absess on hairless rat

Question
Hi Sandra,
How do I treat an approx. 1 centimeter wide absess from a lump on a 28 month old hairless rat.  I realize I may need to take her to a vet.  Unfort. I haven't been able to find a vet that knows very much about rats.  Upon discovering the absess the last 2-3 days, I have been keeping it clean w/hydrogen peroxide and applying some neosporin ointment.  She doesn't feel like she has a fever, and she is eating, drinking, and eliminating normally.  I just noticed yesterday she has another lump.

Answer
Hi Helen

Your doing fine so far, but I would use hibicleanse rather than peroxide since it can damage the delicate tissues on the rats skin. Continue with neosporin too. Glob it in several times a day.

Where is the abscess at and did it burst on its own?

The second lump you found, where is it located? It could be totally unrelated to the abscess.

As for vets, I would be happy to give you names of vets in your area that know about rat care and exotic medicine etc...for future use. Usually an abscess is simple and goes away on its own as long as you keep it clean etc... but if the second lump is something else, such as a mammary tumor, thats when you may need the vet to have it removed and she isnt too old so dont let anyone tell you that. :)