lump on side of neck

[helen]

My daughter has a 2.5 y.o female who has had a lump growing on the side of her neck. i had noticed that she looked like she was a little chubby around the face a couple of weeks ago and just thought it was old age, my question to you is this......do i take her to the vet? will they be able to do anything considering her age (if she were younger there would be no hesitation). she is still very lively, playing with her 2 roomies, her coat is still soft and healthy looking. And last of all, if i do take her to the vet do you know what it is likely to cost?

[gabrielleb]

The lump could be a tooth abcess....but I'm not a vet so I cant diagnose it Vet costs vary a fair bit, it just depends on the individual vet, a consult at my vet i think is...$70....its quite pricey, but I was recommended to there (Warranwood Vet Clinic) by a breeder on another forum I am on, they are an exotic vet, so know a bit more about rats then your average vet But yea, its just a matter of ringing around and asking questions But the quicker you get her in, the cheaper the treatment will be

[christie]

Yes for sure she should go in to see the vet. She is an old rat but i think that because she isn't showing her age at all then she would be fine to have surgery on (depending if the area its self is able to be worked on). If she wasn't in good health then it might have been a different story.
Good luck with her.

[Kim]

At her age it could be anything from a tooth abcess as Gabby suggested to a cancer tumor.

Females over 18 months old are more likely to have tumors..

Unfortunately tumors are a bad thing because they can get to a really large size without really seeming to effect the rat .. if not looked at and left to grow then they can actually burst open and still the rat doesnt seem to be effected..

Rats dont always show signs of pain when they are actually in pain...

As Gabby said vet costs vary .. The clinic Gabby mentioned in Warrenwood is one of the better ones for treating rats and they are a bit more expensive but their care including after care is amazing.. My vet actually calls Dr Brenden Carmel at the warrenwood clinic if there is something about my rats that he doesnt know or isnt sure of as Dr Brenden is as I said an expert with rats and other exotic pets.

A cheaper vet is in Keysborough, at the Australian Animal Protection Society, but I dont know how much experience they have in rats, or how much they charge.

My vet here in Cranbourne charges about $45 to $60 for a consult..

Good luck with your girl .. 2.5 is a very respectable age for a rat to get to.

[toby]

ive had a few females over the years with tumors and i think this is something rats will get from time to time.