i'm talking about pet rats here, not swamp or sewer rats thanks!Why are female rats more prone to tumors?
As mentioned earlier, most tumors are mammary tumors, which only females have. You will often see tumors develop after a rat has gone through menopause and the estrogen levels rise, causing tumors to grow faster.
Surgery can be done if the lump is in a good spot and is caught early. Once a tumor grows too large or is too close to vital organs it is impossible to remove safely.
Spaying a female rat can reduce the chance of getting a tumor later on in life.Why are female rats more prone to tumors?
Female rats are more prone to mammary tumors. Females are the only sex that have mammary glands (i.e. milk producing glands). The mammary glands can be found throughout the body... this is why the tumors do not necessarily form near the nipples. You can have your rat spayed at a young age. This will reduce the risk of her getting tumors. Some vets will perform soft tissue surgery to remove the tumors, with limited success. I have read that domestic rats are more prone to cancer because they are descendants of the ';lab rat.'; Lab rats were originally bred to get cancer easily so it could be studied. It's really pretty sad.
I've had a few females that had tumors. One didn't make it very long after surgery. The vet we chose did an awful job ';putting her back together';. Another one I had (just recently passed) had mammary tumors. I adopted her after she was abandoned at the pet store. She lived pretty long with them and jumped and climbed more than some of my other girls. Mammary tumors are easier to remove than most others and are generally benign. Spaying helps cut down on chances greatly. Just do your research on the vet you choose, don't be afraid to ask questions, and your rat may live longer than you think
I'm not sure why rats get tumors but I do know they are prone to them. My first rat I ever had, she had two tumors through her life. You just got to take them to the vet and they can get their tumor removed.
It looks awful afterwards, because they cut them open and have to stitch them up, but rats can survive. :D
im not sure why their prone to tumors
No comments:
Post a Comment