Think positive thoughts for Mal. . .

[pinky]

It seems pretty clear that Mallory is harboring an ovarian cyst or tumor. The vet thinks that it explains the fur loss, the loss of balance control, the swollen belly. . . . I started giving her oral Prednisone yesterday--it may shrink the growth, or it may not. Worth a try.

Life has changed some for her. Uneven surfaces are her nemesis. She gets around more slowly. But she still runs on her wheel and her appetite is good. There's no telling how this will end up, but I'm cherishing her more than ever. Owning her has been a wonderful experience.

[Hamsters82]

Aw, poor Mallory. I hope she gets better; I'll pray for her too.

[pinky]

Thanks, Katie. Whatever will be, will be.

Time to give her her medication and let her run. . .

[Die Fledermaus]

I always remember the appellation "furry flowers": lovely but ephemeral.

I mentioned my melancholia to Katie yesterday as I look back on scores and scores of deceased pets, many deeply loved. Occasionally, rarely, I made mistakes, and they haunt me seriously. But overall a great deal of critters had nice safe lives here, and many are right now. The positive wins out. I accept the realities: if I wanted longevity exclusively I would have one tortoise or macaw here.

Best to Mallory. Prayers and all positive thoughts.


(P.S. this reminds me to update the photo gallery in the sig).

[pinky]

Thanks, Kate and Tom, for your encouragement.

Mal is getting rounder and rounder. When she ends up on her back it's hard for her to right herself. I'll take her in to the vet Friday morning. She'll palpate and let me know if she thinks that it's due to fluid (which can be drained to make Mal more comfortable) or due to a belly full of tumor(s). If it's the former, I'll probably have the fluid drained. If it's the latter I will have a decision to make. I don't want her to be in pain, but of course I won't want to let her go if she still has some quality of life possible. She's still active and otherwise ok.

So Friday may be a hard day for us.

[Hamsters82]

Oh I'm so so sorry Robin. I hope that it's just her belly needs to be drained. I asked Chewie last night to watch over her; if it makes you feel any better our dwarf, who also had a tumor, lived for a month more after we took her to the vet.

*hugs to Mallory and you* Again I'm so sorry.

[pinky]

We feel honored that Chewie is watching over Mal. Her own guardian angel.

[Die Fledermaus]

I was out all night yesterday in Manhattan, and will be gone soon again today. So I am only getting to this now.

Best wishes. Let us hope for a belly drain.

"On her back". Rainy in her last days fell over a lot when walking; I built a little cart thing for her rear to keep her righted. Might have been a neurologcal issue. Then - suddenly - things got very worse: see the "Death Watch for Rainy" thread from several years ago. You may remember the story.

I look at the ones saved, living and gone, and that helps get me through debilitations. As I posted in memorial several days, I lost another rat - just did not wake up, like my friend Jerry last June. Best way to go.

Hugs and prayers.

BTW, tonight is a concert in a church, near St Patrick's. So it will be a good place to send good thoughts.

[pinky]

Thanks, Tom. 9 am is our appointment.

She's still so full of life that even if the prognosis is bad I absolutely won't go home without her. I'll wait till I see something change before making that decision. Any hamster that still runs at a decent clip on a wheel isn't ready for that. . .

[Die Fledermaus]

Indeed so.

Fingers crossed.

If you recall the horrible photo and the description, Rainy suddenly was in severe pain that Sunday night. She never had been before. I don't want to describe it, but it started a discussion about euthansia options at home. Someone sent an article on that, maybe you? I really should locate that.

- - - - - -

Been in Manhattan again tonight.

Busy busy.

[pinky]

I remember the article--it wasn't I who posted it, though. Not sure who did. CO2 asphyxiation at home. Doesn't appeal to me (in general, not necessarily right now).

[pinky]

Well, we're back from the vet. Mal weighed 40 grams a month ago; she weighed 54 g today. That's an increase of half an ounce in tumor/fluid. The vet anesthetized her and extracted a LOT of fluid from her (dark brown, yucky-looking), and after the abdominocentesis she then palpated and found at least three tumors. I could have this done again when she fills up again, but the vet recommended not to. So she may have weeks or a month or two--hard to say. The tumors were 5-7 mm in size--not trivial for a critter her size. Anyway, she now weighs 37 g, indicating that the cancer may be pulling resources away from her. . . . so I am to give her Gatorade and protein (cheese, egg, chicken) for a while to rehydrate her and build her up a bit.

She is a different hamster. She feels totally normal in handling her. She runs like a bat out of hell now. But it won't last. . .

[Die Fledermaus]

Gatorade, huh? How would that compare to Pedialyte?

When Makeeda had Cushings Disease (as did her son, Stanley) one of the reasons it was stated treatment was impossible was the size of the critter compared to the needles required including to check blood. This can be done in such as dogs with some efficacy, those who have CD. That was entirely sensible considering the size of the Syrian, and Syrians are bigger than Mallory, a dwarf.

I am surprised the vet could do so much. Finding a small critter expert was a blessing. When Princess had the runs and I went to an emergency vet who claimed she knew "exotics" but she could not even sex her! She was, however, caring and gave me the Baytril, even though she may have had the runs from too much lettuce- a mistake I never repeated. But we went as I was too slow getting help form Blackie, my first, who had an RI, that oddly came and went.

What kind of syringe did the vet use?? I suppose of the tumors are more toward the surface they are more easily found and drained. I did not know tumors contained liquid.

So, this condition causes her to be hyper?

No pain, no serious debilitation, let her live. My mother in her final year and especially months was such, and she never complained and
was always happy to see me, as she did often each day. And she needed a feeding tube toward the end. "Dear old dad" was a different story.

So glad she is still with you. Take photos for us. Enjoy her while you can.


Meanwhile. . . my two new young gerbils (more in the Gerbil forum later) are no longer hiding but in plain sight grazing around. They are four feet to my left.

Bad weather outside. Freezing rain. Best to the cats. They usually manage, somehow. This has been the coldest late November and December I can recall.

Best.

[pinky]

Dec 19, 2008 16:56:04 GMT -4 Die Fledermaus said:

Gatorade, huh? How would that compare to Pedialyte?

I mentioned Pedialyte and she said to use Gatorade as I could buy it in a smaller-than-one-liter package for less $$. The point is to get some electrolytes in her.

Mal licks it off the end of the syringe readily till she has her fill.

I am surprised the vet could do so much. Finding a small critter expert was a blessing.

Would you believe that she's 6 blocks away? She IS an exotics vet; she's not a vet who masquerades as one. And she's owned hamsters and done autopsies on them.

What kind of syringe did the vet use?? I suppose of the tumors are more toward the surface they are more easily found and drained. I did not know tumors contained liquid.

Good question. It must have been a very thin needle because there was no external perforation to worry about. She said the fluid just kept coming and coming. The fluid was in the abdominal cavity--she didn't drain the tumors themselves.

So, this condition causes her to be hyper?

She's rambunctious now because she's 30% lighter and has no round belly to lug around and make her unstable. Maybe I should have taken a "before" photo, but I didn't feel like it was something I wanted to do.

So glad she is still with you. Take photos for us. Enjoy her while you can.

I'm glad too. I will think about taking some.

The avatar photo and this one--love them.

Bad weather outside. Freezing rain. Best to the cats. They usually manage, somehow. This has been the coldest late November and December I can recall.

Yes, bad weather indeed. When all this rain freezes later tonight it will be hazardous. And cold, yes--except for that 60-degree day earlier this week!!

[Die Fledermaus]

>> And she's owned hamsters and done autopsies on them. <<

Technically, it is a necropsy. But if a hamster could do one on us that also would be a necropsy.

>> She's rambunctious now because she's 30% lighter and has no round belly to lug around and make her unstable <<

Oh. Makes sense. And tumors produce liquid?? I am still confused about that. Why would a tumor produce liquid? What kind of liquid?

Great photo! Really sweet.

You may wish to repost the avatar photo at normal size so we can get a better look.