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Post by stephane on Jan 21, 2024 19:30:49 GMT -8
Hello to the community, One of my two male gerbils, Snickers, died two weeks ago. He had been diagnosed mid-November 2023 with heart failure (his breathing was difficult, his head shook when he breathed). The vet also suspected a respiratory infection and prescribed an antibiotic (Enroflaxin), as well as a painkiller (Meloxicam), a syringe of Benebac and a diuretic (Furosemide) for the heart problem. Snickers began to lose weight. By early January, he weighed just 80 grams. Yet we continued to give him his medication twice a day, and hoped he would get better. His weight had even rebounded a little. Then, around January 8, his condition suddenly deteriorated. He stopped eating. I'd tried banana and apple compotes via syringe, but pretty soon he wouldn't take them. Eventually, his weight plummeted within 3-4 days. I decided to euthanize him, but he died on the way to the vet in agony. Since then, I have blamed myself terribly. I feel guilty for having inflicted on him, through my indecision, a painful death. Snickers was an adorable little gerbil, sweet and very sociable. I should have had him euthanized at least the day before he died. We loved him, and it made us all very sad. Since then, I have also wondered if he could be saved with this Heart Failure problem. Snickers was over three years old. Do you think he was doomed from the diagnosis? Thank you.
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Post by catnut on Jan 22, 2024 14:32:18 GMT -8
I understand the feeling, i waited one day too late for a sweet girl a few years ago but she was doing okay despite her cancer she had, she was doing real bad the last day but it happened during the night so of course i couldn't just take her to the vet and had to wait until they opened- I stayed up all night with her but felt soo helpless. Sadly, you tried what the vet could but i think he was just going to get worse until the end. Try to know you did all you could, you didn't know he was going to get that bad and he had a fabulous life with you. Many people just leave their pet and wait it out when it's ill to either save money, didn't have money or other reasons. Take great care.
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Post by stephane on Jan 22, 2024 18:32:34 GMT -8
Thank you Catnut. I appreciate your insight.
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Post by Markpd on Jan 23, 2024 12:48:59 GMT -8
I waited too long for my Blake too , but he went downhill really fast, even the vet didn't realise (although she wasn't the usual exotic pet vet). Late in the afternoon he went to the vets (the 2nd day after I found him unwell, work made me late the day before and I couldn't make it in time ) and was listless and lethargic and hadn't been eating much, but had been eating a little, he was otherwise more or less ok. The vet thought it might either be an infection from the surgery a few weeks before (despite him being fine during most of that time) or the tumour had spread. So she suggested trying an antibiotic and bringing him in the next day for an x-ray. But he didn't eat at all that evening, became even more lethargic, then just didn't move at all and was struggling to breath, it just got worse and he barely made it past midnight. He had a very unpleasant death (Afterwards I took him for a post mortem, apart from having had a heart attack, he had lesions all over his lungs. So it would seem the tumour had spread to cancer). Anyway, I guess my point is that it can be very hard to know when to have them PTS or try some meds. And you're not alone in this experience!
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Post by stephane on Jan 26, 2024 20:49:59 GMT -8
Sorry Markpd for your loss.
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