Scent gland tumor questions

[loneranger17]

Hi all,

Our 3+year old male gerbil has a scent gland tumor. From looking at him now, the tumor has started to "push out" of his scent gland. There is obvious seperation of the scent gland on his stomach.
Now, we do not have the $150+ it will take to perform surgery on him. And a local vet has volunteered to put him down free of charge.
So what should we do? I'm not sure at what point the tumor will start causing him pain, if it hasn't already. And I would really hate to put him down, if for the moment he is fine.
What does everyone here suggest? I would really appreciate the help. Thank you.

[meganb52]

When it comes to deciding when "it is time" for you to let go of an animal, there really isn't a set time frame to go by. You'll want to watch his food intake and activity level and the amount of pain he appears to be in. From your previous post, the tumor appears to be growing rapidly, and you'll just have to watch and see and make his time here with you and your family a s comfortable as possible. Is he eating well? Does he seem alert and curious? Is the size and weight of his tumor seriously affectiong his mobility? These are all things you will want to monitor. When he seems to be in any discomfort, not wanting to eat, or lethargic, it may be time to start thinking about letting him go. It's a personal judgement on how long this will take, so I would suggest talking with your family about whats going on and make a decision together. Sorry to hear about the diagnosis. Good luck with your little guy!

-Megan