Abscesses
In my experience these can be a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to impacting the general health of the rat. You can get abscesses that require no treatment and will resolve on their own, right down to impacting the rats health to the extent that it could be better to say good bye to them. How can you tell the difference? I usually go by location as a starter for ten.
On the body
It's most common to see preputial abscesses in bucks although they can and do affect does, these are mostly harmless and can resolve on their own with little assistance required. They will typically present as a slight lump so you may initially wonder if this could be a mammary tumour however, over the next couple of days you will see the area of the abscess turn black as it gets ready to burst. You can clean the wound out with extremely diluted hibiscrub once it's open however, if the abscess is positioned on the main body it can heal on it's own without you having to do anything, it's just one of those things to keep an eye on and watch for it to heal.
If the location of the abscess is very close to the rats penis or vagina you may need to consult a vet and get some antibiotics, as these are extremely sensitive areas and abscesses can cause a lot of damage if they invade into that space.
On the face
Any abscess on the face is instantly more of a concern for me, they are not a typical abscess. When this happens it's important to look at the placement. You really have two likely outcomes when looking at these:
1. An abscess that is located next to the ear and parallel to the eye can indicate something more sinister - a Zymbal gland tumour (ZGT). A ZGT is often initially mistaken for an abscess however, this abscess sits on top of the tumour and hides it and then never heals properly as the tumour persists. This condition ultimately will lead to having to make the decision to put the rat to sleep to avoid prolonged or sustained pain as a ZGT is extremely painful for a rat.
2. Facial abscesses. These can be aggressive and can be difficult to heal. Any abscess on the face and jaw will likely need antibiotics to treat and even then may not be curative. It is imperative to act quickly and get a vet visit as soon as anything presents on the face, jaw or neck area. If left to grow or denied treatment the abscess and infection within can invade the bone and then lead to osteomyelitis (inflammation of the bone). Once the infection has reached the bone there is very often little that can then be done to fully heal the issue and again you may have to make the decision that it's kinder to put your rat to sleep to avoid prolonging any further pain.
Lump or abscess?
If you're concerned about differentiating between a mammary lump or an abscess you can book a vet appointment and ask for a fine needle aspiration. Any pus expelled during the examination will determine that you are looking at an abscess.
Any suspected abscesses can be treated with warm compressed to try and get them to emerge faster so you can get a clear answer.
What can you expect from a vet visit?
As mentioned above, if a vet isn't sure what the suspected lump is, they may want to perform a fine needle aspiration.
Depending on the position and size, the abscess may have to be surgically removed as some antibiotics may be ineffective due to the SAC which protects the inner bacteria.
You may be prescribed antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. The antibiotic metronidazole is recommended for any tooth related abscess. Baytril (enrocare) is usually considered a poor choice of antibiotic to treat abscesses.
Depending on the size, position and type, you may be told this will heal with minimal intervention.
What to keep in your first aid box
While abscesses require minimal treatment that you can source from home, I would advise you keep a small bottle of hibiscrub at home. This may help clean and flush out some more persistent abscesses on the body if needed.
In my experience these can be a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to impacting the general health of the rat. You can get abscesses that require no treatment and will resolve on their own, right down to impacting the rats health to the extent that it could be better to say good bye to them. How can you tell the difference? I usually go by location as a starter for ten.
On the body
It's most common to see preputial abscesses in bucks although they can and do affect does, these are mostly harmless and can resolve on their own with little assistance required. They will typically present as a slight lump so you may initially wonder if this could be a mammary tumour however, over the next couple of days you will see the area of the abscess turn black as it gets ready to burst. You can clean the wound out with extremely diluted hibiscrub once it's open however, if the abscess is positioned on the main body it can heal on it's own without you having to do anything, it's just one of those things to keep an eye on and watch for it to heal.
If the location of the abscess is very close to the rats penis or vagina you may need to consult a vet and get some antibiotics, as these are extremely sensitive areas and abscesses can cause a lot of damage if they invade into that space.
On the face
Any abscess on the face is instantly more of a concern for me, they are not a typical abscess. When this happens it's important to look at the placement. You really have two likely outcomes when looking at these:
1. An abscess that is located next to the ear and parallel to the eye can indicate something more sinister - a Zymbal gland tumour (ZGT). A ZGT is often initially mistaken for an abscess however, this abscess sits on top of the tumour and hides it and then never heals properly as the tumour persists. This condition ultimately will lead to having to make the decision to put the rat to sleep to avoid prolonged or sustained pain as a ZGT is extremely painful for a rat.
2. Facial abscesses. These can be aggressive and can be difficult to heal. Any abscess on the face and jaw will likely need antibiotics to treat and even then may not be curative. It is imperative to act quickly and get a vet visit as soon as anything presents on the face, jaw or neck area. If left to grow or denied treatment the abscess and infection within can invade the bone and then lead to osteomyelitis (inflammation of the bone). Once the infection has reached the bone there is very often little that can then be done to fully heal the issue and again you may have to make the decision that it's kinder to put your rat to sleep to avoid prolonging any further pain.
Lump or abscess?
If you're concerned about differentiating between a mammary lump or an abscess you can book a vet appointment and ask for a fine needle aspiration. Any pus expelled during the examination will determine that you are looking at an abscess.
Any suspected abscesses can be treated with warm compressed to try and get them to emerge faster so you can get a clear answer.
What can you expect from a vet visit?
As mentioned above, if a vet isn't sure what the suspected lump is, they may want to perform a fine needle aspiration.
Depending on the position and size, the abscess may have to be surgically removed as some antibiotics may be ineffective due to the SAC which protects the inner bacteria.
You may be prescribed antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. The antibiotic metronidazole is recommended for any tooth related abscess. Baytril (enrocare) is usually considered a poor choice of antibiotic to treat abscesses.
Depending on the size, position and type, you may be told this will heal with minimal intervention.
What to keep in your first aid box
While abscesses require minimal treatment that you can source from home, I would advise you keep a small bottle of hibiscrub at home. This may help clean and flush out some more persistent abscesses on the body if needed.