Tumors In Rodents: How To Deal?
Many people decide to keep a rodent as a pet. Therefore, there are more and more clinics specializing in exotic animals, which is the kind of care these animals need if they become ill.
Like dogs and cats, rats, mice, guinea pigs, degus, hamsters and gerbils also need regular visits to the vet, even if there are no prior symptoms. This is especially important when they reach old age, as the probability of developing tumors in rodents increases dramatically.
Like other animals, rodents also develop pathologies. The difference is that, due to its accelerated metabolism, the development of the disease can be much faster, causing the animal to die in a matter of days.
When keeping rodents as pets, we must be extremely aware of any changes in the animal’s routine: if it starts to eat more or less or even if its facial expression changes.
Something very important to consider when keeping rodents as pets is diet, as each species must follow a unique type of food. In most cases, animals get sick from not following an adequate diet. Digestive problems, along with tumors, are the most common diseases among rodents.
Types of tumors in rodents
Tumors in rodents are one of the most common pathologies when these animals reach old age. Life expectancy varies greatly between different species, as does the possibility of spontaneous tumors appearing. Below, we will mention the life expectancy ranges of different domestic rodents:
- Rats: between two and three and a half years.
- Mice: between one and two and a half years.
- Gerbils: from two to three years.
- Hamsters: from one and a half to two years.
- Guinea pigs: between four and eight years old.
- Degus: have a longer life expectancy, reaching up to 10 years.
Furthermore, the frequency with which tumors appear in rodents also depends on the species.
For example, rats develop neoplasms more often than mice or, in general, other pets. The most commonly observed types of tumors are:
- Rats : benign breast fibroadenomas, cutaneous fibromas and fibrosarcomas, lymphosarcomas, uterine carcinomas and benign thymic tumors. They appear when the animal is about two years old.
- Mice: In these animals, the so-called cancerous age begins in the second half of the first year of life, and it is usually at 16 months of age that the highest peak occurs. Tumors appear in up to 10% of two-year-old mice. Breast adenocarcinomas are the most common.
- Gerbils: squamous cell carcinomas, melanomas and neoplasms of the female reproductive system.
- Hamsters: nodal lymphosarcomas, adrenal cortical tumors and uterine adenocarcinomas. Rarely, tumors may appear on the cheeks, related to the cheek pouch.
- Guinea pigs: Trichofoliculomas, which are a benign tumor typically located in the dorsolumbar region with alopecia and crust with an open central pore that can suppurate. And also neoplasms of the lungs, reproductive tract, mammary glands and hematopoietic system.
- Degu: hepatocellular carcinoma.
Can tumors in rodents be cured?
The first thing to keep in mind is that the vast majority of tumors in rodents originate when the animal is of old age. So if your pet is suffering from a malignant tumor (as determined by a veterinarian), euthanasia may be the most ethical option.
However, the most common is that these tumors are benign and do not represent a danger to the animal’s life. However, they can be a nuisance, as they usually grow too large and impede normal locomotion.
In conclusion, when there is no malignancy prognosis, it is better to remove a tumor that does not pose a risk to the rodent.
