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Old 11-16-2015, 11:49 AM   #1
WaspishJupiter
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Default Did my hamster die suffering?

I had him for two years and two months, he was always incredibly energetic and eager to leave the cage and be held. I managed to tame him really well when he was a few months old, could fit into the palm of my hand, haha. He was a grey Syrian Hamster which I got when he was six weeks old. I always cared for him and made sure he was fine, but as he grew old and really started to show it (when he hit two years of age) he started sleeping pretty much all day and walking slower and slower by the weeks. Recently I realised he stopped opening his eyes and had trouble getting around, for the first two days I just thought his eyes were glued shut after sleeping for nearly 20 hours a day, but I started to worry so I checked on him the third day when he was sleeping. (At thsi point I rarely took him out of his cage since he was so old, not energetic and didn't like being out of his 'house environment.' So, when I did check on him, he was very hard to wake up. I thought he was in the Torpid State (similar to hibernation) but after stroking him for five or so minutes he finally awoke, but he seemed grumpy as he was constantly changing position and budging when I was trying to wake him up. He was rather cold and had real bad trouble trying to orient his way around and didn't walk much, wobbled when trying to. He would walk a bit on my lap then go back to sleep instantly, but when stroked he would start to move again. I did some research and I checked on him again, and realised he had an eye infection and showed simptoms of old age. (Had milk coloured puss encrusted round eyes. I got a lukewarm soaked cotton bud and cleaned all the puss off, then gave him eye drops with a clean cotton bud. (Yes I checked he was allowed them.) Since then he never opened his eyes, and even when I tried to gently open them they wouldn't budge, it looked like he didn't even have eyes, just fur in that place. For the next two days I kept giving him eye drops, and he got worse by the day and hour. The second day he was even colder (I put a heat pack under his cage which kept it at a perfect warmth for him) and was even harder to wake him. He stopped walking that day, just budging around and sleeping all the time.

The next day which was his last, today, (16th November 2015) he still didn't open his eyes but they were obviously clean after I cared for them. He was even colder and wouldn't move anymore, he was limp and breathed slowly. (Not Torpid) I tried giving him water all those days but he only had some two days ago, a little water droplet. He stopped eating and drinking... He kept peeing on himself and I had to clean poop from under his testicles as he couldn't even excrete or pee on his own. It destroyed me, knowing he was slowly slipping away...

Before College I cleaned his poop off and wiped his pee off, and saw he had a red soft bump on the right side bottom of his belly. Tumour? He was all limp and wouldn't move apart from slightly moving his head and breathing, moving whiskers. It killed me from the inside... After one lesson at College I had a large break so I went back home, and found him even colder lying in the same exact position I left him in... His belly was all purple and he was breathing very lightly where you couldn't even tell if you didn't pay attention enough. I cradled him for a good hour and kept him warm, but it was really hard to warm him up as he was all cold none stop. He slightly started moving at one point, whiskers moving, mouth opening and breathing faster, reacting to me speaking (slightly moving head in directionof sound and moving whiskers)

After a good 20 minutes he started getting colder and eventually stopped breathing in my hands... He stayed limp for a couple of minutes but then got Mortis and stiff, like a brick... Joints wouldn't move.. I knew he died so I cried for ages and couldn't forgive myself, as when I last cleaned his cage, about nearly two weeks ago, he was still doing fine and walking around... I swear he couldn't have died from old age just like that? Was it the eye infection he got from old age or did something else cause it..?
I'm devasted... He meant everything to me, and was so gentle and never ever damn bit me. I feel horrible.. Could have I saved him if I took action quicker? Was it my fault or did old age take him away from me? Did he suffer in his last days? Please help... I can't live with myself.
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Old 11-16-2015, 03:06 PM   #2
velma
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Default Re: Did my hamster die suffering?

I'm so sorry for your loss. For something so little they touch our hearts in such a huge way. Please don't beat yourself up and feel guilty. He was a little old man and unfortunately sometimes it is that quick. Much like with people, the older we get the more susceptible we are to illness. It sounds like you did all you could. You kept him warm, comfy & hydrated. What I thought when I read your post wasn't "oh she could have done more" what I thiught was "that was a well loved hamster". He passed being cradled by you. He wasn't scared or alone. He was safe & loved & sometimes that's all we can do x
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Old 11-16-2015, 03:23 PM   #3
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Default Re: Did my hamster die suffering?

Oh I am so sorry. Your little darling passed away of old age and you cared for him on the way. It's so hard to watch a loved pet die slowly but it was a process he went through and you cared for him. You haven't done anything wrong.

Take your time to grieve - be kind to yourself and surround yourself with people who give hugs! He is playing free now over the rainbow and has no pain now. He was lucky to have you to love and care for him during his life. It's just so hard when they go. Old age is a sad thing, but he was clearly hanging on to enjoy as much life as he could xxx
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Old 11-16-2015, 03:51 PM   #4
WaspishJupiter
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Default Re: Did my hamster die suffering?

Quote:
Originally Posted by velma View Post
I'm so sorry for your loss. For something so little they touch our hearts in such a huge way. Please don't beat yourself up and feel guilty. He was a little old man and unfortunately sometimes it is that quick. Much like with people, the older we get the more susceptible we are to illness. It sounds like you did all you could. You kept him warm, comfy & hydrated. What I thought when I read your post wasn't "oh she could have done more" what I thiught was "that was a well loved hamster". He passed being cradled by you. He wasn't scared or alone. He was safe & loved & sometimes that's all we can do x
Thank you for your reply... I just really want to know if he suffered for those two/three days. I just can't stop thinking that I could've saved him, atleast ended his suffering quicker by having him euthanized. He was so lively and giddy barely two weeks back when I was cleaning his cage...
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Old 11-16-2015, 03:55 PM   #5
WaspishJupiter
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Default Re: Did my hamster die suffering?

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Originally Posted by Serendipity7000 View Post
Oh I am so sorry. Your little darling passed away of old age and you cared for him on the way. It's so hard to watch a loved pet die slowly but it was a process he went through and you cared for him. You haven't done anything wrong.

Take your time to grieve - be kind to yourself and surround yourself with people who give hugs! He is playing free now over the rainbow and has no pain now. He was lucky to have you to love and care for him during his life. It's just so hard when they go. Old age is a sad thing, but he was clearly hanging on to enjoy as much life as he could xxx
Are you sure he passed from old age? Just like that? He was running round all okay barely two weeks ago... I made him suffer by not realising his condition earlier that he had eye infections, I could have saved him, but instead it spread to his lungs and he died suffering for three days straight...

He definitely had a lung infection too as he made clicking sounds when breathing...
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Old 11-16-2015, 04:28 PM   #6
WaspishJupiter
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Default Re: Did my hamster die suffering?

He was so gorgeous... From such a beautiful, healthy state to suffering endlessly for three days straight... I will never forgive myself. I could've alteast have him put down to end his ongoing suffering.
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Old 11-16-2015, 04:34 PM   #7
velma
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Default Re: Did my hamster die suffering?

As Soufflé, one our moderators says, any decision made out of love is the right decision. Please don't beat yourself. Try to cherish the wonderful two years you had not dwell on his last few days. He was indeed a beautiful boy.
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Old 11-16-2015, 04:37 PM   #8
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Did my hamster die suffering?

I agree, don't blame yourself. They are very hard decisions to make and each day you don't know what will happen next. It may have distressed him more to be carted to a vets and the stress of that may have killed him or caused him even more suffering. He died in peace at home and I'm sure many of us would prefer that - big hugs.

I think I understand how you feel. When I was a teenager we had a kitten and the first time it was allowed outside we couldn't find it at the end of the day. I went out on my bike every day for a week looking for it in case it had run away but eventually found her in a water reservoir round the oil tank in the garden. I felt guilty for years, because it was my job to pump the water out and I hadn't done it. So I had good reason to feel it was my fault.

You don't have any reason to blame yourself at all and your beautiful little hammy would have been glad of your presence. There is a process to dying sometimes and we don't know if it is better or worse than something sudden, like a heart attack. It's just sad, but he is at peace now.

Last edited by Pebbles82; 11-16-2015 at 04:42 PM.
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Old 11-16-2015, 05:06 PM   #9
WaspishJupiter
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Default Re: Did my hamster die suffering?

I just want to know the realistic side of things... Did he die because of the infection spreading from his eyes to his lungs, since he made a clicking sound slightly when breathing, or did he die from pure old age, as in the infections came because of old age.. And not from an external cause.....? Please be honest.. He was so frail and skinny for over two weeks before passing away...
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Old 11-16-2015, 09:52 PM   #10
kelza
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Default Re: Did my hamster die suffering?

It really sounds like your precious hammy died from old age and the infection was a side effect of him passing. It's not unusual for infections to be part of the end of life process, so please don't blame yourself for this.

You loved him and your extra care these last few days really shows that love. Two years is a long time for these little guys, and it sounds like you had a wonderful bond with him. Take your time grieving, and try to remember all the fun you both had. *Hugs* You did a great thing by being there for him till the end.
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