The Rat Fan Club

Below are pictures of miscellaneous rat tumors.

Updated 3/2/10.

This first set of photos are of cancers growing in front of or below the ear.

This is my rat Sparky, who developed a fast-growing cancer in front of his ear. I first noticed the lump 1-18-11, and euthanized him 2-24-11. I did not have pathology done.

Here’s another of my rats, Jimmy, who developed a fast-growing tumor below his ear. I first noticed a lump at the point of his jaw on 1-20-10, and as the lump grew, exudate (discharge) started coming out of his ear, a common sign that the cancer is growing in the ear canal. I euthanized Jimmy on 11-18-10.

Here’s another rat, Eli Spooner, who developed a cancer in front of his ear.

My rat Roo had numerous sebaceous epitheliomas throughout most of his life. Many of them acted like sebaceous cysts. I surgically removed all the large ones. I euthanized him at age 25 months due to respiratory distress, and in his autopsy found one of the only lung tumors I’ve ever seen in a rat. Pathology showed his was a basal cell carcinoma with sebaceous and epithelial differentiation.

Rat Fan Club
857 Lindo Lane
Chico, CA 95973
(530) 899-0605 ratlady@ratfanclub.org