I would never have let it get that big before I took it to the vet-

Poor thing. I would have had it to the vet long before it got that big. That was very extensive…wonder if it made it thru it ok.

In high school, I conducted a semester-long experiment that required the assistance of four large lab rats. They managed well on weekends with the provision of extra food and water. The first 3-day weekend to come along, I consulted my biology teacher, who advised a little more food…

It was quite the horrific sight come Tuesday to find only one rat in the cage, dyspeptic, red-stained fur around the lips, and a pile of 3 tails in the corner.

My last rat encounter. I went on to dissect a fetal pig and a cat — turns out that I can manage [almost all] the human pus, blood, and gore, but not the animals.

I know a doc (medical kind) that did his thesis on the prostrate of rats and invented a new type of instrumentation that destroyed cancer cells on the prostrate glands of rats. I asked him, why rats and he stated the rate and man had similar prostrate tissue. TRUE.

Poor little guy. That must still be hard for you.

The use of animals in research, especially rodentia, has advanced medicine in ways otherwise impossible or impractical. An often conflicted, volatile issue.

“Rats make lovely pets!”

Yeah right. If it’s an animal you have to keep in a cage, it’s not a pet it’s a zoological specimen at best.

My doctor has a dog at his office. It’s quite friendly and cute. If I saw a rat there. I would not find it friendly or cute. I’d question my choice of doctor.

As to the video, I have no idea what it was that was cut out, but my cat has claimed dibs on the rest of the rat.

This doesn’t bother me because they are helping the rat. My daughter had two pet rats. I kept one for her when she couldn’t be home. These rats are bred for being pets. I think that snake could have been fed the rats that are in our alleys that carry disease and invade our houses and cause damage. That is what I was talking about in snake abscess.

Please disregard my inability to proof read my submissions. Wish I could edit my post…LOL!

I love rats, they make fantastic pets! I have had 2 and many of my friends have had them as well. We used to carry them around with us, on our shoulders or in pockets. Our rats only slept in their cages, everything else they came along for. One of my friends even had her boy on her shoulder for her grade 12 photo!

They’re clean, smart and take training well.

My second rat, Arabella, developed a large tumour similar to this in front of her left hip. I had made a vet appointment, and one day before it, I woke up and she had chewed a hole in the tumour and pulled out and eaten all of the innards! She was fine!

D:> She lived for another 2 years after that!

JStorm, any doctor that had ANY animal in the practice would make me think twice about continuing with that GP. Plus, some people are made nervous or allergic to dogs. Go play “This animal > That animal” somewhere else!