Possible Tumor?

[Pork Chops N' Corn Bread]

I feel on one of my older rats(about 16 months old) that she may have a tumor on her side. Its about the size of a ping pong ball. I was planning on keeping her until she dies naturally since she was my favorite rat but not now. Is it safe to humanely euthanize her and feed her to a snake? I am just worried that the tumor like growth may pass something on to the snake. I'm not asking what you feel is morally correct to do with a "pet status" feeder but rather if it is safe to do or not.

[Adam_Wysocki]

It's never something that I've personally felt comfortable doing, but I know a ton of people that feed rats with tumors to their animals and seem to have no problems.

Not sure if that helps ... I have a feeling Becky will have a much better answer.

-adam

[Pork Chops N' Corn Bread]

Thanks. I just have a feeling that someone will come and say it is morally incorrect to do.

[Adam_Wysocki]

Thanks. I just have a feeling that someone will come and say it is morally incorrect to do.

Yeah, but that would just be an "opinion" ... and we all know what those are like ... do what you feel comfortable doing and ignore the background noise.

-adam

[Pork Chops N' Corn Bread]

I am really just looking for a scientific reason if there is any that says it isn't safe, if there is no scientific reasoning that says it not safe, I won't do it. Can cancer be passed down from consumption of an infected rodent?

[Adam_Wysocki]

I am really just looking for a scientific reason if there is any that says it isn't safe, if there is no scientific reasoning that says it not safe, I won't do it. Can cancer be passed down from consumption of an infected rodent?

I am almost 100% certain that it cannot ... but I am sure that Becky would know for sure when she finds this post.

-adam

[SatanicIntention]

It's probably a mammary tumor and no, it cannot be passed onto anything. Mammary tumors are benign anyway and don't seed off like malignant ones do. The only way to pass on a malignant tumor would be to do surgery and move part of the tumor elsewhere to grow(I've had it happen on tumor removals before).

[Adam_Wysocki]

It's probably a mammary tumor and no, it cannot be passed onto anything. Mammary tumors are benign anyway and don't seed off like malignant ones do. The only way to pass on a malignant tumor would be to do surgery and move part of the tumor elsewhere to grow(I've had it happen on tumor removals before).

I knew you'd bail me out! ... Thanks Becky!

-adam

[Snikt228]

I feel on one of my older rats(about 16 months old) that she may have a tumor on her side. Its about the size of a ping pong ball. I was planning on keeping her until she dies naturally since she was my favorite rat but not now. Is it safe to humanely euthanize her and feed her to a snake? I am just worried that the tumor like growth may pass something on to the snake. I'm not asking what you feel is morally correct to do with a "pet status" feeder but rather if it is safe to do or not.

Rats are cheap enough, I would just euthenize it and get a different rat to feed

[Pork Chops N' Corn Bread]

Again, I am looking for any scientific reasons why it isn't safe