qualified rat vets in my area

Question
QUESTION: I was reading some of your answers in regards to abscesses in pet rats.  In one of your responses you said that you may be able to recommend a qualified rat vet in certain locations.  I live in Lakewood, CA 90712.  I already have a vet for my rats, but I feel his knowledge of rats is somewhat limited, as he usually treats cats and dogs.  Recently one of my rats developed an abscess under his arm, and I need a qulified rat vet to treat it.  Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you so much for your time.
-Natalie

ANSWER: Hi Natalie

You are SO LUCKY!  The vet below is wonderful. She is beyond awesome and according to Yahoo driving directions she is 21 minutes from your location.  Please tell her that Sandra Todd from Allexperts and Critter City (My website) sent you to her.  I send everyone that is within an hour or two to see her. Heck I am all the way on the East Coast (NC) and would fly with my rats for something serious like surgery if I did not have a good vet here.  


Dr. Tia Greenberg
Westminster Veterinary Group    
6621 Westminster Blvd.
Westminster CA 92683
Phone:    714-899-1100
Website: www.westminsterveterinarygroup.com


Please let me know how it goes should you decide to make an appointment with her.  Good luck!

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

QUESTION: Thank you so much!  I made an appointment with her on Tuesday August 18th, I will let you know how it goes and let her know you reffered me.
Thanks again, me and Rat-O appreciate it :)
-Natalie

ANSWER: Excellent!   Good luck

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


abscess?   QUESTION: I have a question regarding what I believe to be an abscess under my rats arm.  I believe it is an abscess because it popped up out of no where and grew rather quickly, to about the size of a cherry.  I noticed it a week ago, and it has only looked this bad for about 2 days.  Like I said in a previous message, he has an appointment with the vet that you recommended to me on Tuesday.  I was just concerned that the appointment is four days away (it was the earliest she had available).  Last night when I got home from work Rat-O's skin over the abscess looked really raw, and there was a slight amount of blood, kind of like the skin was irritated from being dragged around.  I brought all the rats out to play and Rat-O acted fine, and he is still acting fine this morning.  It's just that I am concerned about the bit of blood and wonder if it will be safe to wait 4 days until the qualified vet can see him on Tuesday.  If not then I have to take Rat-O to the other vet that is not really qualified to treat rats, because I have no where else to take him.  I love him so much and just want to make sure I am doing the right thing.  Any advice would be much appreciated.  Love your website Critter Country by the way :)
-Natalie

Answer
I would not waste my money going to the other vet.

Do you notice pus?  Is the lump getting smaller now that it is bleeding? Abscessed dont really bleed like this unless they are vascular which they arent, so my suspicions say this is a tumor that has abscessed, not an abscess.  It is mammary in nature it seems to be in the prime location where mammary tissue is, which is located almost all over the underside of the rats body (both male and female)

I have seen this many times where someone mistakes a tumor for an abscess because it opens up, but its usually an abscessed tumor.  Not long ago a lady wrote me about her rat that had an abscess that was huge. The vet, who was not a vet for exotics, kept operating on it trying to dig at it but it kept getting larger and infected more and more.  The rat became ill and she wrote me. I took one look at the photo and knew it was not an abscess, but a tumor that had abscessed.

The worst part was, the vet that she was taking her to see was killing her.

She was getting poisoned from the bacteria in the tumor from it being infected so badly.

The exotic vet operated on her, removed the abscessed tumor and put her on strong antibiotics for the nasty infection she had. She recovered perfectly.   

Keep the mass clean and remove the bedding from the cage if possible. Put down white paper towels instead.  You dont want contaminated litter to get in that open wound.  

You can clean it with clear warm water or saline solution, or my favorite, hibicleanse that is diluted.  Put some antibiotic ointment on it too. He may lick it off but thats no biggie. Keep him busy for a few minutes though before he licks it so it can absorb some first.

Also,call the vet your going to see next week and tell them there has been a change and this is a bit of an urgency that he is seen sooner, although I dont think it will hurt if he has to wait as long as things dont get out of hand, which I dont think they will.
Tuesday will be here fast, but if you can get him in on the weekend or Monday that would be better.