1 1/2 yr old female rat w/ large tumor

Question
Hi,

I am a happy owner of 10 rats and have just recently lost a rat, Baby, to a tumor that split open and she had to be put to sleep. A month or so before that, she had given birth to 6 rats & i think that might have caused her tumor split but i dont really know. My oldest rat, Kitty is a little over a year and a half and has had a tumor on her stomach for about half a year now (i think...). Her tunor has slowly grown over the past 6 months while Babies tumor grew large in just 2 or 3 months. So i am thinking that Kittys tumor is different, but im not sure? Just some basic info to help with my next questions. Kitty lives by herself ( her other cage mates died & she dislikes the new babies lol) & she is a very healthy rat. Her tumor does not slow her down at all and she usually pays no mind to it. She wasnt spayed, she is rex and was bought from a petstore, that now that i look back had very bad living conditions for rats. So here are my questions:

1. Kittys tumor is about the size of her stomach now and has very little fur left on it. The tumor is so large now that its stretching the skin uder her left arm when ever she stands. I am afraid if she moves to much, it might rip or something like the last rat. Is this normal for a tumor? And could it rip the skin near her arm?

2. Kitty is an old rat at 1 1/2 years but she is very healthy and energetic even with her tumor. I have scheduled an appointment with a rat specialist to look at her tumor and estimate the costs & risks to remove it, but im afraid it might be to late. Im wondering if the surgery will even be worth it?

3. Also people keep telling me that i really shouldnt bother with the surgery because she could just die during the surgery. Is this true?

4. Kitty has just recently started leaning her head up against the corners of the cage while she lays down and it looks like she has trouble breathing.She has never slept like this before. My old rat did this as well, just weeks before she had to be put down. Is this a sign of anything? Her breathimg has also become more irregular in the past weeks.

5. I know i will be able to ask the vet most of these questions, but i am hoping to get an answer sooner because she is getting worse every day. If i do go through with the surgery and Kitty makes it through, do you know the average life expectancy of a rat that undergoes a surgey at nealy two years?

Thank you so much for your time and answers. I have more questions about another one of my male rats but i will ask that in another question because of length. lol. Thanks again.

Answer
1. Kittys tumor is about the size of her stomach now and has very little fur left on it. The tumor is so large now that its stretching the skin uder her left arm when ever she stands. I am afraid if she moves to much, it might rip or something like the last rat. Is this normal for a tumor? And could it rip the skin near her arm?

Yes, this could cause damage to her skin and become infected.  It needs removed ASAP!

2. Kitty is an old rat at 1 1/2 years but she is very healthy and energetic even with her tumor. I have scheduled an appointment with a rat specialist to look at her tumor and estimate the costs & risks to remove it, but im afraid it might be to late. Im wondering if the surgery will even be worth it?  

Absolutely.  She is still plenty young!!!  She is not an old rat. A rat that is 2 1/2 is old.  My boy, Bo, who died at 4 years and 3 weeks old. He was an old rat, grumpy too! LOL

3. Also people keep telling me that i really shouldnt bother with the surgery because she could just die during the surgery. Is this true?
No, its not true. As long as the vet knows what he is doing and the rat is otherwise healthy, your rat should be just fine.

4. Kitty has just recently started leaning her head up against the corners of the cage while she lays down and it looks like she has trouble breathing.She has never slept like this before. My old rat did this as well, just weeks before she had to be put down. Is this a sign of anything? Her breathimg has also become more irregular in the past weeks.  
The tumor is probably making her ill.

5. I know i will be able to ask the vet most of these questions, but i am hoping to get an answer sooner because she is getting worse every day. If i do go through with the surgery and Kitty makes it through, do you know the average life expectancy of a rat that undergoes a surgey at nealy two years?

She could live another year, she could die in a week, it depends on her over all health.  

I had a rat that was over 3 and had three large tumors on her. I had already put her through three surgeries and more tumors kept coming back again and again ,and finally I decided to let her alone.  I felt so bad because she was healthy and the tumor was taking her over, so we went ahead and did the surgery.  She lived another 9 months.

From now on though its best to remove the tumor before it gets too large.  The smaller it is the better it is to remove.  These tumors may not be cancerous but they can still kill your rat.

Please read my website on tumors.  My information is probably the most accurate on the internet and it will help you better understand what it is your dealing with before seeing the vet.
Your rat needs an exotic specialist, not just a vet that sees rats. There is a huge difference. She should probably be kept over night for a day or two after surgery if it is that bad.

Please see this page below and read other stories on rats with tumors and how well they did after the surgery even at 2 years old and older.

Let me know what you think.

http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/allabouttumors.htm