File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
I went to the vets today because my rats lump has grown quite a bit. I was under the impression the majority of tumors in rats are benign and even though they might come back aren't necessarily deadly unless they start compressing organs and stuff.

So the guy charges me £12.50 for just seeing her (I used to pay £8.50 for my other rat to have anesthetic so they could do her teeth) and he tells me it in malignant without even doing a biopsy, and that even if they take it out it will have probably have spread to organs and stuff.

Can they even come to that conclusion without testing the lump first? And from what I have read I don't see any reason why it is malignant and not benign when malignant tumors are pretty rare compared to benign ones in rats.

Do you think I should get a second (well third, there was another vet there too) opinion from a different vets? I love my rats and I would gladly pay for her to have it taken back if it is going to expand her life, but if it is malignant then she might die within a couple of months so it isn't really worth putting her through the surgery? But if it is benign she could go on without anymore lumps and she could live until she is 3 years old. I think she might have another growing =/ and atm the large one isn't affecting her much at all, so if I could leave it and see if another grows, she could have all 3 taken out at the time time. Not only would iot save me money but she would only have to go under one operation.
>> Anonymous
that vet sounds like an asshole. get a second opinion.
>> Anonymous
Make them test the tumor first.

My rat had a lump under her arm and I took her to the vet and the vet without testing it told me they would have to do surgery to remove it. Come to find out after the surgery it was just a cyst that could have been drained and and given antibiotics saving me a ton of money. So yeah always get it tested first so they are sure.