Putting a pet to sleep

[Desert Arabian]

Hi Everyone-

As some of you alreay know I have a rat,Oreo, who has a large tumor (you can read more about it under pet health). Her tumor has gotten bigger, and it has become a larger challenge for her to do her daily activites. Sometimes when I observe her in the cage, she is having huge diffiulties moving about, eating, bathing etc, and she overall looks depressed and suffering. Other times when I see her she is running around, and seems happy and cheery. She is also pretty skinny, but she eats like a hog! I am now thinking about putting her to sleep. There are 100's of things running through my head when I think about this. Since sometimes she is really happy and cheery- I don't want to put her to sleep, when I see her sad and depressed- I want to end her suffering. I really wish she could pass on at home, in a place she is comfortable in and familiar in- rather than in a cold weird smelling place, having someone you don't know put a needle in you. But if keeping her at home to pass away, involves her putting up with a slow suffering death, then I rather have her be put to sleep to end it quickly.

I want to know your opinons on whayt I should do, before I make a decison. Please be honest- obviously. Also, sorry for all the spelling mistakes- and if this is hard to word, see- it is hard to type with watery eyes.

Thank you so much!!!!

Laura & Oreo


p.s. her tumor is larger than how it looks in the picture (it has gotten bigger since the picture was taken)

[Karen]

You will know. When she is suffering more than happy, when she looks at you with that look in her eye like, "please, Mom, make it stop hurting" ... I take it the tumor is inoperable?

[slleipnir]

I was in the EXACT position your in. With my dog, Rufus. He was really old, and had some really bad days, then, sometimes he seemed ok. It took a lot of thought, but we put him to sleep. I think you'll know when it's time, I just got this feeling that it was to much for him, and lots of other reasons..Anyway, you'll know it when/if it's Oreos time or not.

[Desert Arabian]

Yes, it is. I re-adjusted everything in the cage for her i.e. ramps, food dish, water bottle, tubes, hammocks etc. When I was putting the water bottle back in the cage, she licked my fingers- which cheered me up . She sure is a little stinker I think you are right, when she wants to leave she'll tell me. Thank you Karen for repsonding to my post- it was small but it helped me a lot .


-Laura


p.s.- also thanks Slleipnir for posting back.

[toughCookie]

what does your vet say? it is never easy to let a pet go, but if they are suffering and no way to get better, then it is the kind thing to do. as far as she's still happy at times, how often is she happy compared to how often is she sad? maybe what you think is sad is her being very tired? anyway, Cookie was happy to the end, even when she couldnt breathe, when we went to see her and brought her fav toy, she tried to getup, and her eyes lit up when she saw us, they said she wouldnt know us but she did. but after that she had alot of trouble breathing again.

anyway, I think if it is terminal and shes in pain then you should have her put to sleep, you can hold her while they give her the shot..
I know its hard, I went thru it, I feel so bad for you, I'm sorry this happend to you.
I hope you keep us posted about what happens.

wow, what happend, I just posted and all of a sudden there are posts that werent there when I started?? LOL do I type that slow?

[Desert Arabian]

Most of the time when she is having troubles, she can't quite reach the tumor to wash it (so I help her), she also has a hard time getting up and down the ramps because the weight would pull her down. Today when I walked into my room Peanut and Nugget were laying in the hammock, and Oreo wanted to join them. Because of the tumor, she couldn't get in the hammock- so she placed her upper half of her body in the hammock, while her butt/tumor laid on the floor (the hammock is less than 1.5 inches high), so I helped her in. Like I posted before, I changed everything around to make it easier for my schunkems to get around. Once and a while she'd have trouble getting seeds out of the dish, but now she seems to get them just fine. When I hand her treats she gets so hyper, that she SNATCHES them and "runs" (tries to run) away into the log hut. She also loves to explore the couch when I watch t.v.


See....these are some of the things that keep me in debate. The more I think about it, and watch her- she's not ready, other times it looks like she is. Gee, if only she could talk- then she could tell me . I'll still love her to death no matter what!!

Overall:

[Cookiebaker]

I know this is probably one of the hardest decisions you will have to make. I agree with Karen that only you will know when the time is right. When we had Buffy (our last hamster) she had a stroke, and her back legs were paralyzed. We were facing the exact same decision, but then she made it for us, by gently passing away that evening. I will be keeping both of you in my thoughts. Take Care...

[jenluckenbach]

It is true, that you will know the correct time. That is hard to believe until you actually get there, though. But don't drive yourself crazy with self doubt. That will cause the suffering that you so much want to avoid. I have been in the situation before with more than one of my cats. Most of the time, my first clue to it being the right time, was a refusal to eat. Deciding to put an animal down is harder on the human than on the animal. If you are there with them and a nice familiar smelling towel is around them, they will think of you as their savior from pain (even on the vet's cold table).
What ever your decision, our thoughts and prayers are with you.

[kingrattus]

I know how u feel. I got my first rat named Mike, he wasn't the healthiest but I liked him & felt sorry for him. I took him home & 6 months later he started sneezing. I called the vet & they said its nothing to worry about all rats sneeze once & a while & the vet hungup on me. I did a bit of research & I foundout that having rats in a tank was a bad idea & their urin would slowly poison them. So I built him a huge wired cage. He never got better, he got worse, I called the vet 5 - 6 times & they all told me theres nothing u can do, its just a rat get over it. almost 1 yr after I had him, he could hardly move, wasn't eating too much & just plainly didn't seem happy. Thats when he started to sneeze blood. I kept him for a few months later & told my self to really look at him & look how sick & how unhappy he really was. Just out of the blue I told my mom I'm getting him put to sleep I can't stand him suffering anylonger. She took me there & a friend came with me. I told the vet I want him put to sleep ASAP & then wrapped in a blanket I had him in. The lady at the counter SCREEMED & ran off. The vet came rushing in & asked what happened. The vet ended up talking to me for 30 mins about how he could be treated with meds if I brought him in earlier & that hes just a rat & should go back home to die on his own, I was balling my eyes out the whole time & told her to stop talking & just do it, but on & on & on she went. I soon couldn't take anymore & ran out. My mom got mad & yelled at the vet & forced the vet to do her job. My mom took me home & 30 mins later we went back & she went in & got him for me. & we took him home & I burried him in a deep hole & I went to the bush & dug up a spikey bush/tree & planted that right on top of his grave.

I'd say to call the vet just before u go & make sure ur not gonna have to go through the same horror as me.

But I felt good after about putting him to sleep because he's not painfully suffering anymore.

A few days after his mate started to go crazy & stoped eating cause she was alone. So I bought her his brother who was still at the pet store & she loved him & was all better & then I had 10 rats & babies ALL over the place. I'm was so happy to kow that Mike got Rattus pregnant just before I put him to sleep & on of there babies look just like him, but was a female & I kept her & named her Rat.

Just take millions of pictures of ur rat & when its time u can make a website dedicated to ur rat, like I did.

& getting a new rat shortly after a rats death, helps releave the empty hole a bit & will put a HUGE smile back on ur face.

I hope all goes well for u & ur little rattie friend