squishy
Junior Member
Hi people,
My rat Squishy has a pituitary tumor, and she really doesn't look good... I don't know what to do :cry:
I took her to my local vet about five times over the past few weeks, and she just got weaker and weaker (and the vet didn't seem to know what was going on) until out of frustration I took her to another vet on friday (an exotic animals vet), who diagnosed her with this tumor.
She's on prednisone and vitamin b12 at the moment. I've been trying to hand-feed her peanut butter, chocolate spread, baby food, yoghurt, bananas, and scrambled eggs (all her favourites) because she can't hold her food or chew very well on her own any more and I can't really get her to drink any water... should I force-feed her water with a syringe?
She bruxes more than usual too. I was wondering if that was an effect of the tumor or is she happy when I pick her up? at the moment she's just sitting wrapped up in a blanket on my lap, very thin and hardly moving, and when I stroke/feed her she bruxes...
Does any one know if pituitary tumors are painful for rats? Is my rat in pain?
She also has a lot of porphyrin around her eyes; it's all crusty and she looks like a panda... I tried to clean it off with warm water but she kept pushing my finger away... I was wondering if a bath and getting all the porphyrin off her would make her feel better or if it would just traumatize her more...? (she can't clean herself anymore either...)
The vet told me that I could take her in on monday and have her put to sleep... :cry: I know she's suffering, but she really hates the vets (every time I took her there she just got really stressed out and I don't think it did her much good...) so if she isn't in too much pain, perhaps I could just let her go peacefully in her sleep without having to take her to the vets...?
What do you think is more humane? Is death from a pituitary tumor a horrible, drawn-out process? or do you think she'll go peacefully quite soon, given the fact she's not really eating or drinking any more and can't really move...?
Any advice from someone who's been through the same thing would be great... I just want to do the right thing for Squishy...
My rat Squishy has a pituitary tumor, and she really doesn't look good... I don't know what to do :cry:
I took her to my local vet about five times over the past few weeks, and she just got weaker and weaker (and the vet didn't seem to know what was going on) until out of frustration I took her to another vet on friday (an exotic animals vet), who diagnosed her with this tumor.
She's on prednisone and vitamin b12 at the moment. I've been trying to hand-feed her peanut butter, chocolate spread, baby food, yoghurt, bananas, and scrambled eggs (all her favourites) because she can't hold her food or chew very well on her own any more and I can't really get her to drink any water... should I force-feed her water with a syringe?
She bruxes more than usual too. I was wondering if that was an effect of the tumor or is she happy when I pick her up? at the moment she's just sitting wrapped up in a blanket on my lap, very thin and hardly moving, and when I stroke/feed her she bruxes...
Does any one know if pituitary tumors are painful for rats? Is my rat in pain?
She also has a lot of porphyrin around her eyes; it's all crusty and she looks like a panda... I tried to clean it off with warm water but she kept pushing my finger away... I was wondering if a bath and getting all the porphyrin off her would make her feel better or if it would just traumatize her more...? (she can't clean herself anymore either...)
The vet told me that I could take her in on monday and have her put to sleep... :cry: I know she's suffering, but she really hates the vets (every time I took her there she just got really stressed out and I don't think it did her much good...) so if she isn't in too much pain, perhaps I could just let her go peacefully in her sleep without having to take her to the vets...?
What do you think is more humane? Is death from a pituitary tumor a horrible, drawn-out process? or do you think she'll go peacefully quite soon, given the fact she's not really eating or drinking any more and can't really move...?
Any advice from someone who's been through the same thing would be great... I just want to do the right thing for Squishy...