pituitary tumor

Question
Hi there,

I have a female rat who is just a year old who was diagnosed yesterday with a pituitary tumor.  I actually did a lot of research ahead of time based on her symptoms and took a printout to the vet's office; after finding no other tumors and checking that her heart and lungs sounded good, he took a look at the papers I had brought and agreed with me.

The vet, who was very young and new to the animal hospital, admitted that he had never seen a pituitary tumor in a rat, only in cats and dogs.  Needless to say, I didn't get much information out of him.  He put her on a broad-spectrum antibiotic and told me to call after a couple of days if she wasn't showing improvement, just to be sure there wasn't something else going on before he put her on a steroid.  

I'm aware that she's not going to get better, and I have read about the purpose and effects of medications to help counteract the weakness she's experiencing.  However, I haven't been able to find anything about either how long these treatments might be expected to work, or, once she's at a point where the medicine isn't helping, what her final days/hours might be like.  

As soon as she were to start showing signs of being distressed, I would have her euthanized, but I would prefer to not do that until it seems necessary.  This isn't about me not wanting to let her go (though I don't, she's a wonderful rat), but about me wanting her to be where she is most comfortable when she dies.  Right now she shares a cage with her sister and one other female rat, both of whom have been helping her groom and who sleep with her.  Ideally, if I could keep her comfortable until the end, she would pass away quietly in her own cage, with her buddies nearby.  The thing is, I don't know if that's a realistic expectation.  I've had rats in the past who contracted pneumonia in their old age, and not euthanizing them wasn't even an option.  

What I'm trying to decide now is whether I should start her on treatments, or have her euthanized before any real suffering occurs, but it's a hard decision to make with the little information I have.

I would appreciate any input you can give me.  Thanks very much.


Answer
Hi

Glad you wrote......I have to ask, what makes the vet feel its indeed a  pituitary adenoma?  Is she using her front paws to eat and groom herself?   I understand she may be rolling, circling, head tilt etc...this is from pressure on the vestibular cochlear nerve which is the 8th cranial nerve in the brain. This controls equilibrium which is why she is doing what she is doing. The inflammation. If it was an inner ear infection, it acts the exact same way as a PT with the exception of a few things involving fine motor skills. The medication should be not just antibiotics but also steroids because they need to work together. I fear she may have an inner ear infection that may be missed unless you tell me about her fine motor skills and even so, it still may be that rather than the PT.  she is also a bit young for it although its not unheard of at this age.

Before we go to the negative I want to be sure there is reason for it and after I hear back from you I will let you know what to expect if your indeed dealing with a pituitary tumor.  Can you tell me how long she has had symptoms, what they are in order (which started first and which was the most recent symptom)


hang in there


Sandra