Swollen Lymph Nodes

Question
QUESTION: I have two female rats that are approximately 15 months old.  I just recently found a lump on both of them.  On the one (Daisy), it's a small lump near her right front leg.  My brother (who works at a pet store) thinks it's a fat deposit.  However, yesterday, I discovered that my other rat (Honey) has a much bigger lump right behind her left front leg and another, smaller lump on her right front leg.  I had never noticed the lump before, so it must have just recently formed.  We took her to the vet today and the vet (who doesn't specialize in rats) said she thinks it's the lymph nodes.  She said we could do a fine needle aspiration or a biopsy to see what it is.  I think she said it could either be an infection or cancer.  To save some money for now, the vet put her on Baytril for a week to see if that changes anything.  Now, my mom and I are praying that it's only an infection.  Both the rats have also had times when they could not open their one eye(this happens to my cat sometimes, too--that it forms I think an ooze that sticks the eye shut).  In Honey's case (the one with the big lump) the eye that wouldn't open is the same side that I found the lump on.  Given that information, do you think that it is possible that she has an infection, or is there a real possibility that it could be something more serious?

ANSWER: Save your money and dont go back to this vet, ever.  She is clueless.  Your girls probably have mammary tumors. They are NOT CANCEROUS.  Rats RARELY have cancerous mammary tumors but females this age are prone to them. Please refer to my website, sandyscrittercity.com and look up the page about tumors.  I have to laugh that this vet thinks the rat has swollen lymph nodes in the area where mammary tissue is.  Do me a favor and tell her to stop ripping people off and taking money to see their rats.  You just wasted hard earned money by going to a clueless vet that has no business seeing rats.  I hate hearing about these selfish so called professionals that do this to rat owners.  Pleaase let me know your location and I will find a vet that knows what they are doing. Your girls are young enough to have these removed and live happily ever after.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for your response!  I had read that they should be mammary tumors.  We've given her Baytril for almost a week now (she liked it for the first half of the week, now she doesn't want it anymore), and the lumps have neither gotten bigger or smaller.  I live in Huntingdon Valley, Pa.  If you could give me that name of a vet that specializes in small animals, that would be great.

Thanks

Answer
Dr. Leonard Donato
Radnor Veterinary Hospital
112 North Aberdeen Avenue
Wayne PA 19087
Phone:  610-687-1550
Website: www.radnorvet.com

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I do want to let you know that when looking for a vet, you dont want a vet that specializes in small animals, this means simply DOGS and CATS.  The KEY word is a vet that specializes in small mammals.  Also, many will say they are the exotic vet on staff but this in no way means they are exotic certfied. This may mean simply that they have a special interest in exotics. Education and experience with rats is KEY. The vet above is  your best bet.

There are just a small handful of vets that specialize in mammals only, sadly, and we seriously need more. There are just 130 avian/exotic vets in the entire world. Sad, huh?