Tumors are a common occurrence in rats. So far, two of my rats have developed benign tumors, had the tumors removed, and had them return again. And they're both under two years old. So, as you might guess, the decision to operate is not easy. It's stressful on the rat, can be subject to complications, it's expensive, and sometimes its only delays the amount of time before a new tumor returns. Still, deciding to put your pet down is never an easy choice and sometimes you just have to look at your rat and see if she looks like she's ready to throw in the towel. Even an old rat can still have many long and happy months left in her, if only that pesky tumor would stop getting in her way. Below are some pictures of my poor little babies and their tumors, as well as some post-operative shots. The decision to operate isn't easy, but it doesn't have to be scary. Rat owners should be aware of what the surgery might look like and what they can expect for their rat when the surgery is complete.

Vep
Not only was Vep one of my first rats, she was my first to develop a tumor. Like most tumors, it was benign, but it was situated most inconveniently: between her hind legs. This, of course, complicates surgery a bit. With her urinary tract and bladder so close, the risk of accidentally damaging an important organ is pretty high. But Vep's always been a fighter and she didn't look like she was anywhere near ready to call it quits. So, Vep underwent surgery number one. I don't have any pictures of the ordeal, but fortunately, she came out of it unscathed. She went into surgery early in the morning and I was able to bring her home by the afternoon. She was really groggy for the rest of the day, but she recovered nicely. Amazingly, she didn't seem to be in too much pain and by the next day she kept giving me this look that said, "why am I in this other cage away from my friends? I want to go home!" So, I decided to let all my rats play together and watched closely how they treated Vep. They all sniffed her a little, but none seemed to terribly interested in her wound so I decided to let one rat stay in the separate cage for a while. This seemed to help a little, but by the end of the second or third day, I let Vep back into the main cage. Now, this might not be the best decision in all cases, but Vep is a very social rat and she seemed really put out by being in a separate cage. I decided that she would heal more quickly if she weren't stressed about being by herself. From that point on, the healing process went rather well and she didn't experience any complications. That is, until the tumor came back...

When I came back from vacation in late July, I noticed that both Vep's and Eboshi's tumors were returning. Just like last time, Vep's tumor was right between her back legs and, it seemed to be growing quickly. I struggled for some time about whether or not I should have it removed again. Vep's almost two years old now, and the tumor's location does make it difficult to remove. But Vep just seems so full of life, even with a tumor hampering her every move. So I decided to operate, but unfortunately, Vep has respiratory problems too. I took her to the vet and she was put on antibiotics, but they didn't seem to have any effect at all. This was much the same as the first time she had her tumor. My vet and I kept trying to treat the respiratory infection before operating, but her wheezing would keep coming back and the tumor was growing fast. So I think that this time will have to be like last time: we'll have to risk the operation despite her wheezing because the tumor (see below) has really gotten out of control.



Her tumor is so big now that it constantly scrapes the ground as she walks and she can't reach around it and clean it. As you can see, it makes for a pretty sorry sight.



Little Vep fought hard during her last surgery, and she made it through over an hour of struggle as my vet tried to remove as much of her tumor as possible. But in the end, Vep lost. She passed away on the operating table just as the vet was putting in the final sutures. Upon autopsy, it became apparent just how sick my poor baby was. Her tumor had been much more aggressive than the first and even if she had survived, there was no way to remove the tumor completely. She probably would have had only a month or two more to live. In addition, her lungs were a mess. The strange white patches that had appeared in her earlier x-rays were basically large pockets of pus, and they had filled nearly 80% of her lungs at the time of her death. She had probably developed pneumonia at some point and labored under the infection for so long that antibiotics could only slow that damage to her lungs, not reverse it. In other words, it was probably her time to go. Still, that doesn't make losing her any easier. If anything, it makes me realize how swift and serious rat diseases are. Vep only made it as long as she did because she was a fighter. Even as I took her in for surgery, you could still see the fire in her little rattie eyes. And even though I know I did all I could for her, I'll always wonder if I could have given her just a few more days or maybe even a few more months to explore and play with her brothers and sisters. We'll miss you, Vep!

Eboshi
Eboshi has been a little luckier. She too started developing a tumor about a month or two after Vep had her first tumor removed. But hers at least was on the right side of her ribcage. So while it was a bit bulky, it really didn't interfere with her movement or threaten any of her internal organs.



But Eboshi is a shy little rat and she didn't like surgery one bit. My vet told me that it took a long time for her to go under, and she was pretty alert when I picked her up a few hours later. She also seemed to be in more pain than Vep had been. She would squeak a lot and wasn't able to get much rest. So I went back to my vet and picked up some pain medication for her. I really only needed to use it for that first day, she looked much better after she got some rest. And just as I did with Vep, I let Eboshi back with her cagemates as soon as possible.


Five hours after surgery