Pet Forum / Mammals / Rats / December 2003

As many of you are probably aware, from previous postings from myself and
Rosemary, Stripe has recently had an operation to remove a breast tumour.

She has been back to the vet several times since, because of
complications in the healing of the wound, which has now opened up in a
2mm section twice now. The first time, the vet had her back under another
general anesthetic, and restitched (followed up by "second skin"). She
soon had that off, and it opened up again.

This is effectively a hole in her tummy through her skin (and bodywall?).
The vet won't stitch it again until the infection has cleared. The vet
has us giving her baytril once a day, and irrigating the wound with a 5%
solution of Hibiscrub(?) twice a day in an attempt to rid her of
infection before closing the wound.

I'm surprised that the vet hasn't given her a topical depot injection of
antibiotic, or drawn off any fluid. But I guess we have to trust their
expertise.

Anyone have any further advice? We're keeping her seperate from the other
rats in a sterlised cage. Has anyone seen a wound like this before, and
if so, how did it heal? I am sceptical that a restitch will work, since I
would have thought that the seperated skin would have healed open.

I am also concerned about her having a third general anesthetic - I know
there are risks, and she's no puppy. A third one in such a short time
seems to be pushing the odds a bit too much. I would rather stick the
wound with superglue than risk that again (joking about the Superglue!).
We see the vet for a checkup again in a couple of days - we will discuss
the options then.