Tumours in RatsTumours (neoplasia) and respiratory diseases are the most common conditions seen in rats by vets. There are many different types of tumour which may occur in rats; the most common are mammary tumours (in females), and adrenal, pituitary, and thyroid tumours which occur in both sexes. As in other species of animal it tends to be the older individuals which develop tumours. Neoplasia is most often seen in female rats over one year of age.
Tumours may be benign or malignant. Benign tumours are localized growths, usually encapsulated, which do not spread to other parts of the body. Malignant tumours are more serious and will invade the local tissue and may spread to other parts of the body such as the liver and lungs (this is known as metastasis) and eventually cause the demise of the animal if they are not effectively treated. Malignant tumours are what most people are thinking of when they discuss cancer. Malignant neoplasia can occur externally or internally. External malignancies are likely to grow quickly, often look angry and inflamed, may cause the rat pain or discomfort (often expressed by excessive grooming of the area) and may become ulcerated or bleed. Internal malignant tumours are harder to spot but there may be signs of a distended abdomen, weight loss, inappetance and lethargy. If tumours affect the brain then neurological signs may be noticed. Unfortunately if rats have malignant tumours then it is often kindest to consider euthanasia.
Benign tumours are fortunately the most common type of neoplasm in rats. The most common form of benign neoplasia seems to be mammary tumours occurring in females. I have come across many lipomas (fatty lumps) as well. They can generally be removed under general anaesthetic by a veterinary surgeon. The prognosis is usually good if the tumour can be completely removed while it is relatively small. Sometimes it is impossible to remove all neoplastic tissue during surgery and in this situation the growth will usually come back. If benign tumours are allowed to get too large they will become so big and heavy that the rat is unable to move around properly and it will become thin and unwell. If this stage is reached then euthanasia is often the kindest option since surgery may be impossible. Therefore if you notice signs of a tumour take your rat to your vet promptly; the smaller the tumour is, the better are the chances of successful removal. If you decide not to opt for surgical removal of the tumour this is OK, but you should watch your rat closely for signs of distress or discomfort associated with the growing lump. It may be some time before any such signs show, but once they do treatment or euthanasia should be carried out.
Rats tend to do well following surgery to remove tumours. You can generally treat your rat as normal when it returns home from the vet but do not use bedding which is likely to stick to the wound for the first few days. Watch out for signs of the rat chewing the sutures and also check for signs of infection such as fluid oozing from the wound or excessive swelling or redness. If any of these problems occur contact your vet.
Since it is unclear what causes neoplasia in the first place it is difficult to know how to prevent it. Some people think that feeding rats a low fat diet and preventing them from becoming obese may help. I am definitely in favour of this whether it prevents cancer or not, since rats will almost certainly have a better quality of life and be generally more healthy this way. Adding some green vegetables to the diet is also believed to help and once again I would consider this a good thing to do anyway, but do not over supplement the diet with them. Spaying female rats may also reduce the likelihood of them developing mammary tumours. © Samantha Coe. All rights reserved. Further information, news and pet-related healthcare articles are available at vetbase.co.uk
Questions Answered
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spotty chaped dotted ears (na) (28-Jan-07 03:49PM)
Abby asks:
I don't know what it is but my rat seems to have tiny white spots all round his ears, they have a crusty texture almost! He's been to the vets but ... view
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Crusty chapped ears in a rat (rat) (04-Feb-07 09:18AM)
 Abby asks:
I did send you a question but you have not replied in a week so I will repeat it. My rat has crusty chapped ears and sometimes they look like they ... view
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Swollen Mammary Gland (cat) (27-Sep-07 07:36PM)
 Analisa asks:
My cat is very healthy, never had any medical problems. She had a litter when she was 2 and is still intact. She is strictly indoor only. She ... view
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Dragging back legs (hamster) (24-Mar-07 12:34PM)
Christine asks:
My hamster is 15 months old and was hardly able to walk for last day or two, dragging back legs, didn't appear injured. Was breathing rapidly, didn't eat, slept anywhere slumped ... view
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Growth on Right Hind Leg (Behind Joint) (na) (09-Feb-07 01:19PM)
Carl asks:
I have recently discovered a growth on the rear of the cats hind leg (right side). I noticed this when I witnessed the cat kept shaking his back leg (as if ... view
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Sick hamster (hamster) (17-Apr-07 12:45AM)
Gail asks:
Martin is 20 mos. old. Overnight he seems to begin a rapid breathing, not eating much, back legs seem weak, not drinking much only when made. Temp in room got very ... view
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Joint pain (dog) (07-Apr-07 04:14AM)
Lisa asks:
Approximately 6-9 months ago I noticed my dog having some difficulty getting up. Over these months his condition has rapidly worsened. He now has a very hard time getting up and ... view
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bleeding (rabbit) (25-Jan-07 10:07PM)
Kirsty asks:
i have two girl rabbits and one of them is bleeding, there are blood patches in the area they urinate, she is also not eating. ... view
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max has nasal carcinoma (na) (25-Feb-07 02:14PM)
Sheila asks:
Contact details for a good reputable radiation expert preferably in West Midlands (we live in Wolverhampton) but will travel further afield if necessary. Thank you. ... view
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Illness with mucky eye and very thin (rabbit) (03-Mar-07 04:50PM)
Teresa asks:
My rabbit is 7 years old got very thin, not eating or drinking since Thursday night what might be the cause and what can I do for him? ... view
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found cat drooling, vomiting (cat) (01-Jul-07 01:53AM)
Lisa asks:
We found a cat under our deck. Our dogs cornered it and when we pulled it out from the deck, it was drooling and its fur was wet. It ... view
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My cat has a lump in his mouth (cat) (03-Mar-07 06:53PM)
Kirsty asks:
My cat has a black lump in his mouth, it is on the right hand side just underneath where his top tooth sits. He is not off his food and it ... view
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bloody eye (rat) (03-Mar-07 11:42AM)
 Suzanne asks:
Please help my pet rat Jossie has had a bloody eye for months now. I took her to the vet but the drops don't seem to be working. Now she seems ... view
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not eating (cat) (31-Jan-07 12:24PM)
Sally asks:
He's not eaten for nearly a week and doesn't seem to have been to the toilet. He's started to make a growling noise occasionally. I'm taking him to the vet and ... view
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Urinary (na) (05-Feb-07 07:29PM)
Allison asks:
My 4 month old border collie seems to have a weak bladder (leaking small amounts of urine when she has been outside) ... view
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Lumps (dog) (01-Feb-07 09:26PM)
Helen asks:
She has a number of lumps, some soft, some hard. One is on her chest. Is there a way of telling whether she has cancer and at 11 is ... view
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Bleeding from the nose in lungworm (dog) (08-Feb-07 04:15PM)
Coleen asks:
My friend's dog has been bleeding from the nose & the vet has treated him for lungworm. Could you tell me what this is? ... view
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Has my cat had a fit? What caused it? (na) (04-Feb-07 12:31PM)
Lesley asks:
My cat had a funny turn this morning - after behaving completely normally. He suddenly appeared to stagger around the room trying to get to the furthest edges and bumping ... view
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Dog's Health (dog) (01-Nov-07 04:17PM)
William asks:
My dog is around 11 years old, possibly older (we received her as she was taken from a bad owner seven years ago) and is a Yorkshire Terrier. She has began ... view
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not eating (dog) (06-Mar-07 10:20AM)
Mark asks:
Sasha is 12 years old, she has gone very quiet, not getting up to greet me when I come home, has gone off food, drooling a little. Checked mouth; cannot see ... view
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Your Questions Answered
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Injured Wild Owl 30-Nov-07
Kelly asks:
I found an owl this morning, very small but adult. It flew into a power line. It's still alive. ... view
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swollen hind leg 20-Nov-07
 Zshai asks:
I have a 6-day-old bunny who has a swollen hind leg. I saw her mama step on her but ... view
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Sick syrian hamster 08-Nov-07
Sara asks:
Hi. My syrian hamster is 2 and half yrs. old. The last 24 hrs I have noticed a big ... view
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lack of sleep 07-Nov-07
Bill asks:
We have a 14 month old Yorkshire terrier, which goes to bed at around 6.30pm, because I have MS ... view
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wet tail 06-Nov-07
Evelyn asks:
Can a young hamster be successfully treated for wet tail and what would it roughly cost? ... view
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Alfie 06-Nov-07
Elaine asks:
Hi Sam
Thank you. Alfie has no feeding time he just has food in his bowl when he wants it ... view
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Guarding problem 05-Nov-07
 Elaine asks:
Alfie is a terrible guarder and will take your hand off if you try and retrieve an object he ... view
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White Gums and Dark Stool 02-Nov-07
Leslie asks:
My 8 week old American Bulldog has really white gums, around the eyes is also white. She has dark ... view
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Dog's Health 01-Nov-07
William asks:
My dog is around 11 years old, possibly older (we received her as she was taken from a bad ... view
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behaviour 31-Oct-07
Debby asks:
Hi Max is very lively of course but he seems to get very excited and bites the children, not ... view
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Blood in dog's stools 31-Oct-07
Lee asks:
Hi. We recently got a 3 year old Labrador from a friend. From what we can see she has ... view
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upset stomach 30-Oct-07
kat asks:
About three days ago my dog started acting like she was sick; diarrhoea and vomiting along with excessive sneezing ... view
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Blood in Poo 28-Oct-07
Mandy asks:
Treacle is now 9 wks old and had her first vaccination two days ago. I have noticed that at ... view
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neutering 27-Oct-07
 ashen1956 asks:
3 days ago Molly-Mae gave birth to 5 kittens. How long should I wait before having her neutered and ... view
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Ordering Insulin Online 26-Oct-07
Purdie asks:
Purdie is diabetic and I'm keen to find a way of reducing the cost of the treatment. Currently ... view
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Fleas and skin problem 26-Oct-07
Joanne asks:
I have two cats, a neutered tom and his sister. They are 6 and a half yrs. old. They ... view
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My cat has a hole in its stomach! 23-Oct-07
Sarah asks:
My cat has a hole the size of a dime in its stomach. He doesn't seem to be ... view
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labrador vomiting bile and nearly passing out 22-Oct-07
Paul asks:
Hi there - our five year old male labrador is generally in very good health - excellent appetite, plenty ... view
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Guinea pig fits 22-Oct-07
Renate asks:
My guinea pig is acting strange. I've only had him around a week and he's running as if spooked ... view
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feeding 22-Oct-07
Terry asks:
Is it safe to feed my GSD raw chicken wings, he is 16 months old and is 37 kg? ... view
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