Worried bout my rat Rosie.

My poor Rosie. I took her out of her cage yesterday for her daily exercise and I noticed a really big lump on her side. It's quite soft to touch and moves around but got quite a hard core to it.

She's off to the vets tomorrow to see if they can find out what it is. She'll be 2years old next month and I love her to bits.

 

Female rats are prone to tumours I'm afraid.
However it could be an abcess or cyst.

Does Rosie live alone?

 

My rat had this before and turnt out it was a tumor quite common in rats...your doing right by taking her to the vets they operated on mine to remove it and she was fine just needed lots of TLC

Keep us updated as to how she gets on!! xxx

 

Good luck at the vets

 

Thanks guys. Yeah Rosie lives alone...I did have her sister but despite being in a large 3 tier cage she kept attacking her so seperated them. Rosie much prefers being on her own and we rehomed her sister in the end.

The vets seem to think it's a tumour but the vet doesnt like operating on rodents cos of the risk of anasthetic to such a small animal. Am going to another vet who will operate for me.

at the moment Rosie is eating well and drinking well and the lump really doesnt seem to be bothering her. will definately keep you updated on her.

 

When you say Rosie kept attacking her sister was there actual wounds and blood? Or were they just play fighting?

Fighting can look quite bad but half the time they are just playing, I only ask because for a doe to be aggressive isn't very common at all, and I really can't see Rosie preferring to be alone than in company.

Rats really don't do well when kept alone, they suffer silently

 

There were wounds and some quite nasty ones too.

I owned a few males and they were fine but every time i had females i found they prefered being on their own. Rosie has thrived since being on her own. Rosie loves the company of Bella, my german shepherd, she sits on Bellas nose or snuggles into the fur on Bellas back. I'm always with them when they are together.