- None Cancerous Tumours
Tumours, particularly mammary tumours or fatty lumps tend to be the most common old age associated condition in does. These are typically not a death sentence as they can often be removed if a rat is fit and well, however in some cases this is not possible so dietary support is valuable. Speaking to your vet about the chances of successful tumour removal is advisable (though be aware many vets can be reluctant to operate on small animals even if chances of success are high), it may also be worth discussing spaying if the rat is physically fit and well and is suffering from a mammary tumour as this can significantly lower the changes of it reoccurring. Tumours are typically caused by ageing cells suffering damage, this can cause them to begin reproducing rapidly and so a lump develops. Typical places for these are armpits, along the sides, hind leg pits and around the tail base for mammary tumours, fatty lumps can occur anywhere along the skin though often occur along the side and armpit area too.
In both cases there is a fair bit you can do with the diet to help prevent them occurring, but also where surgery is not an option you can use diet to help slow the growth somewhat. Where removal is not an option (or a very risky one) it is a case of monitoring the tumour growth and the rats quality of life. A rat can cope very well with none cancerous tumours (cancerous tumours will make them ill very fast) and typically it is a case of watching to see when they are struggling to move around, the tumour is taking too much sustenance from their food (the rat will begin to get very skinny and not get much from its meals) or the tumour ulcerates (a sore appears on the surface) before having the rat put to sleep or risking a removal operation. It is worth noting that whilst mammary lumps are far more common in does, buck can also get them as they do have some mammary tissue too, fatty lumps occur pretty evenly in both sexes.
- A mammary lump is normally rounded and smooth, it generally feels as though it sits between the skin and muscle (these are the easiest to remove) sometimes they are more anchored and/or oval shaped, however typically they are smooth feeling and rounded feeling firm, a little like a slightly soft balloon. It starts out feeling like a small pea and can grow relatively fast or take months to come up, often seeming to change growth speed on a whim.
- A fatty lump is often more irregularly shaped and thinner. It tends to feel very soft and can be more irregular consistency, feeling slightly lumpy and uneven. These are generally first spotted as a thick patch of skin and feel loose sitting between the skin and muscle layers. Typically they grow at a moderate rate but can grow surprisingly rapidly in some cases.
In both cases there is a fair bit you can do with the diet to help prevent them occurring, but also where surgery is not an option you can use diet to help slow the growth somewhat. Where removal is not an option (or a very risky one) it is a case of monitoring the tumour growth and the rats quality of life. A rat can cope very well with none cancerous tumours (cancerous tumours will make them ill very fast) and typically it is a case of watching to see when they are struggling to move around, the tumour is taking too much sustenance from their food (the rat will begin to get very skinny and not get much from its meals) or the tumour ulcerates (a sore appears on the surface) before having the rat put to sleep or risking a removal operation. It is worth noting that whilst mammary lumps are far more common in does, buck can also get them as they do have some mammary tissue too, fatty lumps occur pretty evenly in both sexes.
Specific Dietary Assistance – Tumour prevention
- Ensure the rat is kept slim throughout its life, added weight has a big impact on tumour growth
- Avoid foods that have a high concentration of growth hormones (imported low quality poultry for example, sometimes found in cheap pet foods)
- Keep protein within 12-14% and high protein treats to a minimum once they are fully grown, higher protein seems to encourage some tumour growth.
- Feed foods high in antioxidants such as berries, dark green veg etc., these are reported to reduce the amount of damage that occurs to cells (by absorbing free radicals generated from oxidation), the link isn’t fully scientifically proven but it is unlikely to hurt as these foods are also full of vitamin C and other useful vitamins.
- Some types of soya have been linked with a reduction in mammary tumours such as miso.
Specific Dietary Assistance – Tumour growth
- It can be worth feeding the anti-lump mix, developed by Joolz, you can read the recipe at http://www.ratz.co.uk/antilump.html , this can also be used preventively though best left to after the first lump has occurred and been removed.
- Keep their diet low in fat and protein, this can give the lump less fuel to grow.
- Monitor the rats weight, it is common for fast growing lumps to take many of the nutrients the rat needs to survive. In this case the rat can become very thin quickly. Support with high calorie food if this is the case.
- Curcurmin (a much purer form of turmeric) has been linked with a reduction in tumour growth, you can buy this in its medical form from some herbal online shops.