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Post by pinky on Sept 29, 2012 15:48:57 GMT -4
Really a lucky mouse, the feral one!
Sure, if I ever see spinys I'll let you know.
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Post by pinky on Sept 29, 2012 15:47:35 GMT -4
I think I've read that a church in this area does a blessing too.
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Post by pinky on Sept 29, 2012 15:46:25 GMT -4
My bunch loves kale too. I fed Mable lots of it pre-surgery for the vitamin K that'd help her clot.
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Post by pinky on Sept 29, 2012 15:44:14 GMT -4
The eye ruptured, but the vet prescribed drops and it looks darn good at present. Getting the drops into the eye posed a challenge--how to, when the ham never stops moving? I found ways, but when she literally screamed at me Thursday morning I was seized by terror that i had hurt her terribly and I stopped two doses short of the full week. I was trembling inside all day till I was able to run home and check on her. That, and a personnel issue at work made that day one I'd like to just forget!
Still two outstanding issues, though: one area of the incision is healing very slowly, and her urine is off-colored. Following up on these. This has been a really stressful few weeks. When I play with her, I know she's worth it, but man o man. . .
The Pingster is hanging in there, but I see signs of decline. His tumors are the size of grapes now, and these are on a Robo! But he still runs in the wheel, not for very long, but still. . .
Thanks, Tom and Katie, for your concern and support. *hugs*
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Post by pinky on Sept 20, 2012 22:33:17 GMT -4
A scary setback the other night: she unexpectedly grabbed onto my hand; I jerked my hand up, with her attached, and then she fell some inches onto the bedding, not hitting anything. That was enough stress to make her bad eye bleed. There I was at 11 pm with a hamster with a bloody eye and blood around the nose. Stressful! Fortunately the bleeding stopped, she made it through the night without incident, and she never showed signs of pain or discomfort. We go to the vet tomorrow to have sutures removed and for an eye check. It could be that I will no longer be able to play with her in the way that I have because of the small risk of falling, which clearly can injure this very sensitive eye. It could also be that the vet recommends that the eye just come out. I hope it's not the latter.
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Hawk
Sept 15, 2012 21:09:55 GMT -4
Post by pinky on Sept 15, 2012 21:09:55 GMT -4
I did do a little searching, Katie, but I wasn't able to figure it out.
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Post by pinky on Sept 15, 2012 21:07:56 GMT -4
Play in peace, little one.
Can't say I have seen them on Petfinder or anywhere.
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Post by pinky on Sept 15, 2012 21:05:43 GMT -4
Incredibly, she just cleaned up the site herself and has never bothered the sutures. Healing seems to be coming along nicely, and she is herself, which tells me that pain management is adequate. Don't know the status of the tumor, so there could be more in store, or not. But for the time being, all is well.
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Post by pinky on Sept 11, 2012 23:40:36 GMT -4
Surgery went fine. She still has her eye. Very vascularized tumor, with blood supply leading from her chest, so it was a somewhat more tricky surgery than anticipated. But she is home and doing well. 3 meds to give and sutures that I hope she doesn't destroy (though the vet put in two layers of them for good measure).
Glad this day is over. Very draining.
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Post by pinky on Sept 10, 2012 23:15:28 GMT -4
METACAMMMMMMMMMMM! Mammary tumor is dark area at lower right.
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Post by pinky on Sept 9, 2012 20:42:48 GMT -4
Quick update: Surgery is Tuesday. It may not involve the eye at all, since the size of the eye is much reduced now, and if it doesn't that will save me money.
We have been having some really nice play times. I realized that she DOES like climbing on me if I give her the right surface to climb on (a particular sweatshirt that she can get a good grip on), and so she's been climbing up my chest, onto my shoulder, and into my hair. I have had several hams that liked doing that, and I'm delighted that she's now one of them. Playing this way, she does not nip at all. I just have to remember that she's blind on one side and so she can be easily startled. And if she's startled, she lunges at the "assailant." She also lunges at the Metacam syringe because she loves the taste of the stuff so much. No scruffing and stuffing the syringe into her mouth needed!
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Post by pinky on Sept 2, 2012 9:39:57 GMT -4
I am double-posting this--in the Ping thread and in a new one.
Talked to the vet more. I'm better informed, and he trimmed the estimate. Nevertheless, I cancelled the surgery to give me more time to think.
Possibile courses of action/outcomes:
Surgery done, with histology on tissues. Surgery done, with no histology (so won't know if tissues are cancerous, but it saves a lot of money) No surgery immediately, but eye pops out and forces the issue of surgery vs. euthanasia. No surgery, and Mable is euthanized when the situation requires it. Mable is euthanized soon, on the grounds that she has three medical issues.
Surgery could be completely successful, with neither site cancerous, and she would go on to live a decent life.
If cancer is found, that's just information--it doesn't change treatment (there is none).
Doing nothing: how much pain is she in/will she be in from the glaucoma-like pressure in the eye? She is on Metacam now.
We think the tumor may be a fast grower, which may suggest malignancy.
Some people in my life are saying to end the situation; that way I'll have money, time, and emotional resources to spend on new, healthier hamsters. But watching her bounce off the walls of her play bin last night I burst into tears, crying, "I can't do that!" She doesn't appear ill in the least, though the eye situation is obvious.
Help. . .
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Post by pinky on Sept 2, 2012 9:38:28 GMT -4
Talked to the vet more. I'm better informed, and he trimmed the estimate. Nevertheless, I cancelled the surgery to give me more time to think.
Possibile courses of action/outcomes:
Surgery done, with histology on tissues. Surgery done, with no histology (so won't know if tissues are cancerous, but it saves a lot of money) No surgery immediately, but eye pops out and forces the issue of surgery vs. euthanasia. No surgery, and Mable is euthanized when the situation requires it. Mable is euthanized soon, on the grounds that she has three medical issues.
Surgery could be completely successful, with neither site cancerous, and she would go on to live a decent life.
If cancer is found, that's just information--it doesn't change treatment (there is none).
Doing nothing: how much pain is she in/will she be in from the glaucoma-like pressure in the eye? She is on Metacam now.
We think the tumor may be a fast grower, which may suggest malignancy.
Some people in my life are saying to end the situation; that way I'll have money, time, and emotional resources to spend on new, healthier hamsters. But watching her bounce off the walls of her play bin last night I burst into tears, crying, "I can't do that!" She doesn't appear ill in the least, though the eye situation is obvious.
Help. . .
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Post by pinky on Aug 30, 2012 0:48:07 GMT -4
These are bloody tumors; not sure what might slow them down.
Ping is as happy a fella as he could be under the circumstances.
Bad news for Mable re darkened eye. Vet visit outcome:
-anterior bleed and significant enlargement, with probable very high intraocular pressure and danger of prolapse. No doubt that she's blind in that eye. -mammary tumor Planning on surgery to remove tumor (is hard; benign? malignant?) and eye and look for possible metastasis in eye region. She is young (13 months) and the vet is optimistic about the outcome. Surgery will be Friday or Tuesday.
I can read the vet like a book--his facial expression and body language belie his news. Of course, he knows he can be brutally honest with me and so maybe he just abandons all pretense. Our relationship is such that I could actually ask him this.
I really got to see that body language because he came out to get me while I was talking to a colleague of mine and his Keeshond, and I followed him into the room.
Surgery was option 2. Doing nothing seemed too risky (he's really worried about the eye popping out, even between now and surgery), and euthanasia seemed far too drastic (he did NOT recommend this in the least--he just put it on the table).
Anesthesia isn't Mable's friend, but he said both procedures are quick and he had no qualms about being able to do the work well.
He couldn't give me a figure for % malignancy in hamster mammary tumors, though he was able to quote them for many other species. Rats: mostly benign. Guinea pigs/rabbits: mostly malignant.
[Note that I later found a source that said that hamster mammary tumors are generally benign. :-) (And interestingly, that gerbils' are generally malignant. Tom: any experience to add here?)]
So this will be my first hamster surgery experience in 14 years of ownership.
EDIT: I got the estimate. Wondering if I should let nature take its course, as I am doing with Ping. Surgery is scheduled for Tuesday, but I'm on the fence after hearing from some people on the issue.
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Hawk
Aug 24, 2012 23:24:49 GMT -4
Post by pinky on Aug 24, 2012 23:24:49 GMT -4
It's not obvious to me. Will have to research it, but not at this late hour.
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