just before we went on an extended weekend up to aberdeen, (which was shortened due to the 'extreme' *coughcough* weather) i noticed ohka had a lump on the side of her face, at the jaw corner under her ear, i figured it was a benign tumour and thought nothing more about it, figured she'd be fine until we got home after the weekend.

Got home on saturday night, ohka had discharge coming out of her ear, and she was very stinky, bathed it and left her to see if it got worse, having a tumour next to the ear would naturally cause some discharge so didn't get unduly worried. Checked her again sunday and found that the ear had some blood round it due to her scratching. Though she was acting normally we decided to wait till monday to see if it settled down.
On monday night decided that it wasn't getting better, the lump was bigger and she was fiddling with it too much, we phoned the vets on tuesday to get her an appointment.
on tuesday night, i noticed that rolly our boy who lives below the girls hasn't moved his toy chum croc from where jamie put him on top of rollys house (rolly is very particular about where croc gets to sit, and prefers him guarding the food bowl), so i get rolly to come to the door to be checked and he ALSO has a lump, not as bad as ohkas tho.

so today, both lumpybums went to see Dr David, they were both very good! ohka has had some of the fluid drained off, brave pie, and they're both on large doses of Baytril to fend off whatever infection it is causing their problem. If this doesn't work for ohka she'll have to be put down as we can tell it's causing her pain. Rolly should recover as he's healthier, younger and we caught him earlier, now we know what we're looking at.

We're just hoping now that the other 5 girls don't get the same thing! We dunno what's caused it, none of the other currently seem affected and the only way rolly could have the same condition is if it's infectious somehow and living below the girls whatevers infected/caused ohkas problem has fallen into rollys.

Anyway... jist of the story is, don't assume the lumps are merely benign tumours give them a good prodding if you can specially if they're round their face, they shouldn't cause pain if they're normal tumours and should be relatively free moving, cancerous tumours are attached and won't push very far in any direction. We've since checked Crumpet who does have a tumour to make sure it's not the same as the other 2.

It has definately made us reconsider getting any more albinos in the future tho, both of ours have had health problems, that the garden variety colours haven't had either as badly or at all.

anyone else had rats with facial cysts?

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apparently its quite common.....

Im not sure, but i think baytril takes away some proteins in rats, so yuo have to give the some thing else to replace the protein, not sure what its called though...
xox

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Hamters - Millie & Princess.Gerbil-Drexel Mice-Salazar, Chocolate-drop, Snowflake, Monty, The Twins, Odin, Draegen, Cloven. Rat-Walter Goldfish-Orange Horses- Sinbad, Pinkie & Jasper Dogs- Freddie, Charlie, Suzie & Tacco 60+ CockRoaches, 13 Giant african land snails and 22 Stick insects! R.I.P TO ALL MY BABIES OVER RAINBOW BRIDGE <3

this is the first time in what 5/6 years taht i've owned rats that i've encountered this, not noticed anyone else saying anything on it on the fancy rat forum either. cysts and tumours yes, but such bad ones on their face? unusual i'd have thought that 2 rats in cages close to each other get one in the same place at the same time. doesn't sound like a common cyst to me, more of a contagious infection of some kind.

however, baytril is working, both rats have perked up, and rolly has moved croc to his usual guard post over the food bowl.

still having to wash ohka but she's beginning to smell ratty rather than mingy now
Rats aren't supposed to eat a diet rich in protein, as it causes problems, their kidneys can't cope with large amounts of protein, and low fat too or their liver gets upset.

I doubt that the protein loss, if any caused by baytril is significant enough for their diet to be unable compensate. more info on ratty diets on:
Critter City - By Sandra Todd of Allexperts.com

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This is not a game of 'who the fek are you'.

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bit of an update.

Ohka is doing fine, her lumpy face is looking much better and she doesn't stink much at all. though the needle prick area on her lump looks minging it is healing nicely.

Rolly, i'm sure his lump is getting very very gradually bigger, but jamie doesn't agree so we'll see how that goes. He's a good boy and will do his best to eat the baytril off the spoon raw, with much comedy hand shaking, then can't handle anymore, we then roll his fav food, nugs, in the remaining baytril which he then licks off. good rolly

on a bad note! Crumpet who we thought had a tumour under her leg, possibly has the same cyst problem the other 2 have, or cancer. Her lump was growning quickly but not alarmingly fast for me to think it was anything other than just a tumour. However 2 nights ago (she hides from us unless she's ill, she's not a human friendly rat, she's a rats rat) she came over to the bars asking for help, i picked her up (didn't get bitten, a sure sign somethings wrong) and her lump is the size of a walnut already! the skin is discoloured and it's so close to her anus she's having trouble passing waste, but is still managing. must be pretty painful.

Jamie took her to the vets this morning, she's having an op to see what it is, if it's a cyst she gets the same treatment as the others and we get taught how to drain it. if it's cancer she gets put down... this is if she survives tho. she's 2 so not overly old and generally healthy so she should be ok.. fingers crossed.

We find out later today what the verdict is... poor crumps she's not the had the best health ever in her life, at least she's had lots of fun friends should the worst come to the worst!

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mabey you should put her too sleep , if she is having trouble with passing waste.

It would be cruel to let her suffer

Goodluck fingers & paws crossed for you
xx

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My Zoo!
Hamters - Millie & Princess.Gerbil-Drexel Mice-Salazar, Chocolate-drop, Snowflake, Monty, The Twins, Odin, Draegen, Cloven. Rat-Walter Goldfish-Orange Horses- Sinbad, Pinkie & Jasper Dogs- Freddie, Charlie, Suzie & Tacco 60+ CockRoaches, 13 Giant african land snails and 22 Stick insects! R.I.P TO ALL MY BABIES OVER RAINBOW BRIDGE <3

The vets called my OH yesterday to give the verdict, she has a tumour :"(. they've glued her back together without removing it (no point to) and given her back to us. Apparently she should has been passing waste no problems, and until we notice she has problems is quite happy.

We had assumed she had trouble as she is the major culprit for pooing on the top shelf and it's completely clean. however we've now discovered her new poo place. we've given them new floor bedding stuff instead of newspapers and she's found she prefers hiding the evidenceof her not goingin the poo tray, by pooing behind the house and covering it with bedding.

so we have a teeny amount of baytril for her to stop 2ndry infections and will just have to keep an eye on her, which if she stays 'nice' and not her usual bitey recalictrant self it will be easy to spot when she's had enough and needs a trip to rat heaven (also know as the dump) via the rat carriage (formally known as the green wheely bin).

She's very happy tho and instantly wanted out the rat carrier to tell her mates where she's been and show off her new scar lol. She doesn't seem to be in any pain and runsround the cage in her usual manic fashion (looking abit like this> )so can't be too affected! lol. I don't think she has long tho, the dump and all our previous rats beckon.

will be a sad day when she pops but she's had a good life.

__________________
This is not a game of 'who the fek are you'.

Not a single gram of fek shall be given today.