wild rat lump

Question
I have a wild rat born to the wild,jazz is her name.I have her two years. Jazz has a large lump on her inner back leg near her groin, it is soft and hanging, it has grown at a fast rate.Jazz has always been timid and reverts back to here wild ways very quickly. I have never been able to pick her up apart from the night I found her. Outside of the cage she will come to me if I sit quite and offer her food. I would love to take her to the vets only I am a fraid  the stress would be too much and her heart would pack up. The lump is now dragging on the floor and I belive it not to be abcess. She is a happy rat, eats, drinks, loves to explore and enjoys the company of the other fancy rats.
Please advise.

Answer
Its a mammary tumor. Take he to the vets and do NOT tell the vet she is WILD.  You cant tell much they are wild compared to fancy rats. I had a wild rat that lived to be almost four years old and she had several tumors and I had them all removed and she did fine.  Keep a towel over her cage (use a cat carrier) and bring one of her cagemates if she has one.

Also, that is very very unusual that she gets along with fancy rats. Wild rats usually hate them and they hate the wild rats. Does she live with them too?  My Holly hated them.

Anyhow, try to make friends with her by offering her baby food. Lay your hands flat she will eventually climb on your hand.  I had Holly tame in a week but she was only a baby when I rescued her.

Back to the lump....it wiil eventually cause problems.  Please read my website on mammary tumors.

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

Check out the site above to learn about tumors etc...


Also, if you want a vet, please let me know your location and I will give you some names.  The vets I usually use are certified in exotics or have a special interest in exotics where they have gone to special conferences and workshops on exotics etc.... and know more than the general Vet does about exotics, including our rats.

To be honest though, at her age, I would have blood work done on her before removing the tumor to be sure she is healthy enough to handle the anesthesia.  She is 2 and that is about the age rats start to decline in health.  However, she may  be totally fine and the surgery will give her back many more months of life yet.  If you do see a vet let me know before you do the surgery.