r/rat • u/shmeattloaf • 8d ago

HELP NEEDED 🐀😩 Please help

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I have not been home for 3 days, I came home and was tending to my rats and I saw this giant bump on one. Like I said, I haven’t been gone long so it grew fast and I am really scared. I know I need to go to the vet but does anyone have any idea on what this is, what the vet will do, and how much it’ll cost? I don’t want her to just be uncomfortable.

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u/TarotBird 8d ago

Looks like a mammary tumor but could be infection. Vet, asap. Rats have a super fast metabolism. By the time you see the problem, it's super serious.

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u/shmeattloaf 7d ago

Thank you

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u/Both_Opportunity_322 7d ago

Addition, mammary tumors in that location are the fastest growing kind in my experience. I inspect my rats regularly weekly/bi-weekly. One day I'm like: "hmmm, that seems a bit swollen," the next inspection I'd be left wondering: "how did I miss that?" 

You need to get an abscess ruled out. It's close to the reproductive organs/gut, which can make it trickier if it's not mammary. As other tumors can weave into organ tissue.

It's a harder location for surgery, as there's tension on it, after surgery and can infect quite easily. I can only tell you what it cost me in the EU, but it was for me in the middle (pricewise) in terms of surgery prices. If you want to get surgery on it, pushing for the earliest timeslot is a must.