Whats the difference between a tumor and an abcess?

Question
QUESTION: My female rat... I'm not sure her age, I'm thinking it's around three years old give or take a few months, has what I'm not sure - it's a lump, right in the middle between her front and hind legs, where her side meets her belly. she's got a big belly but she's been looking a bit unsymetrical for a while but just overnight - tonight, I saw a change and felt and there's a ping pong sized lump that's free moving under the skin. Does that sound like an abcess or a growth? Her and her cage mate have been squabbling over the last few days because I've been really busy and haven't been able to spend as much time with them and she's also got a scratch/scrape just behind her ear at the back of her jaw, which is new, the girls have been together for over a year and never caused harm to one another. I'm worried about the fighting not because they could harm one another but perhaps because her cagemate might know something I don't about her health, Tommorow we're going to the vet - which one depends on your answer, the local vet can take care of an abcess but I want her to go to the farther away specialist if it's a lump. Both girls are unspayed. Thanks.

ANSWER:

If its an abscess they are usually more firmly attached but squishy. Sometimes they have a hole in them or a pit or crater if they have popped previously.  

Did it come up over night out of nowhere?

What to do is this: Try to hold a warm compress on it as long as you can off and on throughout the day. See if it changes. If you notice any type of head forming, its probably an abscess. If thats the case, let me know.  I have had readers write in with big huge lumps that they have had for a week or so and have sent me photos etc...and a few have been tumors that have abscessed, but usually that occurs only after they have had the tumor for a long time, several months sometimes.

Your girl is the right age for mammary tumors and this is the spot for mammary tumors to grow as well.  

They are fueled by high levels of estrogen after the rat goes through menopause between the ages of 18 months and 2 years old.  Prevention is spaying at a young age between 3 and 5 months old. This also prevents growth of pituitary tumors as the rat ages too.

Let me know those few things so we can determine next if you want the regular vet of the exotic vet. I would opt for the exotic vet (or at least I am assuming that is what you mean by specialist) because they just know more and its not really a waste of time or money when dealing with someone that can help right there rather than send someone off to another vet, which means now you have yet another office visit to pay for etc....

Anyhow please keep me updated!  

Sandra



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The lump definitely came out of knowhere, it's squishy and feels like there might be a small more solid core if that makes sense. The rat wiggles big time, she's never been very patient about being held unless she wants to so the warm compress was a complete failure, I put her in the bath tub in warm water instead and I'll do that every few hours for the rest of today and see what happens. I did mean the exotic vet, I'm willing to go but an hour drive each way on a hot day with a hyperactive rat is a bit more than I want to go through unless I absolutely have to and the local vet can call and talk with that vet, I think I'm going to try the local vet first just to get her opinion and let her practiced eye take a look because I can't see any sort of dimple or anything that indicates the lump could be coming to a head.

If this is a tumor would spaying her prevent more tumors in the future even tho she's older? She's always been a pretty robust girl and hasn't had any other health problems so I would probably say ok on surgery.

Answer
Sorry it is taking so long to respond. I am on vacation visiting family in Florida (I live in NC) and I did not put myself on VACATION from here so I am trying to keep up with helping others here and well, doing "vacation" stuff.  LOL  So please pardon the delay in responses. I will be coming home Friday so by by Saturday things will be back to normal for me....if you can call my life normal, that is. LOL!

As for the girl being spayed, I would NOT do it at her age to be honest and here is why:  Her hormones are responsible for the tumor growth. Estrogen levels soar after menopause (between 18 and 24 months) and the high hormones also set the gears into motion for the development of these tumors and also the rate of acceleration for them as well. Spaying may slow down the estrogen productoin but any tymors that are already there will pop up despite spaying. It will prevent new growth but will do nothing to stop any growth in progress.  If by chance she should develop more tumors, you can treat her chemically rather than have more surgery. You can read about these alternatives on my site. I did the same for two of my rats and they were given more time on this earth with me plus they were quality time not suffering in misery. I remember when my girl Holly was over 3 and she had several surgeries and the lumps kept coming back, we finally went ahead and used the Lupron and it really helped shrink the new tumors.

On the other hand, spaying can prevent other problems that can occur such as uterine tumors etc.. but as far as preventing new tumors, the chances are better when they are between 3 and 5 months old.