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small red bubble on face

21 17:20:04

Question
QUESTION: hi my rat has a small red bubble like lump on his face where his whiskers are, its a little bigger than a pinhead.  Hes nearly 2 years old and he is fairly happy in himself although he has put on weight recently.  He was treated for an ear infection 6mths ago, but still remains slightly tilted and his eyes still bulge slightly. i was told he would probably always be like this now unless it was a tumor in which case he would worsen, which he hasn't until this lump.  Any help you could give me regarding his health would be extremely helpful. Thanks and kind regards, Michelle

ANSWER: When your rat had his ear infection, was he given steroids?  If not, this is why he still has the tilt.

Also, the vet said if it was a tumor he would get worse, which is true. He is talking about a pituitary tumor that is located in the base of the rats brain. Signs of this are head tilt, walking in circles, spinning when walking, loss of balance, loss of the use of their front paws and cannot grasp food etc...severe weight loss.  It doesnt sound like anything your rat has, so thats good!

As for the red bubble...is there a way to attach a photo here for me? You can attach it at the end of your follow up where it says ATTACH IMAGE.  Its easier if I see it rather than guess what it looks like.  It may be an abscess.   Is he acting ok?

As for his weight gain, I dont usually worry about weight gain in an older rat. This is normal and actually good, rather than seeing him lose weight, which can mean something is wrong. However, if the weight gain is localized to his abdomen, this could also be a sign of problems.  A slight weight gain with the weight distributed all throughout his body means simply he is slowing down and not burning off as many calories as he once did.  



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

cola\' spot
cola' spot  
QUESTION: Hi im just attaching photos of Cola's spot, sorry if its not as clear he wouldn't stay still for it.  He still seems fairly well though i have noticed his fur is slightly greasy and his skin on his back has yellowy orange patches on it, don't know if the that is related or not but thought any extra information i could think of might help in his diagnosis.  Thanks again for all your help in this matter.  Kind regards Michelle.

Answer
Hi again....thanks for getting the photos to me!!   It appears to be a cyst and the skin on his back sounds like buck grease.  Buck grease is yellow to orange and it is waxy in appearance. You can get rid of it by gently brushing him daily with a soft bristle baby brush or bathe him using a soft baby tooth brush and some dish soap that cuts grease. Dont try to get it off all at once or you will cause sores from friction.  It is formed due to over active hormones and over active sebaceous glands and pretty normal, esp in a male that is a bit on the chubby side that cannot properly groom his back.