Awwww, this is great news Sarah, your ratty family all back living happily together again!! :)
It made me laugh what you said about if Chi ever gets another lump, getting the vet to encase her in a plastercast :) I'll be telling my vet that if ever Phoebe needs another op!!! lol

Chi was let out for her first free range in 9 days this morning.Teazle,Tansy and Tippi were like "Yaaay,Auntie Chi's back!" and they were piling all over her-it was so funny!....and,instead of felling them all with a 360o roundhouse kick like she usually would Chi was pretty mild-maybe she actually missed the attention a little bit!

So, I just put them all in together and went to work.I've just given them their pasta and theres not been a peep out of them.Its so good to have things back to normal.
When Mab had mammary lumps she only ever got 2 bi-lateral ones just like Chi has had....so,I know it may be wishful thinking but I hope theres a chance Chi won't get any more.IF she does I'm going to get the vet to encase her in a plastercast after the op.He He.That'll stop her.

I love it when the biff each other through the bars - I bet they could give professional boxers a run for their money!

Glad she is doing well & will be back with her pals soon!

Phew! That's a relief about Chi's wound, that it's eventually healed! Not having been out, Chi sounds like she's rearing to go. lol, yes, sounds like she will give you a fireworks night to remember! Hope the re-intros go well - I don't envy you :)

Thanks Loopy,but she is doing great I'm pleased to report.The wound is filled up with healed skin now and the sepsis is gone.In a few days it should be dry enough for her to go back in with the others.
Poor Chi hasn't been out at all this time as her wound was so deep there was too much risk of getting dirt in it.The others have been fussing round her cage to say hello and Chi has been trying to biff them one through the bars and nip their toes so I'm expecting the usual fireworks when I reintroduce her!Just in time for bonfire night too LOL!!

Blimey she is an awful girl! I'd keep with the higher dose the vet suggested - one of my real fears is a wound getting infected, and I think that's one of the things that happened to my poor Sooty in the end.

I hope she is behaving now!

Well,thankfully,its looking much better already.The infection has almost gone(Ben the Vet said Chi would clear the gunge herself by eating it-Yuk!-I'm not letting her lick my hand for a while!!).I have halved the dose of antibiotics though.Ben said it was 0.5 mls for up to 1kg of body weight but in the leaflet it says 0.25 mls/1 kg.

Oh Chi, please don't try to outdo Phoebe, but by the sounds of it you already have!!

What a nightmare little missy she is being for you Sarah! I wish rats could be fitted with little lampshade collars to stop them giving us all this stress and extra work! Am so glad the infection is only superficial but will take so much longer to heal thanks to Chi's interference!

As soon as I logged off this morning I went straight up to give Chi her porridge and noticed that her wound had gone all smelly and sloughy.It was fine last night!
So had to take her to the vets and luckily saw the ratty guy that I like.I was so worried but he said the infection is only superficial and even though the wound is very deep it will heal.He's given me a bottle of Synulox drops which will last for 10 days.She's on 0.5 mls twice a day and I'm to flush the wound out with Irriclens saline spray 2x daily too.Gawd!!!

Thanks...now she's even managed to prise apart the bit at the top that I'd thought had healed!Still,I am noticing a slight improvement daily so it will heal,slowly.I give her a good dose of scritches several times a day and Nixie can go in with her for company.
I'm so glad to hear that not all ratties are like this! I was thinking do I have to go through this nightmare everytime a rat has a lump?I can't imagine one worse than Chi...I think she has heard about the legendary antics of Phoebe and decided to out do her!

What a bad girl she is but I am glad she is feeling fine. Sounds like you are doing well taking it all in your stride - our rats do put us through it don't they! I hope it's all working out for you & your ill ratties.

Daniele

Oh no, it sounds like Chi is being worse than Phoebe ever was, and that's saying something!! I'm glad you're coping better with it all though. It's always good to know what to expect, and they don't all do this. Connie was a little angel, she left her wound well alone and just licked it a little when it started to itch, but didn't even attempt to pick once!

I'm glad there's no sign of infection in Chi's wound, I guess the Intrasite should help with that, and it sounds tasty!

It's exhausting being ratty nurse! It seems we both have problems with our ratties at the same time!

Chi is being her usual nightmare self but having been through this once and knowing what to expect I am taking it in my stride this time.
She has a gaping hole in her belly where she has pulled 70% of the wound apart(the top bit has healed.As soon as I fill it with intrasite she cleans out and eats it all up so I am applying just before I feed her so at least it stays in a bit longer whilst she is distracted by her favourite activity-eating.
I don't see the point in taking her to the vets as whatever they could do to reclose it Chi The Destroyer would undo before the day is out.She doesn't seem to be in any pain and it is clean with no sign of infection so I'm hoping it will just heal within 10 days like the last one did.

How's Chi today Sarah? I hope she's behaving herself and not causing you too much stress!!

Oh no! Chi is already up to her old tricks again by the sounds of it, but I'm so glad she came through the op. and has given you a peaceful afternoon at least! I know it's not easy to stay calm. I think the evenings and night are the worst when you can't just rush them in to the vet! It sounds like Chi will be back to her Intrasite addiction again pretty soon!

Gentle scritches to Chi. I hope you have a good night with her!

Chi had her op today.It all went well and she was nice and groggy and slept all afternoon.But...when I went to give her her pasta for dinner she was balancing on her bum ,curling over and just finishing destroying all the glue-work on the wound..*sigh*.....I am leaving it to clot and I will just start on the Intrasite regime tomorrow and try to keep calm(though I'll probably be on here raving like a lunatic before the week is out...!)

I have heard that non-cancerous breast lumps can be genetic but not about a virus that causes them. That's interesting, as like you said about Chi and Nixie being sisters, Molly is Phoebe's sister and she's got to two years without having one lump whereas little Phoebe is on her third :( so I'm now beginning to think that Molly may not be affected and it looks like Nixie may not be either. I think it's similar when you have a rat who suffers frequent bouts of myco that they contract it through the birth canal but not all litter mates are affected.

I do hope all goes well for next Monday, Sarah, and that Chi behaves herself afterwards. I hope you have stocked up on the Intrasite gel!

Scritches to Chi x

Just got back from the vets.He said the lump should be removed as it could cause her real problems 3-4 months down the line at the rate it is growing.
She's booked on Monday 27 October with the same vet that did the surgery last time.

He told me something really interesting,that non-cancerous breast lumps in rats are caused by an onco-virus,ie;a virus that causes tumours.It is passed by the mother through her milk,but not all rats are affected (Nixie is Chi's sister and she's never had any).He told me,had I bred from Chi,her little ones would be prone to lumps!....Has anyone else heard this?

Thanks,Loopylupins,its great to get advice from all angles!
Chi is 1y 8m.
Her vet appointment isn't until next tuesday as I had to wait to get in with the one I really want to see.
I have steeled myself for another removal,it seems like nothing to worry about now after almost losing Nixie at the weekend!!The intrasite worked wonders on her last wound,theres no scar and her fur is almost grown back.
I will ask about the galastop,if he won't try it,then I will ask for an op as I think she is too young to leave it to grow.

I'm sorry to hear this too - it's awful when this happens isn't it? What did the vet say? How old is Chi, I have forgotten?

It's a really hard decision to make. When I had similar problems with Dipper (wound opening up twice) & a new lump grew I made the decision not to operate on her & hoped it would grow slowly (I didn't know about galastop then). I did regret that at the end as she was still a happy & healthy girl when I had to have her pts because of her lump - she was a few months off 3 - and I felt really guilty. And when Sooty pulled her wound open after getting her lump out it ended well with using the intrasite gel.

However I have both Rocket & Siam on galastop now - it's not making the lumps shrink but hopefully it is slowing their growth. It seemed the better option as they are both 2 next month & the lumps are still small & I had heard such good things about it from Jules.

That might seem a bit contradictory Sarah but I suppose I might make different decisions for different rats depending on the circumstances. I hope you aren't finding it too difficult to decide! I do feel for you....

Aw, Sarah, I've only just seen this and am sorry to hear of another lump for Chi :( It's good though that it's not in the same place as the last one. This shows that the vet must have got it all out from there. Connie had regrowth in exactly the same area. It could be that Chi's second lump is of a different type, but if it's doubled in size in a week, it's almost certain to carry on growing at this rapid rate, so I'd think it most advisable to have it removed. You may be offered Galastop, and I've read good things about it, but for Connie it did next to nothing and she quickly deteriorated.

I'm glad you know two good rat vets. This makes such a big difference! I'm sorry this has happened though. This means another round of stress for you and little Chi back in the hospital cage :( but maybe your other rattie will be able to join her from day one this time.

Thinking of you and Chi and sending good vibes!!! Phoebe sends kisses x x x

Chi has another lump!....its on the other side,opposite the one she had removed.
I know I said I wasn't going through that again but if a removal is in her best interest I'll put up with the stress of it all!
I don't know what to do!She'll be a nightmare again,I know,but theres the worry of it it gets too big.Its already doubled in size in a week.
There are 2 good rat vets at one of the surgery's I use so I'm going to get an appoinment with one of them to discuss it.What would you guys do??!

Yay! This is great news Sarah that you now have all your girlies back together! And great news too that Chi's wound is dry and not weeping. I just hope Chi continues to behave herself. She sounds a little bit like my Connie used to be.

Well,as of this morning Chi is back in with the others.Her wound is livid red still but dry and not weeping,so it looks to me like it will turn into a lovely scar!
There was some kissing and grooming during the reunion but also plenty of boxing,kung fu and pinning!Having lost weight during her confinement Chi is now a lean,mean fighting machine!I think she was testing the others to see who was where now in the heirarchy so she could find her place.At first I was a little worried but then I realised,hey,this is how she was before..paranoid..insecure...trigger hair temper...It has been so peaceful in the mischief without her in it that I'd forgotten what it was like.Things have settled more this evening and her side is still fine.I'm just glad she's back "home",she can be such a grump but the new girls seem to like her anyway,they never give up trying to be friendsand they all ratpile in together during the day.

Aw, I'm so glad to read there's at last some progress with Chi's wound and that your blood pressure has gone down, if only a bit! I know how it is with other people not understanding how it is for us over our rats. Often they don't even have to say anything, the look on their faces says it all!
It's good too that Nixie and Chi are peaceful together. At least they have each other even if they don't play together.
I just hope Chi won't get withdrawals when she no longer needs the Intrasite gel!

Thanks for that post,Hannah,when I tell friends/colleagues/family why I'm so strung out they can't understand the big deal!
My blood pressure has gone down a bit today as I am beginning to notice some progress,the edges are starting to creep together slowly with new skin.
I swear Chi is addicted to Intrasite!!This morning at the same time I was applying it she was contorting her head and poking out her tongue as far as it would go trying to eat it !
I can see this taking 3 weeks too.Luckily Nixie and Chi are peaceful together,they have nothing in common(which is why I got the new girls when I lost Tilah),but they rarely fall out, but Chi can be huffy with the 3 new girls so in the evening I let Chi run on the landing whilst the newbies are in their cage so they can sniff through the bars.
LOL yes I have considered cutting 4 leg holes in a length of tubegauz and making Chi a body stocking but I know it wouldn't work!...so,I just have to be patient.

Aw, Sarah, ((((hugs)))) to you! I know how you feel! The first time around with Phoebe I was staying up until 3AM or later trying desperately to stop her picking and pulling the rest of her stitches out. I felt so exhausted and so stressed out. She had to be restitched and nearly a second time and it was about three weeks that Phoebe ended up being in the hospital cage and on her own, and because Connie was here then and with her sparky nature I knew that with every day that passed she was less likely to accept Phoebe back, and I couldn't just put Molly with Phoebe as I knew Connie would fight her when I put her back home, and also knew that Connie wouldn't fare well on her own, she would have become neurotic, and all this because of Phoebe's constant interfering with what should have been a quick healing process! It was a nightmare! In the end, Connie definitely wouldn't accept Phoebe back, so I had to leave her with Molly and buy a third cage - boys in one, Connie and Molly in the other - just for Phoebe. Phoebe actually seemed happier in the end though to be away from Connie, but they were all living together and I felt so sad that this happened. Is Nixie OK with Chi? I've recently reintroduced Phoebe to Molly after Connie died and things were going well and I was actually hoping to get them together permanently, last week in fact, when I discover another lump, which thankfully is an abscess, but even so I'm back to Phoebe having another wound and picking again! Molly is big on grooming Phoebe, so I'm sure she would go straight for her stitches. It's so upsetting! I'm back to square one!

So, yes, I know how you feel and about the frustration. I just hope Chi doesn't get any regrowth, and I know how you feel about not wanting to go through this whole experience again. That was why I was so dreading Phoebe having more stitches as I knew what happened the last time, to her and to me!
You're right, there's not much, if anything, that can be done, apart from surgery that is, for cancer in a rat. Some people just like to know I guess, even though there may be no treatment.
I really wish vets could supply those cone collars to prevent them from being able to get to the wound, but for a rat it would probably cause severe distress I guess. I remember the night I was trying to wrap Phoebe's body in bandages and even a sock to try and stop her, but each time she managed to wriggle out!

So, yes, frustrating and very stressful! I just hope your blood pressure goes down soon!!!

Be a good girl Chi!!!

Its so frustrating!!! Where she hasn't picked there is almost nothing to see now its so neat.Its such a shame,if she'd just left the other half alone she'd be back to normal by now.
Hannah,in Phoebe's thread you said "she had her mouth permanently glued to her side" well,its pretty much that way with Chi.
She's still got a 4cm long gash in her side.The wound is healthly and healing slowly,luckily the Intrasite seems to build up a kind of protective coating on the surface.It would heal up alot faster if that damn rodent would stop interfering.
I couldn't bear her being on her own any longer so I put her sister Nixie in with her during the day as Chi hates to sleep alone.Nixie looks at me to say "Do I have to?"!!Nixie is the only one I trust not to groom at Chi's side.
I have found the whole experience upsetting and stressful (Chi doesn't seem bothered though!)...I've actually given myself high blood pressure worrying!If Chi gets another lump it will stay there,I'm not putting her through this again.I don't know if it was cancerous.The vet said it was unlikely and as theres nothing they could do treatment wise anyway ther'd be no point in testing it.

I thought I'd ask about Chi in her own thread. Is the intrasite gel still holding her together? I hope so! Were you given the option of having the tumour tested to know what it was? I chose not to with Connie and then sort of regretted not knowing. It's quite expensive though I know!

Scritches to Chi! x

Oh dear, it sounds like Chi has been a little bit naughty but hopefully the intrasite gel should hold her together! It's good though that it's not infected. Be a good girl for your mummy little Chi! x x x