Rat has HUGE lump on leg??

[emiliewasmyeve]

Our 18-month old rat, Mochi, has a huge lump on his right hind leg. We just noticed the lump, which is about the size of large grape.

The area doesn't seem to have any scratches or bites. It looks a little red but, for the most part, the hair/skin looks normal.

We just noticed this mass, today. Though it could've passed by us a few times, I can't imagine that it has been there long. We would've caught it. That leads me to believe that it is fast-growing.

So far, he is eating normally and doesn't seem to be having to much trouble walking. He lives with one other rat, his brother Mango.

Of course, we are going to take him to the vet. We can't go tomorrow (no way to get out of work), but we are going to go first thing Saturday morning.

In the meantime, what can we do? We are really worried. Mostly, I'd hate for him to be in pain.

My fear is that he has a tumor. What are the chances--at his age--that it'd be benign? Also, if it is a tumor, what can the vet do?

Another concern is that, of our two rats, Mochi has always been more aggressive. He has never been to the vet and, often, tries to nip when you hold him. I'm a little concerned, but we'll make it work.

Any advice/experiences would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[emiliewasmyeve]

I just looked back at some older posts, and the lump on Mochi's leg looks EXACTLY like some previous photos of rat tumors. I'm pretty positive that is what he's got.

[lilspaz68]

Vets deal with aggressive animals all the time, so don't worry about that, you just need to warn them that he may nip.

As for the tumor, benign or malignant won't really matter...if the vet is able to remove it and get all the affected tissue its unlikely to recur in both cases.

How old is your boy?

[emiliewasmyeve]

Thanks! We took him to the vet this morning and they do believe it is a tumor. The good news is that he is pretty young, in good health otherwise, and the tumor is relatively small.

We're taking him in on Monday morning to have the tumor removed. It is going to be a very pricey surgery, but it is worth it to us. We just hope he doesn't get another one!