Post by mygerbilprince on Dec 5, 2023 19:54:51 GMT -8
So my gerbil, Hershey, has been ill for a while now. I adopted him December 10, 2019, so he is about four now. He had a scent gland tumor removed about a year ago, but since then another one has grown. The vet determined that there was no need to operate due to the high risk and the fact he was still active and happy.
Shortly after our vet visit however, Hershey quickly began to decline. I had noticed a minor limp before, which I pointed out to the vet, but she said it was probably just arthritis and prescribed Hershey pain medicine. Not long after our visit, he stopped running on his wheel and seemingly lost function of his hind legs. I'm not sure if his pain worsened or if he had a stroke but he now walks with his back legs dragging behind him. I have seen him wiggle his feet occasionally, but only when he really needs to. I haven't seen him use his hips properly in a long time, so I think he might have lost some mobility there.
In order to ease Hershey's pain, I avoided picking him up to give him is medicine, and instead mixed it into a small amount of whipped cream. I know gerbils are lactose intolerant and that sugary things aren't all that good for them, but I figured since he was in end of life care, that it didn't really matter. Plus, the whipped cream is the highlight of his day and I want to give him any amount of joy that I can.
It's been a few months since our vet visit and he has only worsened. His healthy weight as an adult was around 100g. During his first scent gland tumor he dropped to about 80g. After his surgery, he bounced back to 90g but since then has dropped to under 72g (this is the most recent measurement I have of him since I stopped weighing him to avoid stressing him out). He's obviously underweight, but he maintains a healthy appetite and has been drinking water.
I've also noticed that he no longer has control over his bladder, making his bum very messy. With the whipped cream, urine, and feces getting in his fur, it has become gross and matted. He struggles to clean himself, but I've also noticed that he has some bald spots on him as well. I'm not sure if this spots are from over-grooming or if the fur became so matted that he ripped it out. The spots are mostly near his bum and face/neck, which supports my idea. I've tried to give him a sponge bath, but he squirms and bites (he never used to bite, so I know he must be afraid and/or in pain) making it nearly impossible to clean him properly. I also don't want to get him too wet and put him at risk for hypothermia. I'm ashamed of how filthy he is, and I feel like an awful gerbil mum, but its very difficult to clean him and I feel awful watching him panic and bite.
Our normal vet is always fully booked, so if we got an appointment for euthanasia it wouldn't be for a while anyway. I love our vet, so I'd prefer to have him euthanized there instead of our 24/7 vet. The 24/7 vet is good too, but I'd have to sit in the waiting room for a while and I don't want to wait until Hershey is on death's doorstep to rush him into the emergency vet. Part of me wants to let him go before he has to experience all the pain that will inevitably come from his cancer progressing, but part of me feels conflicted with euthanizing him before it's clear he is about to die. The first gerbil I put down got sick suddenly and it was better to put him down instead of putting him through all the poking a prodding. My second gerbil I euthanized was old and suddenly stopped moving and couldn't eat. A week before we had brought him to the vet who said he had a month left tops. So my point is to say that I have never had to make a decision like this one.
So my question for the forum is, is it Hershey's time to go? I know it's up to me in the end, but I could really use some guidance. I've been considering making a list of "Signs a Gerbil Needs to be Put Down" to make the decision easier for me, so if anyone has contributions to that list I'd really appreciate it. Thank you!
Shortly after our vet visit however, Hershey quickly began to decline. I had noticed a minor limp before, which I pointed out to the vet, but she said it was probably just arthritis and prescribed Hershey pain medicine. Not long after our visit, he stopped running on his wheel and seemingly lost function of his hind legs. I'm not sure if his pain worsened or if he had a stroke but he now walks with his back legs dragging behind him. I have seen him wiggle his feet occasionally, but only when he really needs to. I haven't seen him use his hips properly in a long time, so I think he might have lost some mobility there.
In order to ease Hershey's pain, I avoided picking him up to give him is medicine, and instead mixed it into a small amount of whipped cream. I know gerbils are lactose intolerant and that sugary things aren't all that good for them, but I figured since he was in end of life care, that it didn't really matter. Plus, the whipped cream is the highlight of his day and I want to give him any amount of joy that I can.
It's been a few months since our vet visit and he has only worsened. His healthy weight as an adult was around 100g. During his first scent gland tumor he dropped to about 80g. After his surgery, he bounced back to 90g but since then has dropped to under 72g (this is the most recent measurement I have of him since I stopped weighing him to avoid stressing him out). He's obviously underweight, but he maintains a healthy appetite and has been drinking water.
I've also noticed that he no longer has control over his bladder, making his bum very messy. With the whipped cream, urine, and feces getting in his fur, it has become gross and matted. He struggles to clean himself, but I've also noticed that he has some bald spots on him as well. I'm not sure if this spots are from over-grooming or if the fur became so matted that he ripped it out. The spots are mostly near his bum and face/neck, which supports my idea. I've tried to give him a sponge bath, but he squirms and bites (he never used to bite, so I know he must be afraid and/or in pain) making it nearly impossible to clean him properly. I also don't want to get him too wet and put him at risk for hypothermia. I'm ashamed of how filthy he is, and I feel like an awful gerbil mum, but its very difficult to clean him and I feel awful watching him panic and bite.
Our normal vet is always fully booked, so if we got an appointment for euthanasia it wouldn't be for a while anyway. I love our vet, so I'd prefer to have him euthanized there instead of our 24/7 vet. The 24/7 vet is good too, but I'd have to sit in the waiting room for a while and I don't want to wait until Hershey is on death's doorstep to rush him into the emergency vet. Part of me wants to let him go before he has to experience all the pain that will inevitably come from his cancer progressing, but part of me feels conflicted with euthanizing him before it's clear he is about to die. The first gerbil I put down got sick suddenly and it was better to put him down instead of putting him through all the poking a prodding. My second gerbil I euthanized was old and suddenly stopped moving and couldn't eat. A week before we had brought him to the vet who said he had a month left tops. So my point is to say that I have never had to make a decision like this one.
So my question for the forum is, is it Hershey's time to go? I know it's up to me in the end, but I could really use some guidance. I've been considering making a list of "Signs a Gerbil Needs to be Put Down" to make the decision easier for me, so if anyone has contributions to that list I'd really appreciate it. Thank you!
