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Rat to the Vet
Jun. 25th, 2011 05:13 pmI found a lump on my fawn hooded rat, Isaiah, last week and he took his trip to the vet this morning. It was probably the first time he'd been stuffed into a rat carrier (just big enough to hold one rat) and then a backpack to travel by train, but he took it well.
Dr Greg confirmed it's a tumour, very fibrous and not detached, i.e. not loose in its own bag of skin. This is not good news.
Greg can't tell me whether or not it can be cleanly removed, but since the thing's grown quickly, I've decided to opt for surgery. The other option, to leave it be, would be in play were Isaiah a very elderly rat, but although I'm not sure of his age, I know he's not very old. I think he's about 22 months (middle-aged) and he's in good condition, not had anything go wrong while he's been with me or with the fosters who had him before me.
Isaiah is not a lightweight! Someone else in the waiting room tried to find a diplomatic way of asking whether that was a normal rat shape or whether he was overweight. Yep. As Greg put it, "He's a fat b******d!" Greg tells it like it is. Isaiah also has fight wounds on his back and Greg concluded that he must be too nice a guy. I explained that he hadn't been, that this was why he had been neutered, so Greg amended, "He was too nice a guy after he lost his nuts."
Still, his heart is strong and he's got a good chance of dealing with the anaesthetic. The question is whether or not the tumour is too tightly attached to his internals and we won't know that until Monday, when he's in for surgery. This isn't fun, but it's not something I haven't dealt with before. I'll take him in, go to work and keep my mobile on until the vet nurse calls me. Situation normal in Chez Rattus.
Dr Greg confirmed it's a tumour, very fibrous and not detached, i.e. not loose in its own bag of skin. This is not good news.
Greg can't tell me whether or not it can be cleanly removed, but since the thing's grown quickly, I've decided to opt for surgery. The other option, to leave it be, would be in play were Isaiah a very elderly rat, but although I'm not sure of his age, I know he's not very old. I think he's about 22 months (middle-aged) and he's in good condition, not had anything go wrong while he's been with me or with the fosters who had him before me.
Isaiah is not a lightweight! Someone else in the waiting room tried to find a diplomatic way of asking whether that was a normal rat shape or whether he was overweight. Yep. As Greg put it, "He's a fat b******d!" Greg tells it like it is. Isaiah also has fight wounds on his back and Greg concluded that he must be too nice a guy. I explained that he hadn't been, that this was why he had been neutered, so Greg amended, "He was too nice a guy after he lost his nuts."
Still, his heart is strong and he's got a good chance of dealing with the anaesthetic. The question is whether or not the tumour is too tightly attached to his internals and we won't know that until Monday, when he's in for surgery. This isn't fun, but it's not something I haven't dealt with before. I'll take him in, go to work and keep my mobile on until the vet nurse calls me. Situation normal in Chez Rattus.