m baby rat

Question
hi, my name is neisa. i just recently gave away a litter of rats i just raised, but decided to keep one. she is nine weeks and 2 days old. my boyfriend has two males and they are very big compared to my little girl. she is still the same size she was when she was 5 weeks old. the other day i was playing with her and noticed there was a hard lump in her throat, and i cold move it from side to side. i called the pet store in my town and they said it cold be a absess so i should wait and see if the lump gets soft, well it hasnt at all. im really worried that it is a tumor but isnt it kind of strange for a baby rat to get tumors? i just cant figure out what it is and i cant take her to the vet in town because they are not familiar with rats. i might have to tak her  to grand junction but i just wanted to see what your professional opinion is.

Answer
 It is very rare for a young rat, especially a baby, to develop a tumor.  Usually tumors are seen in rats older than 1 year, most often older than 2.  It could be a small abscess, which may or may not go away on its own, or it could be a lymph node which is, of course, normal.  A vet that isn't familiar with rats should still be able to aspirate the lump with a needle to see if it is an abscess, if it isn't and they can't tell you what it is you may have to get an opinion from a vet more familiar with rat anatomy.

 For now I would keep an eye on it, seeing if it grows, shrinks, or opens.  If it gets any bigger, growing faster than the rat is growing, definitely take her in for an exam.  Though tumors are rare with young rats, it still is a possibility, and the sooner they are removed, the better.  Other possibilities include a bug bite or a swollen lump from a bite or scratch from another rat, both of which should disappear in a few days.

 Well I hope whatever it is isn't something bad and I hope she gets better soon!  Good luck!