rats with tumours and rectal prolapse

Question
One of my three rats recently passed away after having a a brain tumour. The other two both had tumours removed on their sides, but they've grown back again. Also, one of them has just got rectal prolapse. Will it help to have thier tumours removed again, as they've grown back so quickly or is it likely that they will grow back again? Also, what could be the cause of the rectal prolapse?
Many thanks

Answer
Hi Asha

I am going to assume your rats are female and are at least over 18 months old, probably 2 years or close to it. You didn't mention the age or sex but from the facts that they had tumors removed with immediate re-growth shows it is mammary related and estrogen fueled from the rat being old enough to have gone through "rat menopause" if you will, which occurs around 18 months of age and older.  
When females stop going into heat, estrogen levels go out the roof and often mammary tumors of pituitary tumors (tumors found at the base of the brain, which are inoperable and always fatal:(.  
Removing the mammary tumors often result in them growing right back,sometimes soon as the stitches fall out from the previous surgery.
Sometimes removing them again if key, but the best way to prevent them from growing back (since its too late to spay them which if done when they are younger, prevents them from ever growing at all, about 80 percent of the time) is to stop production of estrogen by chemical.
What this means is once the mammary tumors are removed, the newest way to prevent return is to start the rat on a hormone called "lupron" which stops production of estrogen and either slows down or stops totally the growth of any more mammary tumors.
If your rats are healthy, despite their age (age is just a number,not a disease) you can have the tumors removed again and have the vet start them on monthly lupron injections.  Success stories: my 3 year old female already had two surgeries and the third tumor was claiming her life fast, so we were near time to put her to sleep and decided to remove the tumor one more time and start her on lupron. She did well with the surgery even though she was past 3 years old and we started her on lupron. She lived to be just about 2 months shy of her 4th birthday and although more tumors started to grow, lupron kept them from getting big and disturbing her life for at least 8 months!

If your vet is an exotic vet or very well versed in rat care, ask about Lupron and also let he or she know that they can contact me for more information about dispensing monthly injections.

As for rectal prolapse, this can be caused by something as simple as constipation and straining or it could be caused by a mass inside.
Is the vet planning on treating the prolapse?

Hope this helps shed some light on things for you.

~Sandra