[Grotesque]

Chai has had a lump by her genital area for a while. It never seemed to bother her. Some days it was there, some days it wasn't. Some days it was soft, other days it was hard.

The vet didn't have much to say about it other than take her in for testing if it got any bigger.

Chai has been just fine over the last few months. Saturday she was perfectly fine. She had a grand adventure in the bedroom, did tons of exploring... ate a blueberry... hoarded her dinner... everything Chai loves to do. Her lump wasn't even there.

Then Sunday morning rolled around. I fed the girls and immediately knew something was wrong when Chai didn't leave the plastic house. Feeding time is what she lives for. She is the hoarding queen.

I lifted up the plastic igloo house and she was just laying there breathing hard. I carefully picked her up and saw she was sucked up in the abdomen and the lump was MASSIVE and red. I sat her back in the cage while I called my boyfriend. I noticed at this point she was dragging her hind legs as she struggled to get back into the igloo.

I brought the water bottle to her, she drank. She refused Oxbow but took sunflower seeds and blueberry treats. She accepted a real blueberry but didn't eat it.

I figured it was the end so, in tears, I threw all the sunflower seeds and blueberry treats she could want in the igloo with her. I figured if she was going to pass away, I'd let her do it doing what she loves... eating sunflower seeds and blueberry treats.

She wasn't responding to her name... which is very unlike her. I knew it was the end. I had my boyfriend call to try to find a vet who was open on Sundays for something like this.

I watched the other rats stampede in, step on her, and steal all her "treasures" so I decided to seperate her since she seemed like she was getting upset.

Chai is more people oriented than rat oriented. She loves her rat sisters but seems to prefer human affection. I took a laundry basket, lined it with clean towels, sprinkled some paper bedding on it, put the igloo in there with a hand towel inside it, and attached a water bottle close to the opening of the igloo.

Upon putting her in there, she layed down in the igloo. I gave her some sunflower seeds and a couple treats, which she ate. I also left her with a fresh blueberry which she ended up eating later. I offered her water every few minutes in case she was too weak to make it to the bottle.

When I just couldn't keep my eyes open anymore, I fell asleep. I woke up to her drinking so I checked on her. She was acting like herself. She wasn't in obvious pain anymore. She was highly responsive to her name, HOARDED and ate Oxbow and a blueberry... and a couple sunflower seeds.

The lump is still there as big as it was, but her abdomen isn't sucked in anymore. It is 2am. She fell back asleep in the igloo. I told her if she still feels better in the morning, she can have a play date with her favorite rat friend on the bed. I don't know if I should put her back in the cage... one of the rats is a bit of a bully and Chai seems more content on her own at the moment.

I don't know if I can afford this. If it in an abscess, how do you know? I don't think it is a tumor because it changes size and hardness. I don't know if it is an abscess because there is no "head" on it.

PS. Thanks for listening.

 

[Grotesque]

View attachment 187386

It is very blurry. She was struggling and I didn't want her to hurt herself.

 

[nanashi7]

Is it coming out of her genitals?

 

[Grotesque]

Is it coming out of her genitals?

No. It looks like a lump situated around her vaginal opening and anus. She honestly looks like a male rat. Nothing is coming out of any "holes" though her butthole WAS open to the point you could almost see inside it. That seems to have closed up a bit. (sorry for the graphic nature)

I'd like to note that yesterday when it was at her worst and her anus was open, when I lifted her tail, she heaved like she was trying to force out a poop.

She has been defecating and I have been checking them by hand. They are solid but not rock hard, no blood, and no loose stools.

 

[Grotesque]

Update!

Sorry to bump my thread but I'm really having a breakdown here. Chai woke me up by trying to climb out of the laundry basket she is housed in. I decided to go ahead and put new bedding in for her to keep things as clean as possible.

The lump is SLIGHTLY smaller. She seems thin especially in the back legs. I offered her some dog food along with Oxbow. She ate some kibbles of each and drank a bit of water. I'm going to pick up some Ensure today to see if I can get some weight back on her. I called my vet and the "rat guy" won't be in until tomorrow so I made an appointment.

In my last post I talked about her poops being normal. Well, when I went to clean her laundry basket cage, I found one that was almost as big as her head. As I was cleaning up, she pooped a lot more. Several more. One appeared to have a bit of cloudy white slime on it. Only one, though, of the 3 or 4 she pooped while I was cleaning.

In times like this, I am so glad I work from home so I can be here for her 24/7.

Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions? I'd like to know if I should put her in with the other rats or only allow a play date on the bed.

 

[nanashi7]

If she is feeling better she might want back with the others. I don't know about the lump a vet would probably be in order. Look into care credit for vets.

 

[Grotesque]

Hernia!

I was able to get her in to a different vet today. Apparently it is a hernia.