My rat has a tumor, how much will it cost to be removed?

Question

*It is about 1 inch long and 11/2cm wide.

*It is in the armpit area

*I just noticed it a few days ago

*She is about 4 years of age

*How much will the surgery cost?

Answer 1

Wow, you're rat is a very good age! Congratulations. My rat died because of a tumor on her side. For her, it was about 150-200$.

Answer 2

Rats really only live to be three so your has lived excitably long and my rat was given surgery to remove one but it was free because it was an experiment (for our vet) and the rat did not survive. Our rats tumor became egg size so i would just not get surgery and let him/her die naturally. I am sorry to tell you that.

Answer 3

Sounds like a mammary tumor.  Prices range here from $65 at one vet, to $160 at another.  However, a vet told me that the tumors usually bother the humans that are seeing them more than the rats that have them.  If your rat doesn't appear to be affected by it, isn't losing mobility, then I'd let it be.  She's at such an advanced age, I'd be afraid you'd lose her to the surgery.

Answer 4

Hi There! This depends on the vet because they are all different your best bet would be to ask your vet but i would say around a few hundred maybe not even. Good Luck and Best Wishes from -Lily Allen♥☻☺

Answer 5

Depends on the size of the tumor, and your local vet clinic.

I was quoted $150 for a large tumor to get removed (rat unfortunately didn't survive the surgery, though).

A small penny-sized tumor was $50 to get removed (that rat survived and is happy & healthy).

Are you sure she is strong enough/healthy enough to go through with surgery?

Set up an evaluation appointment with your local rat vet. She will look it over, and give you a quote on the cost of the surgery and whether or not she feels your rat a high chance of surviving the surgery.

My vet clinic is wonderful and ''rat sizes'' the prices, providing quite a large discount. I've heard from other rat owners that their tumor removal surgeries have cost $200 and over.

Answer 6

This sounds almost exactly like the tumor my rat had about a month ago.  She is 1.5 years, but age doesn't play a huge role as long as she is healthy (been eating/drinking normally, active, peeing/pooping normally, etc).  It is surprising how quick your rat can heal and be back to normal.

To have the procedure done cost me $200+ (~$150 for the procedure and ~$50 for the original checkup).  It can cost more if you'd like to have the tumor sent to a lab to be tested to see if it's cancer.  I didn't do that as tumors in female rats are common and are mostly benign.  It's also probably pointless to do for your rat since she's pretty old.  That being said, you should really contact your local vets to get an estimate.  Make sure you find one who has actually done this kind of surgery before on rats.  Removing a tumor on a dog/cat is not the same as on a rat.

The vet will probably advise you to keep an eye on it to see if it is growing before having it removed.  The reason I got mine removed ASAP (I noticed it earlier this year when it was the size of a small pea) is because tumors will keep growing and growing (there are some pretty nasty pictures online).  Plus doing it when she's healthy and it's pretty small cuts back on the time it takes her to recover, the risk of the surgery, and the cost to you.

Side note: if you do decide to get the surgery done, only keep your rats apart if your healthy rats are really into grooming and will bother the wound too much.  Rats feel much better sleeping with their buddies and some say they heal faster too.  The vet will probably tell you differently, but I put my rats together in their smaller traveling cage until the rat was healed enough to go back in their large cage.  Just keep an eye on them in the beginning to make sure nothing strange happens.

Good luck and I hope that helps!