Village Vet Animal Clinic

Ask The Vet - Q&A

Q: We just bought a 8wk old Golden Retriever today, and after getting home with him we noticed he has what looks to be a cyst on his neck. What do you recommend? We have heard to drain it, and also that its not normal for puppies to get these so early on. Thanks
	A: Although lumps on puppies are not rare, they are certainly not common. I reccommend you bring you puppy in to see the vet. The lump could be an abscess from a puncture wound (sometimes litter mates get a little rough when playing hard!) and although easily dealt with early on, could become very dangerous if allowed to progress untreated. "Draining" an abscess without antibiotics or other supportive treatment can lead to serious complications. Other possibilities for the cause of this lump can include seromas, granulomas, cysts, parasites, foriegn bodies, and, rarely, cancer. Your veterinarian can help you with any of these problems providing you the best chance for a good outcome. This information is provided for general medical educational purposes only. Please consult your veterinarian for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your pet’s specific medical condition. More individualized care is available at the Village Vet Animal Clinic (918-258-0040) or All Creatures Veterinary Hospital (918-481-0440)

Q: I don't know to start so I will start from the beginning. Its about a pet rat named Smudge. He is 16 months old, neutered (for aggression) and purchased from a reputable rat breeder. Out of the blue he began to display odd behavior, sort of typical of ear infection yet a bit different than I am used to seeing with my experience over the years as an extreme rat enthusiast and self proclaimed rat expert (LOL!!) Anyhow, he was walking in circles, so chalk that up to otitis media or inner ear infection, but when held by me he would literally do a somersault and try to get away. He doesn't have head tilt but instead he does something very bizarre. He holds his head straight up, nose pointing to the ceiling and looks behind him and bobs his head all over as if he has cerebral palsy. Sometimes he does it so severe he falls over but again, not head tilt like normal ear infections cause. Anyhow, he is on antibiotics and steroids but has not improved at all other than he doesn't do somersaults and flips but he walks in a circle and waves his head madly while pointing his nose up at the ceiling. Now this is NOT the same type of head sway rats do when trying to judge depth of a distant object. That is a gentle head sway...this is much more violent. He acts like he cant see too. Its really upsetting because he was such an energetic little guy with no other health problems. He eats great and in fact while at the vets for a week he ped some weight and I was able to see and feel his spine but he has since put that weight back on again. This all started about 3 to 4 weeks ago. I think...he had a stroke and went blind from it. My vet is hoping it is an ear infection but for some reason its hanging on and he has an odd version of head tilt. I hope he doesnt have a brain tumor and this is the cause of his neurological problems? Please advise! Oh, my vet is an exotics vet and member of the AEMV so he knows his stuff...but I am seeking a second opinion from someone that has just as much knowledge that he has so I can really have peace of mind. Thanks so much!
	A: I agree with you and your vet's differential diagnosis of ear infection, tumor, or something like a stroke. With neurologic problems, time can be an important factor. The one down side of neurologic problems can be that some damage may not be reversible. One thing to consider with regard to the possible otitis would be antibiotic selection. With many rodents, we are more limited in which antibiotics we can use and we often treat empirically. One thing that may be useful (and unfortunately may be difficult to obtain) would be to do a culture and sensitivity of an ear swab. This may give more specific information about which antibiotic would be most effective and could have an impact on therapy. Steroids my be useful also. This information is provided for general medical educational purposes only. Please consult your veterinarian for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your pet’s specific medical condition. More individualized care is available at the Village Vet Animal Clinic (918-258-0040) or All Creatures Veterinary Hospital (918-481-0440)