This sucks... *He's gone :( *

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Lindsay

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2007
Messages
157
Location
Dartmouth, NS
My last ever rattie, Ben, seems to heading downhill suddenly. He is due to turn 2 in October and had never been ill a day in his life. Last week I noticed that he has 2 tumors in his scrotum. Looks almost like his testicles have grown back. One is about the size of a grape. They came out of nowhere. He still eats and drinks and plays and had been acting normal. Last night I noticed that he almost seemed to be walking a little slower. I picked him up and palpated his abdomen and I felt what feels like a large internal mass. The room was hot last night and he was sleeping on his side in his cube home. This morning the room was a comfortable temperature but he was laying out in the open on his platform and his fur was puffed up. This isn't normal for him because he normally sleeps under his blankie, in the cube, or in his ball.

I fear that it's cancer. Internal masses are rarely, if ever, operable... and the fact that he's got the small cluster as well leads me to believe that it's cancer. I wasn't ready for this. Not this fast, and certainly not this soon. I'm sad :sad3:
 
This really sucks. :sad3:
My mom did had a rat with a tumour wrapped around her intestine but she was able to live another year with that tumour.
I would try metacam, see if it can shrink any swelling and perhaps alleviate any pain if there is any.
 
Well, Ben is gone.

He wouldn't eat any chicken tonight when I offered it to him. Christina came over this evening for a short visit and she palpated his abdomen and said it was really really bad. The mass is about the size of a golf ball, if not slightly bigger. Possibly in his bladder. She said he was suffering and needed to be put down... and that she would be surprised if he made it through the night as she felt he could possibly be turning septic. She was barely gone an hour when I noticed he was starting to gasp. I took him out of the cage and we went down to the couch in the living room. I was on the phone with my boyfriend and Ben died in my arms. It was pretty quick. I have been bawling my eyes out for the past hour.

I'm officially ratless now for the first time in 9 years. I am a mess and tonight I am all alone because my bf is stuck at home with no gas in his car and no money. I dunno what to do with myself...
 
Oh Lindsay, im so sorry :hugs: we're thinking about you here - atleast he had his mommy to hold him while he passed
 
Thanks for all of the replies. I'm still pretty upset but I did manage to get some sleep last night so that's good at least.

I still feel horrible for him. He had to have been sick for quite a while before I knew anything about it. I only noticed a small lump 2 weeks ago and then felt the mass only 24 hours before he passed. It happened so fast which is a blessing for him. It hurts like hell though to know that I won't have any more rats around:(

I also felt horrible when Binky passed a couple of months ago and left Ben as my only surviving rat. I was originally planning on rehoming him but couldn't bring myself to part with him. He was likely sick at that point already. I'm glad I decided to let him live out his last remaining months with me. You could tell that he missed his friends, but he was always happy to spend time with me. I couldn't have asked for a sweeter boy.

I miss him terribly already but I feel good knowing that he is at the bridge with all 21 of my beloved rats that I have lost over the years and that he will never again feel pain or suffering.

RIP Rascal, Whiskers, Keiko, Cosmo, Skylar, Ebony, Weebles, Stella, Abigail, Lucky, Hollee, Angel, Rusty, Shiznit, Trinket, Peaches, Noah, Wiley, Scabbers, Willow, Binky, and Ben.
 

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