male rat - around 2 years old - tumor??

Question
QUESTION: Hi sandra, i have a blue dumbo eared rat called gabe who has over night developed a lump kind of on his cheek, below his ear (large pea sized) he does not move when i touch it and i am unsure whether it is a tumor of some kind, i know i will take him to the vets but im scared they will write him off straight away as ive heard many vets have, he is still very active and eating lots.

ANSWER: There are several things it can be. One, it can be a tumor called Zymbals gland tumor, which is commonly seen in that area. Removing it and adding a little drain for several days is the route to go, no need to "write him off" and if that is what they want to do, they dont need your business.
It may be an abscess too, since this is an area that is also common to have an abscess form. It may be related to infected teeth too which can cause an abscess in that area as well.
You can hold a warm compress on it for as long as he will allow and see if it softens up and bursts. If it softens up, you can apply gentle pressure on the base of the mass and see if anything comes out. If he protests, stop right away and let it go. Either way though, your rat is in NO WAY an old rat and a mass the size of a large pea in that area is absolutely no reason to give up on him. I can see if it was a cancerous tumor that had traveled to his brain causing him severe neurological problems, weight loss, no quality of life etc...but for this, absolutely not. Again, keep in mind age is a number and not a disease. I have had my own elderly rats operated on when they were well over 2 years old and some were even 3 years old. If you want, I can help you find a good vet in your area that will never even consider giving up on your boy for something like this unless again, it is something terrible, which from what it sounds, its is one of the few things I mentioned above and those things are all able to be taken care of by a caring and qualified Vet!
All I need to know is where your located and what larger cities are in your area and I can find someone for you that will help and not discourage you to give up on him.



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QUESTION: hi thank you for replying so quickly and for your encouraging advice, i found a list of local vets a few i have used before for other animals which say they treat small animals but that could be a large variety of types, i would be grateful if you know of any rat knowledgable ones, i live in Coventry UK, CV5 8FH, close to Birmingham. thank you again
sarah x

Answer
Here is what I have come up with. I have found these places to be anywhere from 10 miles to 60 miles from you.
These Vets are registered with the ASSOCIATION  OF EXOTIC MAMMAL VETERINARIANS.

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Dr. Mark Taylor
Feldon Veterinary Centre
1 Guy Street
Leamington Spa Warwickshire CV32 4RX
Phone:    01926 423161

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Amicus Veterinary Centre
90 Marshall Lake Road ,
Shirley, Solihull ,
B90 4PN , West Midlands, UK, Tel: 0121 7331439
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Dr. Nathalie Wissink Argilaga
Scott Veterinary Clinic    
405 Goldington Road
Bedford Bedfordshire, England MK41 0DS
Phone:    +441234261622

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