To Troy Lynn: >A friend who has rats (and ferrets) is having a problem with a fatty deposit in >her rats mammory gland. She requested that I post this problem on the FML in >case anyone here can help. Her rat is about >2 years old, eats rat feed, carrots, strawberries and nuts. Does anyone know >if there is a natural way to dissolve the excess fat? Unfortunately, little is >known in our area about rodents even with >vet med. Neoplasia of the mammary gland is a very common finding in older rats. The vast majority are benign tumors, but thy can attain a great size. The best measure to be taken here would be to have the mass removed and evaluated for malignancy. Bruce Williams, DVM Department of Veterinary Pathology [log in to unmask] Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (202) 576-2453/2454 Washington, D.C. 20306-6000 [Posted in FML issue 0862]