Lump Under Front Arm **update**

[1lila1]

The day I've dreaded is here!  I found a lump on my sweet Alfred this weekend.  He's only 23 months old! It's under his front leg, sort of armpit area.  It's about 1/2 inch in diameter and doesn't feel attatched.  It doesn't feel like an abcess.  Any idea what the tissue could be in that area?  Is it mammary?  I know male rats can get mammary tumors and they have mammary tissue in places you wouldn't expect. 

I did a search and found a few threads with lumps under armpits but no results as to what it actually was.  We have a vet appt tomorrow but I'm just wondering if anyone has any experience with this.  It just seemed to pop up overnight!  Weird!

[Pamnangel]

That does sound like a mammary tumor.  The good news is the ones that move around easily are usually benign and easy to remove. 

[lilspaz68]

23 months old is not a surprising age. Tumours can show up under a year but rarely but even 16-18 months they can show up often.

[1lila1]

Thanks, Pam, for the reassurance.  He's pretty healthy and came through a horrible bought of pnemonia last December so hopefully a quick surgery can take care of this.

Lilspaz, I know, I know!  My head tells me you're right but my heart doesn't want to accept it  !  I guess he's just so active and his activity hasn't really changed since he was a baby so I always think of him as so young when for a rat he's really not.  Ug, it sucks to even type those words out.   I swear, he goes non-stop.  More than any of my other boys.  Lazy squisy man=rat he is not!!  Poor baby!  I just really wanted all my boys to live to be four.  I know my sickly little Cecil won't last much longer but the other 4 are so healthy and active it's hard to accept that they're getting up there.   

[Pamnangel]

No matter how old they get, we always think of them as our squishy, little babies.  My Kisses is 2-1/2, but is still as energetic as the younger boys.  He even popcorns on occasion.

[1lila1]

Turns out it is a mammary tumor!   The good news is it can be easily removed.  He just needs to be on antibiotics prior to surgery for a week or so since he had that bad bought of pnemonia.  The vet just wants to make sure he's 100% healthy.

The bad, horrible, awful news is that my precious Cecil has an appt to be PTS tomorrow.  I brought him along as well.  The vet no longer thinks he has a congenital defect in his heart and lungs but now she thinks its a cancerous mass in his chest.  His chest is extremely rigid and hard and his lungs aren't functioning properly.  He's not oxygenating well and she feels it's time for him to be at peace.  I've been wondering when this day would come and hoping it would be a while off.  The vet said she's so surprised he's lasted this long and has had relatively good quality of life so far.

Ugh!  Cancer is a horrible thing.  My fiance's Mom died last week of a very aggressive cancer.  She was just diagnosed at Easter.  And now poor Cecil.  Since we moved her to CA from KY Cecil has been my fiance's favorite rat.  This really sucks but the most important thing is that Cecil does not suffer!

[Pamnangel]

We'll keep our fingers and tails crossed for Alfred.  This kind of surgery is pretty simple.  I've had a couple of rats that have had it done and they all came through with flying colors.

I'm sorry to hear about Cecil.  It's the most difficult decision we ever have to make for our loved ones.  My boys send their condolances.

[lilspaz68]

Good luck with Alfred!!!  and I am sorry to hear about Cecil, poor little fella. They are soo surprising what they can put up with and for so long.  It definitely sounds like the time for that final gift from you.  ((hugs))