[yellowted]

i just found out yesterday that one of my two gerbils has got cancer and the other has suspected cancer too, they were both born on my bed and i held them both at one hour old, now they are two and a half years old, ok i know that their life expectancy is usually around three to four years, but their father lived till he was 5 and their mom was four and over a half! so they have good genes and should live till around the sama age i assumed. i am not ready to say good bye yet, they are the only family i have, they have been with me right through my illness, their father was with me through the death of my partner, i had such a great bond with their father and was so pleased to have his children to follow his line of decent, now it looks like the line is coming to an end. I know i should not prolong their suffering, or opt for them to be operated on if their quality of life after will not be good, but just can't bring myself to loose them, i will be totally on my own again and i hate that, it scares me. at least whilst i have my gerbil boys to care for i have something to live for in my darkest days, without them i am scared i will have nothing to stop me doing something silly that i do not want to do!
i love them sooo much, this is as bad as the time i was asked to sign a do not ressussitate form for my late partner, it feels like my heart is being pulled out again, i have to decide by Thursday what i want the vet to do
how many times can a heart be pulled out before it stops trying to rebuild itself?? i feel like a paving slab, you know the one right by the lampost where the dogs stop to do their buisness, one after the other after the other, just as it starts to clear down comes the next load of sxxt!
sorry to vent this, just needed to let it out!

[lynn P.]

(((((yellowted)))) - I'm so sorry the pets you cherish have cancer. All you can do is, what's the most humane for your pets and financially possible for you. So sorry this is triggering all your past sadness and loss. Saying prayers for you during this difficult time.

[Leed]

Bless your heart ~ You certainly don't need this right now. I know how hard it is to lose a precious pet(s). They pull at your heart-strings something awful. But like Lynn said, you'll have to do what is the most humane thing to do for them. You don't want them to suffer, bless their hearts. Gosh, it IS a hard decision but one you must make.

Just know that my thoughts are with you and you'll be in my prayers. I've had to make a decision like this before too and I know how difficult it is. God bless, yellowted. (((Hugs))) Lee

[yellowted]

Thankyou both for your kind words of support, my Gerbil has had the operation to remove the cancer (and his penis!!) he is recovering well after his big panic attack on Thursday evening on realising what had just happened! he has to return to the vet next Saturday to have his stitches removed, until then i just have to make sure he pees regularly. he is not drinking much so i have been giving him fresh fruit/veg rather than dried food which seems to be working! the vet will clip his teeth in Saturday too as they are not being worn down (i have taken all his chew toys out of the cage so he doesn't catch his wound on them or get the urge to jump over them!) he is enjoying all the snuggles he is getting and began 'chating' to me again today which is a great sign that he is not hurting. As for his brother, the vet is happy to leave him be for the time being and see if it develops, if it does then he will operate, if it stays as it is then i think it best to leave it alone as it is not bothering him nor does it look sore.
so all in all a good result and the right decision made.
Thankyou both again x

[yellowted]

just to update you, Sandy gerbil has made a remarkable recovery so far and is back to his old self, ok i know it was a big op to put him through, but now the cancer is gone he can live out his life to the full. Ben gerbil is ok too, i decided not to let the vet operate on him as it is not bothering him and looks pretty much ok, no change in months. the vet thought that was the best option for him too.
I am happy that i made the right decision and that both boys are happy too!
They have not been out as much as they have the past couple weeks, they love the attention of people we meet on route to the vets and even today when Sandy had an injection he was still happy to be in vet Ians hand!
All is well once again.
thank you all for your support xx

[Open Eyes]

Originally Posted by yellowted

just to update you, Sandy gerbil has made a remarkable recovery so far and is back to his old self, ok i know it was a big op to put him through, but now the cancer is gone he can live out his life to the full. Ben gerbil is ok too, i decided not to let the vet operate on him as it is not bothering him and looks pretty much ok, no change in months. the vet thought that was the best option for him too.
I am happy that i made the right decision and that both boys are happy too!
They have not been out as much as they have the past couple weeks, they love the attention of people we meet on route to the vets and even today when Sandy had an injection he was still happy to be in vet Ians hand!
All is well once again.
thank you all for your support xx

Very nice to hear yellowted, these animals are like our children, so it is nice to hear your kids are doing good. You are a good person, to take good care of your little friends.

Open Eyes

[JeanneDoe]

It sounds like you have suffered a lot of loss over the past few years. I can understand how the illness and fear of losing your gerbil friends is hard. I know another pet will not be able to replace them but perhaps having the company of a new friend may ease your pain and help to bring some joy into your life during this hard time.
You have a big heart to have such love for those small animals, it is not everyday someone cares so much for another living thing. You are a good person, I wish you all the best.

[yellowted]

thankyou both xx

[holly.short]

Im so sorry for the loss you have suffered, The bond you have with your pets is specail an has seen you through alot, I am so happy that they pulled through. The choices we make for our pets are always so hard its so dificult to take your self out of the equasion and do whats best for them not for you, I would have made the same choice as there part of my family which makes them me. I have in the past had to make the heart breaking choice to put pets to sleep but not before giving them every chance i could. Give them a cuddle from me.

holly

[celloplayer]

Yellowted,
My girlfriend is a vet. technician, and has done various surgeries on many animals over the years. one thing see sees far too often is owners who keep their pets alive when they are suffering terribly, because the owner cannot say good bye.
While this is natura,l keeping an animal who is in pain alive because you cannot let go is not love. Animals cannot cope with or express pain like humans, and far to often my girlfriend sees them suffer beyond belief and the owner brings then to the clinic demanding the vet do everything even if it just prolongs the agony.
The death of any creature is a sad thing. I have a cat who is 17 and she is beginning to fail. The last time Bobbi, my girlfriend left the house to take her to the clinic I said, don't put her to sleep unless you call first.

She looked at me and said "I will not let her suffer, if there is nothing I can do to releive her pain I will put her down." She said that was only ethical and I could take her to another vet if I disagreed.

Well the cat was able to be helped but I just noticed again that she seems in distress. I may have to have Bobbi bring her to work at the clinic tomorrow.
I do know that some vets do acupuncture to releive pain in animals, even small animals, and as it will not cure cancer, it might ease the animals pain. You may ask your vet if this is poossible with such a small animal.
But remember you have to act in the best interest of the animal. If you do need to put her/him down, you can wait a while, mourn your loss and then get another pair of pets and start the life cycle all over again.

Sometimes it is difficult to sort feelings out, but do not keep the animal alive just for YOUR benefit.

One other thing, after losing several pets through the years, I find comfort in burying them, not leaving them at the vets to be disposed of. I have even buried my sons gold fish. There is something soothing about returning a crature in its natural form to the earth, where their remains will nurture and grow grass and plants and trees. There is a cycle of life and we must learn to respect it. Sometimes I wish we could help ease the pain of terminally ill humans they way we do animals at the request of the person. However that is where the value of the human soul comes in and we are taught, properly I believe that we can ease animal suffering we must treat the human body and soul differently and allow only God to make all decisions regarding human life and death.

God speed and think about what is best for your pet's, you are responsible for them, do not makle them suffer.

[yellowted]

I would never make my boys suffer if the vet did not believe there was a good chance of a good pain free life after an operation, Ian the vet believed there was and was confident he could give Sandy this. Last night both Sandy and Ben were frolicking about on my bed like youngsters, getting into mischief by jumping onto the bedside shelves and avoiding capture at the end of their 'playtime' Sandy however took a turn for the worse today, he began fitting so I immediately called Ian who came and put him to sleep, we both agreed that fitting was the first sign of a slow painful end, and ias i did not want him to suffer I tearfully agreed for him to be put to sleep I placed him back in their cage so Ben could 'say goodbye', I think he understood that Sandy had died about forty minutes later, after he had washed him, nudged him and curled up on him to warm him up! Ben may be a small creature, but he certainly has feelings, thought and compassion!
now i have to spend my time giving Ben the extra love and attention that he deserves, after all he has just lost his only brother!