The popularity of pet rats is still growing at a rapid pace due to more and more people showing various photographs and videos of their pet rats being cute on social media.
This is slowly changing the reputation rats have amongst the wider society and getting more people to get themselves a pet rat.
As the number of people keeping pet rats increase, the number of questions about caring for a pet rat also increases and we are seeing a steady increase in the range of questions we see rat owners asking.
One of the more serious ones that we have noticed people reaching out to ask about is what to do if their pet rat’s tumor bursts.
This can be a very serious issue and much of the advice we see people sharing on social media about what to do if your pet rat’s tumor burst is incorrect and puts your rat at risk.
Due to this as well as how many people we see asking about their pet rat having problems with its tumor, we decided to publish our own article covering the questions that we see from the community.
Our table of contents below should make it quick and easy for you to navigate the article with ease and help you get to the information that you need quickly though.
What Should You Do If Your Rats Tumor Bursts!
The majority of people should be seeking professional advice from a veterinarian if their pet rat’s tumor bursts as burst tumors can cause a large amount of blood loss as well as end up getting infected.
Even a small tumor still presents these risks so it’s just not worth putting your pet rat at risk in this way when you can often get great advice from a vet on how to move forward.
In our opinion, the best way to do this is to book a video call with a veterinarian to have them quickly check your pet rat over to see how they are.
This can be done via the camera on your smartphone and the fully qualified vet will offer you the same level of professional advice that you would have got if you had taken your pet rat to the local vets while also usually working out to be much cheaper than a visit to your local vet’s office too.
In some situations, you may be able to just apply a decent pet bandage to your rat depending on the location of the burst tumor but for the most part, you really should be getting the injury checked by a vet.
It is also common that some people will try a pet antiseptic spray on a burst tumor on their rats but some of these products may be too strong for your pet rat and actually cause a stinging sensation or a large amount of pain.
How Long Can A Rat Survive With A Burst Tumor?
It is unlikely that a rat will survive long with a burst tumor without human intervention due to the risk of infection or problems from blood loss being so high.
In many cases, if your rat does have it’s wounded treated correctly either with stitches or even just a correctly applied, clean dressing, its chances of survival start to go up rapidly.
The problem with burst tumors on rats is that the majority of people who own a pet rat simply are not qualified to decide exactly what is wrong with their pet rat and how best to move forward.
As we touched on above, even a small tumor or a small cut to a large tumor can actually release a large amount of blood and present a very real infection rate so we would always recommend that you book a video call with a vet if possible.
Many people who own rats do try to make their own judgment calls and often end up making the situation worse due to simply not knowing how they should try to treat the burst tumor on their rat.
You also have to realize that what works for a tumor in one location on a rat may not work for a tumor on a another location as the burst tumor may end up being ripped open time and time again when your rat walks.
This is why we always tell our readers to ignore all advice they see on social media as the majority of people are just repeating what a vet told them rather than actually understanding why their vet told them to do a specific thing.
Are Burst Tumors Painful For Rats?
A burst tumor on your pet rat may not be painful depending on the exact situation but this does not mean that there is no blood loss risk for your rat or that the chances of infection are any lower than any other injury.
The majority of rats will usually feel a burst tumor though and it can end up causing a large amount of pain to your pet rat so getting it fixed as soon as possible is usually the best option.
Now, the specific type of tumor that your pet rat had will come into play on if the burst tumor will cause a large amount of pain or not. If the tumor developed tough and rough skin around it then the chances are lower of the burst tumor causing your rat pain.
If the tumor was soft, fleshy skin then the sensitivity levels tend to remain similar to regular skin and the chances of it being painful are much higher.
You can often tell if the burst tumor on your pet rat is hurting it or not by the way your rat will behave too.
Remember that licking is often a sign of pain in rats so if your pet rat is constantly licking its burst tumor then there is a high chance of it being painful.
So many people overlook this sign and presume that it just means that your rat is trying to clean its wound so keep your eyes open for it!
When Should You Euthanize A Rat With A Burst Tumor?
Only your veterinarian is able to advise you if you should euthanize your pet rat with a burst tumor.
Sometimes a vet will be able to stitch or treat the burst tumor and keep your rat alive without it having any real long term side effects but other times, the vet may recommend that you euthanize your rat.
Again, the type of tumor that your pet rat had will come into this as well as the location of the tumor on your rat also coming into play.
In reality, there are just too many variables at play for the average person to make this judgment call so this is why we recommend that you seek advice from a professional vet as soon as possible.
The sooner you get a vet involved after the tumor on your rat bursts, the higher the chances of survival are for your pet rat too.
This is another thing that we often see people not realize and they will wait a couple of days before seeking advice from a vet and although it is only a day or two, this can change a perfectly treatable burst tumor into a fatal burst tumor.
Conclusion
That brings our article going over what you should do if your rat’s tumor bursts to a close. We hope that we have been able to help our readers better understand that they really should be seeking advice form a veterinarian as soon as possible when they notice a burst tumor on their pet rats as it really does increase the chances of your pet rats survival.
