Last Weigh in (June 2013)	Today's Weigh In (December 2013)
Sero	8.6 oz	12.2 oz
Atticus	11.4 oz	14.4 oz
Vaux	12.1 oz	15.2 oz
Pip	1 lb 9.3 oz	1 lb 6.2 oz
Beret	13.8 oz	14.2 oz
Molly	9.5 oz	9.6 oz
Nymeria	9.9oz	11.3 oz
Aniston	10.7 oz	14.9 oz
Paisley	11.1 oz	11.3 oz
Scarlett	11.0 oz	12.4 oz
Chelsea	13.8 oz	14.8 oz

Sero- given olive oil bath; minor scratches on body

Atticus- given olive oil bath; minor scratches on body; dry patch/scab on tail appears to be mostly healed

Vaux- given olive oil bath;  minor scratches on body

Pip- exfoliated tail gently (build up under scales); scab on side (appear to be bite wound); no other issues

Beret- some scabs along neck and sides of body other than that, looks good. Wheel tail is still present but does not affect her mobility or balance at all.

Molly- looks good, no issues!

Nymeria- scabs along neck, shoulders, and sides of body- this is typical of Nymeria- they appear more like bite marks

Aniston- lumps have become quite large and are just now starting to hinder her mobility but only slightly as she still walks in the wheel. Increase in weight due to tumor size

Paisley- looks good- cataract in eye still present but doesn't appear to have increased in size by too much, no other issues

Scarlett- left eye has hard lump directly below it, squinting. Flushed it out as best as I could with natural tears eye drops and wiped it gently with a cloth- will continue to monitor and wipe it daily

Chelsea-  marble sized lump on right side (mammary tumor); strange mass on groin area- appears to be like thick, raw skin- has  been there for weeks with no change in appearance or size. Doesn't seem to affect her even when I touch it gently

Chelsea's odd growth. No hole, just an indent in the center.

Treated all the lady rats with ivermectin as they all seem to have scabs- I suspect a mites outbreak.

Discovered two lumps on Aniston. One is rather large and very squishy- right around her genitals. If I didn't know any better, and if I had not owned Aniston for as long as I have, I would almost think it was a testicle as it is about the size and density of one. The other lump is right above her right rear leg, very much in the same location as Scarlett's was (in the crease where the thigh meets the belly). I am hesitant to try to put her through another surgery at her age (she is approaching 2 years of age this November) since she has already been through one. I will be monitoring the tumors' growths.

Emerson has had increased decline in the mobility of his back legs. The muscle mass of this thighs is diminishing as is the hair on his back legs and tummy, but he still gets around! Wobbly and off balance, dragging his feet as he walks, but he still goes up and down the ramp of his cage, and in and out of the hammocks. Other looking like an old man rat, he appears to be in very good health.

All other ratties appear to be doing fine. They will all be treated with ivermectin soon as I have noticed more scabs on some of the rats and scratches on the hairless and would like to be sure we can rule out parasites.

Emerson, Cicero, Aniston, Molly, and Scarlett look and sound much better this morning. I have not noticed any sneezing. I am certain their porphyrin staining and sneezing yesterday was due to my cleaning of the ceiling fan.

Noticed some porphyrin around Emerson, Cicero, Aniston, and Molly's nose. Scarlett did not have any porphyrin but I did hear her "snoring"- sounded somewhere in between a whistle and a wheeze. I had dusted the ceiling fan that is in the rat room today so I am certain its just a nasal irritation (it even got me sneezing for a bit). Going to continue to monitor everyone. 

Emerson has a small scratch on his right lip, just below the nose. Most likely from getting into a typical squabble with Pip.

Weigh Ins!

	Last weigh in 3/19	Today’s weigh in 6/1	Difference +/-
Emerson	13.2 oz	13.7 oz	+ 0.5 oz
Pip	1 lb 9.1 oz	1 lb. 9.3 oz	+ 0.2 oz
Cicero	1 lb 1 oz	1 lb. 1.3 oz	+ 0.3 oz
Beret	13.8 oz	13.8 oz	no change
Molly	9.0 oz	9.5 oz	+ 0.5 oz
Nymeria	9.4 oz	9.9 oz	+ 0.5 oz
Aniston	10.1 oz	10.7 oz	+ 0.6 oz
Paisley	11.1 oz	11.1 oz	no change
Scarlett	10.9 oz	11.0 oz	+ 0.1 oz
Chelsea	14.0 oz	13.8 oz	- 0.2 oz

 
Weights look good, little to no change in 14 days. Diet has remained about the same.

Weigh ins!
Emerson: 13.2 oz
Pip: 1 lb 9.1 oz
Cicero: 1 lb 1 oz
Beret: 13.8 oz
Molly: 9.0 oz
Nymeria: 9.4 oz
Aniston: 10.1 oz
Paisley: 11.1 oz
Scarlett: 10.9 oz
Chelsea: 14.0 oz

Aniston's surgical site has closed up and is looking much better this morning. I do not feel a returning vet visit is needed. She did a fine job cleaning it up herself!

Aniston's surgical site opened up- not sure if she pulled a stitch or if a cage mate did... Anyhow, she is confined to the post op cage I set up, alone, until it gets better. It's not dripping blood and it doesn't seem to bother her- she is still eating and active, although she does lick it from time to time. Used liquid bandage and pressure to hold it close and to stop further bleeding.

Aniston's surgery went very very well! Dr Don is amazing! No exercise for a week post op. I will be keeping her in separate cage to avoid any cage mates from grooming her stitches out. They are to dissolve on their own. Dr Don said she wouldn't need any pain medication or antibiotics as he gave her some already. That concerns me, as I am so used to dogs and cats requiring SOMETHING after surgery, but he is the expert and a very much respected and highly recommended rat vet!

Cicero: finally was able to drain all the sebum from the cyst on his back. The hard, pea sized lump on his back is now gone, and their is just a small hole which I will be keeping clean and watching for any sign of infection. His noisy breathing is completely gone, however, I am a bit concerned about his breathing in general. You can see his sides move more than my other rats when he breathes. No discharge from eyes or nose, lungs sound clear from what I can tell.

Nymeria: discovered quite a bit of crusty dried blood in her left ear. Discovered a small laceration on the tragus (not sure if that is what it is called in a rat, but that's about the same location as that of a human). Cleaned the site with saline wash.

Scheduled Aniston's mammary tumor removal for May 3rd. 

Took Aniston to Dr Don's office and it was determined that the marble/small grape sized lump under her right armpit is indeed a mammary tumor. Scheduling surgery for removal.

Aniston's lump is slow growing, but nevertheless is in fact growing. An appointment has been made for 4/20/13. It will be a consultation appointment, to have the vet determine whether or not surgery is required.

Found a vet that I am going to go with for Aniston's surgery. It was advised that I watch it for about two weeks, to determine its growth rate and to see if it might just be an abscess or cyst (both which I am quite certain it is not). So now we just wait and see what happens.

Discovered a small pea-sized lump under Aniston's right armpit, more on the leg than the body itself. It moves around under the skin and is squishy in texture, like that of fat. Calling around for a vet to have it removed. I suspect a mammary tumor based on the location and nature of the lump.

Introduced Aniston, Molly and Nymeria- Nymeria seemed depressed being in quarantine alone for so long, hiding under her blanket and not really being as playful in the cage as before. Aniston was very accepting of her- lots of grooming each other. Molly, being the youngest of my other girls with the exception of Paisley, is more playful and able to keep up with Nymeria's boundless energy. Nymeria's been bouncing all over the cage now that Aniston and Molly has come to visit. 

Discovered an abscess on Emerson's belly, right above the scrotum area. His eyes are more obviously different in size than they had been a day or so ago. It appears now that the left eye is more squinty than normal (I was concerned about the right eye bulging out more but after getting a good look at it, it appears the left eye is the one that doesn't appear normal). (reference: http://www.ratwhisperer.net/2012/12/emersons-abscess-and-eye-problem-icky.html)