told him about my rat Pip and what had happened to her. And the vet admitted that the only rats he's done surgery on haven't had myco. He says 'Her lungs sound clear right now'. I said 'sure they do; she doesn't make constant myco noise. It's on an off. That's irrelevent'.
Anyway; we never know. We can bring in a rat who has no myco, and have the same thing happen.
Your sweet Zoey knows you were doing your best for her. She is free in Spirit, myco and tumor free, and knows how much you love her. We never know. We just do our best at the time, out of the goodness of our heart.
Many blessings to you at this difficult time. Your rattie was well loved. Always remember that.
about 8 months ago
---------------
Pamela Wylie
i wouldnt operate on your rattie, mine was nervous to.
about 8 months ago
-------------
Pamela Wylie
thank you so much for all your kind words. let me know how your jackie is doing...
about 8 months ago
------------
Carol Weekes
Thanks, Pamela. I doubt I'll be removing Jackie's tumor; it's just 'there'; it isn't bothering her in any way. If things were to suddenly change I'd have to reconsider, but I'd rather just leave a small, non-bothersome tumor and let her live a good long life. I'll not risk a surgery just for the sake of a surgery because the vet is trot-happy to try to remove it; it's not his pet to lose.
Be well. Sleep well. Your Zoey is fine and always with you.
about 8 months ago
--------------
Pamela Wylie
Hi, carol i was thinking about getting another rat and i need help indroducing them any good suggestions
my female is about 4 months now, i tried to indroduce her to zoey and she never accepted her. I had zoey for over a year when i got pepper, and zoey was very agressive. but i dont want pepper to live alone like zoey did. thanks again pam
about 8 months ago
------------
Carol Weekes
I'm assuming that they've become more acclimatized to each other by now? You can try:
- introducing them in a dry bathtub; it provides a big open place where they can easily be 'scooped' up if aggression starts; put a few toys in for them to play with and allow them to sniff each other
- put their cages side by side where they can see/sniff each other, but not enough to bite...allow time to take care of the rest. Hope this helps.
about 6 months ago
Pamela Wylie
Does anyone know much about tumors my rat has a lump near her leg
about 8 months ago
------------
Carol Weekes
A lump can be a number of things; it may be a tumor, or it could be a cyst, or an abcess from a scratch. Rats have much mammary tissue and as they age (around the 18 month mark) they can suddenly sprout a tumor practically overnight.
Most of the time, they are benign and are easily movable beneath the skin, although some benign tumors can feel firmer. More rarely, they can be malignant. In my experience with numerous rat tumors over the years, most are benign. The malignant ones usually look red, hard, can be lumpier, not moved as easily, and grow extremely quickly (such as from pea size to large grape size in a week or less).
The best thing to do is for you to have her examined by a vet; they may take a fine needle aspiration to look at cell matter extracted. See if you can see any kind of a scratch or puncture that may have allowed an abcess to develop. Is there anything like pus coming from the lump?
If it does turn out to be a tumor, there are things you can do to treat it:
1. Have it surgically removed (sometimes they grow back or others develop); if debating surgery, consider the age/health of your rat; rats with myco have a higher risk under general anesthesia.
2. Wait and see how it develops over the next week or so; try a warm compress and see if it 'comes to a head' like a boil. If not, it may be tumor. Sometimes cysts can feel like tumors.
3. Treat with either tamoxifen or lupron, or try some holistic tumor-fighting products like turmeric powder, coriolus versicolor mushroom, flax seed oil and plain yogurt, etc.
I have a 25 month old girl who developed a jelly-bean sized benign tumor behind her front right leg in early September, six months ago. Because she has some occasional light myco, and because she's a nervous rattie, I opted not to operate on her, for fear of the risk of the anesthetic. Usually, in the past I had them removed, but lost a rattie to a surgery, and with others, often the tumors came right back.
Anyway, I've been using daily, the following things:
Turmeric powder (the spice called Curcurmin); about 1/16 of a tsp mixed in with plain organic yogurt and flax seed oil, once to twice daily. About a tsp of yogurt to half that of oil. They love it.
Coriollus versicolor mushroom powder; can be purchased in any health food store; I mix 1/5 of a capsule in with the same of shark cartilage, with soy milk and give it each evening.
I put a drop of colloidal silver in with wet food every few days. I also use a drop of grapefruit seed extract in their water bottle, one week on, one week off. I put a smidgeon of Co-enzyme Q 10 in with the Coriollus mixture each evening (just a wee spot of it, the size of a sesame seed or less).
I feed them lots of red grapes, steamed kale, brown rice, fresh fruits and veg.
After six months, the tumor is no larger than a walnut. Usually, without these products (didn't know about them until this past year when I started researching more) after six months a jelly-bean sized tumor would have grown to the size of a small apple, or larger.
All of the above products are reputed to either slow the growth considerably, stop the growth, or shrink the tumor. They stop angiogenesis (the formation of blood vessels that feed tumors) and also boost the immune system.
I encourage you to read up on these yourself and make your own decisions. I am not a vet; just a rat lover who has looked for alternative treatment methods for these blasted tumors.
I wish you the best of luck; let us know how it goes.
about 8 months ago
---------
Pamela Wylie
Thank you so much for all your information, my girl zoey is about 18 months and it was a mammory tumor the size of a walnut. and i had it removed on monday and she died, when i brought her an hour later, she was overweight and had myco earlier in her life, i feel so bad about putting her through that.thank you for all your information i will use all of your suggestions with my future rats. she was my first rat. i didnt know what to do.
about 8 months ago
-------------
Carol Weekes
I'm so sorry, Pamela. As badly as you feel, please realize that you were doing your best to try and help her. There is always a risk to surgery. I had the same thing happen to a girl of mine several years ago, my sweet girl Pip. She had two tumors the size of small walnuts on her; one at the throat, one behind the front leg; I'd had tumors removed before, always successful, so had no reason to believe I wouldn't be bringing her home, fine, a couple of hours later. Perhaps it was shock that did it, or waking up in pain, then shock...but she woke up, and succumbed ten minutes later. Getting that call from the vet was one of the most upsetting moments of my life, and I felt terribly guilty.
The vet tech sat me down and said 'Listen, Carol; you do everything for your rats. You were trying to help her. She knows this". She'd had a tiny bit of myco too.
It's the reason I won't bring my Jackie in for surgery for her walnut-sized tumor. The vet tried twisting my arm last week when I had her in for a checkup and more doxy, and I said 'No. I won't, not when she has some on-again, off-again myco'. I told him about my rat Pip and what had happened to her. And the vet admitted that the only rats he's done surgery on haven't had myco. He says 'Her lungs sound clear right now'. I said 'sure they do; she doesn't make constant myco noise. It's on an off. That's irrelevent'.
Anyway; we never know. We can bring in a rat who has no myco, and have the same thing happen.
Your sweet Zoey knows you were doing your best for her. She is free in Spirit, myco and tumor free, and knows how much you love her. We never know. We just do our best at the time, out of the goodness of our heart.
Many blessings to you at this difficult time. Your rattie was well loved. Always remember that.
about 8 months ago
---------------
Pamela Wylie
i wouldnt operate on your rattie, mine was nervous to.
about 8 months ago
-------------
Pamela Wylie
thank you so much for all your kind words. let me know how your jackie is doing...
about 8 months ago
------------
Carol Weekes
Thanks, Pamela. I doubt I'll be removing Jackie's tumor; it's just 'there'; it isn't bothering her in any way. If things were to suddenly change I'd have to reconsider, but I'd rather just leave a small, non-bothersome tumor and let her live a good long life. I'll not risk a surgery just for the sake of a surgery because the vet is trot-happy to try to remove it; it's not his pet to lose.
Be well. Sleep well. Your Zoey is fine and always with you.
about 8 months ago
--------------
Pamela Wylie
Hi, carol i was thinking about getting another rat and i need help indroducing them any good suggestions
my female is about 4 months now, i tried to indroduce her to zoey and she never accepted her. I had zoey for over a year when i got pepper, and zoey was very agressive. but i dont want pepper to live alone like zoey did. thanks again pam
about 8 months ago
------------
Carol Weekes
I'm assuming that they've become more acclimatized to each other by now? You can try:
- introducing them in a dry bathtub; it provides a big open place where they can easily be 'scooped' up if aggression starts; put a few toys in for them to play with and allow them to sniff each other
- put their cages side by side where they can see/sniff each other, but not enough to bite...allow time to take care of the rest. Hope this helps.
about 6 months ago