abcess

Question
QUESTION: My rat, Poppy, broke out with an abscess 2 weeks ago. We cleaned and maintained the sore which we thought was healing fine. Last night we went to doctor it again and noticed it had a mold like appearance growing.I suspect this is gangrene. (His sore is above his belly button and dragging his stomach on his bedding and picking at it keeps his cream from staying on long.)  We have a vet appointment but fear the worst may come before they see him. In your personal experience, should we make it to the vet, is this the end or is it possible he can come back from this? We are prepared to have him put down so he doesn't suffer but hope for the best. I look forward to hearing your reply and thank you in advance. I would like you to know that no matter what you say he will still be checked out by a vet and won't hold it against you should the findings differ from your advice. I trust your words simply because you speak with such compassion on the subject.

ANSWER: Can you take a photo of it?
Is there a black scab or black crusting on the abscess? If so, this is necrotic tissue, not gangrene. Hopefully not, anyhow which is why a photo will help. You can attach it here at the end of your follow up message.
He needs oral antibiotics.  I am also leaning toward this NOT being an abscess, but instead, a tumor that has abscessed.  I have found many rats like this lately and the vet misses it totally, thinking its an abscess, picks at it, it never properly heals, the rat starts to get very sick since the vet was picking at it rather than removing the entire thing and this could be fatal. It doesnt have to be and should not be.
I do not think he should be put down for this if it is indeed what I suspect it to be.  A few months ago someone else wrote to me describing the same thing and when I took one look at it I knew it was a tumor that was abscessed and NOT a tumor.  I sent her to another vet who said the rat would have died if she did not write to me and if she would have waited any longer the rat would have died from sepsis.  I hope this is not the case with your rat, but it sounds like the same scenario as at least 5 other stories of this nature have come in.

If you want to go private, please do so, and let me know the name of your vet so I can check his credentials.  I can also give you a name of another vet if you want to get someone else to take a look at him.


REVISED:

Whoops......forgot to add this:
Also, please remove the litter/bedding and rip up paper towels only, removing them several times a day.  We must keep this wound free from any debris that could be adding to infection. Keep an old soft fleece blanket down too to keep his wound from being irritated. Fleece or an old teeshirt but nothing that shreds, has loose string or anything that will shed off that can get stuck in his wound.


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


abscess?   QUESTION: We've done the bedding thing and moved him to another cage so the other rats will not mess with it. After writing you last night we went in to clean wound again and the green was gone. I know it was there earlier and could not have been anything else because it wouldn't come off when I rubbed the ointment on there. I hope this picture is clear enough. I was working alone holding him and the camera. He doesn't like me so I got bit. :(  We aren't sure about our vet because we're new here and she totally didn't help my pug when we 1st got her. I don't mind changing. Most folks around here have no clue on rats. His new symptom, however, is that the fur is falling off his back and he's getting very skinny. He still eats well though. There was some blood on the towels and if you notice there is also blood coming from his male anatomy.The sore itself has a large hole near the top and has a cauliflower substance in it. I cannot tell if it is hard or soft. There's also a foul smell. The sore itself is hard around the ridges. Hope this helps.

Answer
Oh my.........you need to get him to another vet right away!!  This looks like (from what I can tell) either a tumor or a testicular abscess.  He needs neutered and this needs removed and I mean fast. The blood coming from his penis is a clear indicator this has caused some major infection. I would not go to this other vet again, please. She is killing your rat due to her ignorance of rat care.

Where are you located? I have a database of vets that are either avian/exotic vets or vets with a strong special interest in rat care and exotics and can try to save your little guy. Please write back as soon as you can so I can get these names to you pronto.