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Post by moletteuk on Sept 22, 2016 16:03:43 GMT
Do you agree that the even, bulging shape of it makes it look like it's filled with fluid/ pus?
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Post by bouncy on Sept 22, 2016 18:35:18 GMT
It does look like it just needs lancing with a small needle!
The last time I had a gerbil with a similar growth (but still obscured by fur), the vet said the test of what it was came down to a needle. If blood came out, it was a tumour. If liquid or puss came out, she would irrigate and clear it with antibiotics.
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Post by yasmin on Sept 22, 2016 19:05:17 GMT
It certainly does look like it will burst. The vet should prick it or open it to see what comes out (puss? blood? fine needle biopsy?).
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Post by randomname on Sept 22, 2016 19:15:16 GMT
That's how my vet knew about the rats bouncy, a tiny incision let out fluid, so she knew it was a boil, not anything more sinister. Rats are prone to them, as they are cancer, but the cancer tends to be mammary or testicular, so was worth testing as they'd occur under & on the chin.
My guess is that it's on or very near the surface of the skin moletteuk. It looks like an infected hair follicle, a boil or infection or something. Doesn't look like it's growing from the bone or deeper tissue, especially if it's movable & squashy. Is there any risk to getting it lanced or making a tiny cut with a scalpel? Even if it was something else, I can't see that it could make it worse as long as it was kept clean? If the antibiotics don't work, might be worth a try?
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Post by moletteuk on Sept 22, 2016 19:22:50 GMT
The risk is that she will need sedating for the vet to do anything with it, it wouldn't be possible to hold her still enough otherwise, not with a sharp implement involved. And she has breathing issues, so is probably more at risk than an average goo from the sedation, although she has been sedated in the past and was fine. I'm going to speak to the vet tomorrow and probably organise to take her in on Monday.
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Post by moletteuk on Sept 25, 2016 15:09:09 GMT
Flossie has her investigation tomorrow.
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Post by Bexi87 on Sept 25, 2016 15:31:58 GMT
Fingers crossed it's nothing major and it can be drained for her
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Post by moletteuk on Sept 26, 2016 10:54:11 GMT
She's fine, the vet managed to drain it without sedation in the end and it's just a sebaceous cyst, phew The consent form included general anaesthetic, so I was a bit worried about this and basically asked that the vet take a quick look before they started, just to make sure it was worth the risk. The vet nurse going through the forms with me offered that the vet could have a look right away if I wanted to wait for her current appt to finish. The vet said it was looking a lot more like a cyst than last time, and I had a pretty good hold of Floss so she had a go at getting a needle in there and then. Floss moved before she could pull up the plunger, so the needle came out....and then blood....and then cheesiness, so yay, it's just a cyst. Much degu wrangling and squeezing later, she managed to get a lot of the cheese out, and got a sample to have a look at under microscope, but she thinks it's a sebaceous cyst and could even be sterile. So, I've to continue the antibiotics for a bit longer to try to prevent infection now it's open, and a drop of metacam today, poor Floss was pretty shell shocked by the end, but she is coming round quite quickly on the heatpad with Alice The mildly bad news is there is a good chance it will happen again or this one fill up again, but if it doesn't bother her, then I hope it's not going to be too much of a problem.
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Post by deguconvert on Sept 26, 2016 15:35:14 GMT
What a wonderful relief!! So very glad that it has emptied and looks to be nothing more than a cyst! Glad Flossie is recovering on the heat pad and Alice comforting her. It can't have been much fun at all, being wrangled, and doing the wrangling.
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Post by saggy on Sept 26, 2016 20:21:41 GMT
Sounds a bit like what I used to get that I mentioned, didn't seem infected as such and prob just something clogging at the base of the hair. If she gets more, it might be worth bearing in mind that I stopped getting them when I gave up gluten and became less autoimmune? Just a thought considering their autoimmune issues lol :-)
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Post by randomname on Sept 27, 2016 6:10:50 GMT
ewwwwwwwwwwww "cheesiness" - ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!
Sounds like exactly what Bitey & Scratchy used to get. They usually had one or two a year, not a huge amount. They never grew too big before they burst, so eventually I could just wait for them to pop (keeping a close eye on them obviously) & as soon as they did I'd irrigate it with salt water 3 times a day, keep the cage extra clean 'til it healed up.(usually within a fortnight) I think it's only dangerous if the open site gets infected. Much easier to spot on a hairless animal than a hairy goo I'd imagine.
So glad it's nothing more sinister, must be a huge relief for you & her. If you can get hold of one of those squeezy bottles with a squirty plastic tube attached to irrigate them it makes life a lot easier, my vet had an empty one from another medicine she gave me.
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Post by yasmin on Sept 28, 2016 0:10:44 GMT
What a relief Great outcome.
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Post by moletteuk on Sept 28, 2016 10:57:43 GMT
Thanks people, and thanks for the tips Random and Saggy.
It looks a bit better today, it looked sore yesterday, I think Alice has been overgrooming it a bit, there looks to still be blood in the lump, no sign of any infection though, so hopefully it will gradually deflate and heal up.
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Post by bouncy on Sept 30, 2016 21:56:26 GMT
Yay Flossie! You'll just have to continue resisting the urge to squeeze it!
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Post by moletteuk on Oct 1, 2016 10:32:28 GMT
Hmmm, it looks like it might be getting bigger again.
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Post by bouncy on Oct 1, 2016 16:52:36 GMT
Hmmm, it looks like it might be getting bigger again. Just suggests whatever is causing it is still in there. You and hubby confident enough to sterilise a needle and release some more fluid?
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Post by moletteuk on Oct 2, 2016 10:18:32 GMT
Yes, it doesn't look infected, so I think it is refilling with the original gunk. I reckon we could lance it ourselves, but Ian sounded like he would rather take her back to the vet this time, if it keeps happening we'll figure out how to do it ourselves. I'll probably speak to the vet this week, I'm going to watch and wait for a bit, I think it's probably best to pop as few times as possible if each pop risks introducing infection.
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