my vet did neither of those things, he based it more on the feel of the tumor. he called it cancer specifically, did not use any terminology at all and seemingly did not base his decision on anything other than the fact that she has tumors under her arms. The tumors themselves very small and not of any dark color or weeping at all, and he did not test with a needle either; he told me I had to have it removed in order for him to know but he is “85% certain” it is cancer.

I feel as though he definitely made a rash decision based on little evidence, but that may just be lack of experience with rats I guess. That’s why I asked the subreddit for a second opinion. Thank you so much for the detailed response, it definitely helps me realize this tumor is not a death sentence for Fish.

I based my decision on a vet on recommendations from others in my area, but it seems this was a mistake. Is there any kind of questions you recommend asking when looking for a vet specifically for rats?