Tooth Root Abscess or Head tumor?

[Kenzie]

Basically my rat Olivia has had a slightly "bulgier" eye I never thought much of it until I brought it up with another group. I scheduled an appointment, and it's definitely not glaucoma. She's showed no signs of pain, there is no "grayness" in the eye typically associated with it either. I kept an eye on it for a couple of months, and no real change. She's a little "Derpy".

I took her into the vet, she x-rayed it and then prescribed her Sulfate Trimethoprim, to treat for an abscess/infection behind the eye. There has been no significant change and the vet narrowed it down to a tooth root abscess or a tumor behind the eye pushing it forward. I'm seeing a specialist tomorrow who can get a better idea of what it may be. My question is does anyone have any experience with root abscesses or tumors behind the eye? She eats, drinks, gets around fine. Just a little spacey. Except when I medicate her the eye will tear up a clear fluid. and once or twice a green eye booger (pus maybe?) comes out.

A good eye comparison. It's the eye on the right.


She's a little derpy.

[Rzrwyre]

That's tricky because anything that increases pressure behind the eye or in the brain can do that.  Maybe others have good recommendations on meds to try to rule out one or the other?  Green stuff does sound kind of scary.  That's just when you medicate it?

[Kenzie]

That's tricky because anything that increases pressure behind the eye or in the brain can do that.  Maybe others have good recommendations on meds to try to rule out one or the other?  Green stuff does sound kind of scary.  That's just when you medicate it?

When I give her the sulfate trimethoprim she does NOT like it, so I have to force feed it to her, and I'm assuming that stresses her out or some how puts pressure on the eye

[Marybelle]

If she's got green goop coming out, it certainly sounds like an abscess of some kind is likely.  Tooth root abscess might explain why the meds aren't clearing it up.  Those generally don't, until you get rid of the tooth that's the problem... 

Hopefully the specialist will have some better insight into it.

[Kenzie]

If she's got green goop coming out, it certainly sounds like an abscess of some kind is likely.  Tooth root abscess might explain why the meds aren't clearing it up.  Those generally don't, until you get rid of the tooth that's the problem... 

Hopefully the specialist will have some better insight into it.

I hope. The x-ray showed there was something pressing against her eye and the only thing the vet was guessing was a tumor or an abscess on the tooth. I'll let you all know when I get back from the vet's.

[Kenzie]

Okay so fast forward, w got the x-rays but the first vet I went to was not really helpful. She just said it was a soft tissue mass.

I brought O in for an exam and the current vet I use. She had to wait a week or so to get notes from the very first vet. Basically she feels like it's an abscess behind the eye or is leaning towards abscessed tooth. She sounded skeptical about doing surgery to remove the eye and the tooth. Or she said we could wait for it to come to a "head" and then treat it like an oral abscess is my best guess.

How successful/dangerous are tooth root abscess removals?

[Marybelle]

As with any surgery, it'll depend on how healthy she is, and how confident the vet is...  The problem with letting it come to a head is that is seems to have chosen the eye socket as it's exit point.  Unless you can open up another part of her check to let it drain that way, I'm not sure that letting it do it's thing is the greatest idea.  Granted, I haven't seen her hands-on, so the vet may be entirely right...

[CarrieD]

Could it be a Zymbal's gland tumor?

[Marybelle]

Could it be a Zymbal's gland tumor?

Those generally tend to show up under the ear, and most don't interfere with the eyes at all.

[CarrieD]

I've only had to deal with it once, but it did interfere with her eye when it was advanced - the eye protruded a bit and was watery - which is what made me think of it. There was an overlying abscess, though, and that probably contributed.

[Kenzie]

As with any surgery, it'll depend on how healthy she is, and how confident the vet is...  The problem with letting it come to a head is that is seems to have chosen the eye socket as it's exit point.  Unless you can open up another part of her check to let it drain that way, I'm not sure that letting it do it's thing is the greatest idea.  Granted, I haven't seen her hands-on, so the vet may be entirely right...

I didn't like that option much either. I'm going to go pop into my surgical vet's office after pay day next week to see if she would be better qualified to remove it (and potentially) the eye.

I've only had to deal with it once, but it did interfere with her eye when it was advanced - the eye protruded a bit and was watery - which is what made me think of it. There was an overlying abscess, though, and that probably contributed.

I thought ZGT's usually came to a "head" (opened up? idk) on the surface. One of her cage mates already had a ZGT and had to be put to sleep.

[Sidders]

The only experience I've had with a bulgy eye is when my rat had a suspected brain tumor of some sort. She eventually started to have seizures and had to be pts. 

[RattusNorvegicus]

My only experience with bulgy eye(s) is from respiratory problems. Luna lived with one bulgy eye a long time, and recently when Eddy had a bad couple of weeks her eyes got very bulgy. Gloom's eyes have bulged before and got very mucky. Benadryl fixed the problem.

When Luma was younger I think she may have had an abscess behind her eye but it cleared up on it's own luckily.

Since the mass was seen through X-ray though, I can't imagine this would be similar. I don't know what causes the eyes to bulge sometimes with respiratory infections or allergies..I should ask my vet about it. Trying Benadryl for a few days wouldn't hurt would it (it took around 3 days for the eyes to start going down)?

Does the green stuff stink?

[Kenzie]

The only experience I've had with a bulgy eye is when my rat had a suspected brain tumor of some sort. She eventually started to have seizures and had to be pts. 

That's what we thought at first. But since there was a greenish discharge they speculated it was an infection. They looked at the xrays and the radiologist said she was pretty confident it wasn't a tumor because they thought it would eat in to the bone and would be cancerous or something.

My only experience with bulgy eye(s) is from respiratory problems. Luna lived with one bulgy eye a long time, and recently when Eddy had a bad couple of weeks her eyes got very bulgy. Gloom's eyes have bulged before and got very mucky. Benadryl fixed the problem.

When Luma was younger I think she may have had an abscess behind her eye but it cleared up on it's own luckily.

Since the mass was seen through X-ray though, I can't imagine this would be similar. I don't know what causes the eyes to bulge sometimes with respiratory infections or allergies..I should ask my vet about it. Trying Benadryl for a few days wouldn't hurt would it (it took around 3 days for the eyes to start going down)?

Does the green stuff stink?

Why did her eye bulge with URI?

She's actually on .33 cc's of baytril and it *seems* to be helping. its not nearly as bulgey, and I haven't seen any discharge in the past few days. I can't imagine it would be an allergy to something, though.


So the baytril has been apparently effective against whatever's behind her eye? Does that sound right or just a "lucky" coincidence?

[lilspaz68]

An abscess behind the eye might respond well to baytril, so lets hope that's what it is and that it fully heals 

[Kenzie]

seems a tad bulgier this afternoon. but way less bulgier than when I took her to the vet. c: