My rat's pituitary tumor symptoms are gone. Was it misdiagnosed?

Thank you for your question about Shadow. The most common tumors that occur in the belly/leg regions of rats are mammary tumors. Based on the location that you described, this may be the case with Shadow. The reason I bring this up is because it is very common for these tumors to be like a ball under the skin, and only have a small string of tissue that connects it to the body. So, when they are removed surgically, they shell out very easily once the skin has been cut. There is the potential that after the skin become necrotic that the tumor was able to "fall out" of the defect left in the skin. The other alternative is that it could be becoming very heavy and stretching the areas of skin to make it appear like it has pushed itself out. I would recommend taking Shadow back to your veterinarian, as they may be able to remove this more easily now. This may be a good idea regardless, due to the necrotic tissue that you had described. I didn't see if that was still present now, but they can provide her with antibiotics, if they are indicated, at the same time. I hope that helps to answer your question, and congratulations on having a three year old rat. It says a lot about your care of her.

Cushing's can be pituitary in origin or adrenal in origin. A sonogram can not be performed on the pituitary as it is in the brain. This would require a CT or MRI. A sonogram can be performed on the adrenal glands but this does not definitely diagnose Cushing's (is just one of the tests to help aide in diagnosis), that would require blood testing. It is not a disease that goes away on its own unless surgery is performed to remove a mass that is oversecreting hormones. It sounds like the diagnosis was never truly confirmed, especially if medications are being stopped. I would recommend getting a little more clarification from your vet as to this. If additional help is needed referral to a veterinary internist would be the next step. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Gilrat. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian. A procedure known as a fine needle aspirate is typically performed when a pet has a mass present. A small needle is used to collect a sample of cells to evaluate under the microscope. This allows the doctor to tell you the type of mass and if treatment is required for him. I hope this information helps!

I'm sorry Lorenzo has a tumor. Unfortunately, rats in general, especially older rats, have a predisposition to developing tumors both benign and malignant. His prognosis depends on the type of tumor as well as its location. To determine either, he would need to be physically examined by your veterinarian and have diagnostics performed. This could include blood work, x-rays, abdominal ultrasound or a fine needle aspirate of the mass. Once you have this information, you can discuss all options with your vet. Good luck!

I think as long as Snowball eats and drinks and appears happy and not in pain, you can just monitor her and make sure she stays happy. Make the holes bigger or remove the small holes, so she does not get stuck. Listen to your mouse. She will tell you when it is time to let her go. Also should the tumor start to ulcerate or bleed, she will be prone to infections, and that may also be time to let go. But until then you can spoil her with treats and pets and a good life.

Thanks for reaching out about Yuki and including photos. Soft masses in the axilla or inguinal areas, are often mammary in nature. Most mammary tumors in rats are benign but not all. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a treatment plan. A second possibility is a fatty tumor (lipoma) which are also benign. Good luck.

Hello, I'm sorry to hear you don't feel trusting of your veterinarian's medical opinion. I can't do a physical or neurologic exam online, so it's difficult to advise much in these cases. Pituitary tumors are extremely common in female rats. I think an ear infection would be much less common and not a cause of such severe disease.