Did she have the loose stool prior to the abs? I always pound probiotics when Im on antibiotics because i once got cdiff and that stuff is not fun. I don't think rats can get cdiff but it's still not good for their healthy gut bacteria. Amox is a broad range ab so it'll probably effect that.
Other than that i have no information regarding bacterial lump bumps.
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No lose stool goes with the ABs. We gave her yogurt yesterday. And as she can't very well reach due to the tumors we're wiping her...

This is what it's come down come to... Still... whatever it takes.

This is Fuzzy's first experience with recycled paper type bedding and she's buried herself in it with only her nose and tail sticking out. I think she's pretending to be a land-shark, but the vet says we've got to avoid splinters in her growth's at all costs even 20 bucks a bag... Ouch!

 

Tumours can be abscessed, mammary tumours over the actual gland can contain milk, but tumours are almost never bacterial...if your vet thinks there's bacteria inside these lumps why not get an FNA (fine needle aspiration) to determine if there is cystic material, solid or pus inside? There are also MUCH better antibiotics than amoxicillin that are broad spectrum, I would be more likely to go for baytril instead.

 

I have come across lymph nodes being inflamed due to an infection or a systemic infection of the lymph glands. These do sit in typical mammary hot spots, but i have never seen them get far beyond about half an inch across. I dont know how big Fuzzy rats lumps are.

I've seen abcessed mammary tumours before. They are pretty common once a mammary lump gets beyond a certain size and ulcerates. They could be large abcesses, however all but the more internal abcesses tend to burst once they get over about an inch diameter and i wouldnt expect a rat to have more than one or two unless it had a poor immune system (which given fuzzy rats age i think unlikley) or it had been in a fight with someone.

An infection of the milk gland is possible, I've heard of that in a few rats, generally though its post lactation or phantom pregnancy.

 

Well judging from what Isamurat just said and having seen the size of Fuzzy Rat's tumours, I'm willing to bet that they're tumours that have abcessed... cause they're pretty big. I'm sure he'll post the pictures on here later but yeah, that doesn't sound good

 

The two nodules towards the forearm appear to be liquid filled and are very soft and squishy, those towards the rear are firmer. Each is directly under a nipple and none leak or ooze.

We're on day 4 and sometimes they look like they are either getting bigger or smaller, but I think it's more of a state of optimism or pessimism in the beholder's eye than a physical change. Oddly, it looks more like the whole rat is shrinking rather than the growths. As the son of a toolmaker and machine shop supervisor, I have a great eye for tiny measurements, but with a furry little animal, that moves I have no real reference to judge size against. Amelia, our healthy rat can fit neatly into the palm of my hand and then stretch out to over 8 inches when she's roaming. Rats just don't seem to have a fixed size and when you add that Fuzzy Rat has very lose skin it's a challenge. The vet said to call him Friday and let him know how she's doing. Hopefully there's definitive change by then.

I pretty much asked about abscessed tumors, and he pretty much said that the medication he was prescribing would help that too, but that would fall under the heading of malignant and inoperable.

So basically if antibiotics work and it's a bacterial infection we'll get our rat back, if not there's nothing more to do. He was an older gentleman, and struck me as a pretty realistic fellow with an old and established practice. I'm sure another vet might have suggested a biopsy or such but given the options I suppose treat and wait seems like the practical approach... I just wish I knew when I should be expecting to see a real change.

 

An aspiration and biopsy is quick and is no big ordeal. Well worth the procedure so that you can figure out what's going on instead of playing the guessing game.

 

Id agree with cagebirdsinging. If the vet uses a sharp needle to peirce the suspect lumps it will let you know asap if its an abcess or a lump, if its abcessed or something milk filled it will drain quickly. If not its a mass of some sort. Steroids can help shrink tumours a little and if they are mammary lumps as opposedto fatty or other tumours then something like tamoxifen has had good effects on hormonally xriven tumours. Theres also an anti lump mix floating around that might help.

In terms of her shrinking as opposed to the lumps, this does happen frequently with large tumours, they take so much of the rats nutrition that the rat shrinks down. Its not abnormal for them to be very skinny in the end, with massive tumours. When your talking about 4 mammary tumours though removal in an old girl isnt worth it in my eyes, I had a girl who was similar with 5 of varying aize. She lived happily for several months and steroids helped a little, before they ulcerated and I chosea pts as I could close the wounds up again.

Fingers crossed an aspiration works and the lumps go, she s a really soecial girl and obviously a fighter, rats likeher deserve to love forever.

 

I suppose different vets have differing takes on the matter. I pretty much think he's convinced it's one or the other.... If it's a bacterial infection antibiotics will cure it and if it's the alternative there's no way to go and no reason for any other procedures.

Honestly he gave us an option I didn't even think we had. He seemed optimistic after examining Fuzzy Rat and claimed that if it's not tumors she could live to 4 years old. He said the lymph glands under her arms look good and he didn't feel any internal lumps. But it's the first time I met him, so I can't say what his normal bedside manner is, I also had my 7 year old daughter along and he could have been considering her feelings.

Naturally I didn't ask how long it would take to see an improvement, but he said to call back in a week. Usually antibiotics work fast, so I just assumed that the lumps would just start going away, but when I think about it, growths as large as those on Fuzzy Rat aren't likely to just disappear overnight even in the best case. A week doesn't seem an unreasonable time to wait for something to change, but time seems to be creeping.

I weighed her and she was 1lb 9.45oz last Friday, tonight she was 1lb 9.50 oz basically the same. So I suppose at least not getting worse is something to be happy about.

 

if the antibiotics dont work i would at least suggest the steroids to your vet, it probably can't hurt at that stage and it does often slow the growth or even shrink the lumps somewhat, it wont fix it but it might give her a longer happpy life.

 

I am taking notes for plan "b"... your comments and recommendations are appreciated, at the same time I'm still praying not to need them.

After a rather wild skid down a mountain through traffic on ice a friend asked my why I didn't just go off the road and come to a stop in a grassy/shrubby area we slid by.... I told him as long as I had a slim chance of not crashing that was my priority and I was way to busy steering around other out of control cars to chose the better crash site. I guess, that's just the way I think. If plan a fails, I'll be more ready to wrap my head around plan b.