Oh help Daughter's rat has a lump [sad]

[ChocolateandCheese]

Can anyone help? My daughter's rat has a lump on the underside of her neck. It has only appeared in the last day and is large (half the size of her head). She is well in herself - eating and drinking etc. One of the other rats has been barbering her and I hoping it could just be an abscess as a result of barbering? We are taking down to the vets as soon as we can tomorrow but the complicating factor is we are off on a 2 week holiday on Saturday. If the vet has to operate, what is the rat's likely recovery time? Will she have to be kept separate from her sisters? Thank you in advance

Does sound a lot like an abscess seeing as it has appeared so quickly, you are doing the right thing taking her to the vets. Some people pop them at home and apply antiseptics etc, although poor little ratty might need ab's.

Hopefully they won't need to operate, but if they do I should think she will recover quickly. I think keeping a rat separate isn't necessary because it stresses them out so much. Who will be looking after them btw?

was a bit until i saw what section you were posting under

From the history (barbering) it might have started off as a small bite or a pulled hair follicle, and the speed of it's onset, it sounds like an abcess.

(My guinea-pigs had fatty lumps on their bellies and under their chins, but they slow growing. This was my GPs from years back, not my currant pair)

Hopefully the vet can lance it, let the pus out and give an antibiotic injection.
Then you might have to bathe the area in warm salty water to keep it clean. The problem is stopping rattie and her cage mates cleaning (and sometimes over-cleaning ) the wound.

Who is on Rat Duty when you are away?

Hope your little rat is ok- bless her

Been to the vets and she's now on antibiotics. Vet thinks it is probably a tumour but wanted to try antibiotics first. He's seeing her in a week and will decide then if it needs operating (hoping AB's will have reduced it). We've got a v good friend who lives next door who is on animal sitting duty while we are away. Her son loves the rats and regularly comes in for a play (he loves letting all four run over him and up his sleeves!). We'll brief her on the nursing duties this evening over a large glass of Pinot - thank god for good friends who help out in an emergency. Kids are a bit happier now we have something concrete to focus on. Remind me again why we put ourselves through heartache for small furry loveable creatures?

If its a female rat they are more prone to tumours, 2 of mine had them. Vets can do amazing jobs with them, sadly one of mine had them reoccurring and there was nothing to be done. I miss my rats haven't had any for a few years now. Maybe when DS is older we will get him some. Hope your rats ok :)