older rats tumors

Question
hi i am 20 and have had rats since i was younge around 9 years now, i love my rats alot, and i get sad when they reach a age and get tumors, i currently have a older rat named sketch she is around 3 yrs old she is gettin on a bit now , and noticed a tumor around 4 months ago, i never knew a vet could opperate on a rat at a older age i was told they couldnt as it more risk, if i came across your website 4 months ago i would of took sketch for the opperation, but sadly all i can do for her is keep her comfy till her tumor gets larger or she becomes in pain ,
i wanted to ask also if you nutur your female rat at a younger age is there any risk of them dying as they are so small rats,?

Answer
Hi Vixs



I am sorry about your old girl having tumors. How many are there now?
I usually say to go ahead with the surgery if the rat is still stable and in fact, I have my own personal story about my old girl, Holly. After several surgeries to remove mammary tumors, I was at my wits end when she grew two more before her stitches even came out from the previous surgery.  I remember sobbing when I felt the new ones.
I felt Holly had enough of this  and to just leave her be and keep her comfortable.   Time went on and these tumors grew and grew and GREW and just made me so sick watching my girl disappear beneath these horrible masses. SHe was no longer able to walk because of two thing: hind leg paralysis from nerve root compression and probably arthritis from mycoplasmosis attacking the joints, and also the tumor was hindering her mobility.  She was also losing weight yet her appetite was ravenous. The weight loss was due to the tumors, which were robbing her body of the nutrients needed to sustain her  vital organs. Problem was, Holly was STILL herself.  Happy go lucky, loving, grooming herself, grooming me, and she was in a one story cage with the bottom just being plastic and her litter box was a half of a shoe box, she  had room to buzz all over the cage, scooting real fast on her belly because she could not use her back legs. She had fun!  She was in no way suffering, however, she was all skin and bones. She was terrible to see and if someone saw her they would think i was terrible for keeping her alive and she looked like she was dying from some terrible disease. Fur coming out due to vitamin deficiency from the tumor robbing her body of them, skinny, two large tumors, one on each side.  So....I decided she had enough and I brought her to be put down. She was 3 years old at the time. I sobbed and did not feel good about my decision at all. The vet agreed and said that he did not feel her life was ready to be over, either.  So, we took a big chance and did the surgery. He gave her a five percent chance to make it through since she was so fragile.
90 minute surgery and some significant blood loss, Holly was alive and most of the tumors were gone. He could not get them all because she was under long enough but he did the best he could. She recovered well and even gained some weight back. Holly lived to be close to 4 years old and the surgery was the best thing I ever did for her.

As for spaying young, there are risks on matter what the age, but as long as the rat is strong  and the vet is EXPERIENCED with spaying rats and I dont mean spaying, I mean with rats and they have all the proper things needed (I prefer an exotic vet for this) the chances of a successful spay are higher when it is done by a good skilled vet in a setting equipped to care specifically for rats.   I have had my boys neutered at 5 months of age and had to have a growth removed from 3 month old baby once.

Do you have a good vet?