Very sick hammy advice needed please

[Krob1988]

Hi all,
I have a Chinese dwarf hamster who I think is almost three,. I adopted her so can't be sure.
On Friday I noticed she was unsteady on her feet and a big lump had appeared on her side just above her back leg. I had noticed she was a bit more sleepy than normal and she was more interested in fresh than dried food, but I kind of put it down to her age.
Anyway I took her to the vet first thing yesterday and they said it was a tumour on her abdomen around 1.5cm which is pretty big for a small hamster. They said she didn't look that bright in the eyes and that abdomen tumours generally are painful. They let me take her home for the weekend, but have suggested I have her put to sleep tomorrow.
I just wanted to know if anyone else has had experience with this and if you agree it is the right thing to do. I do know she is old and I think she's had a good life. I don't want her to be in pain or miserable, but she is still munching away on blueberries and greens, but she isn't coming out of her house much at all.
Thank you all in advance!

[cypher]

So sorry to hear about your ham.
It sounds as though the tumour has grown quite fast & that is big for a little Chinesey, hams are very good at hiding signs of illness & pain so it may be hard to tell if she is suffering or how much, only you can judge her quality of life but I would imagine that the tumour would most likely continue to grow & will cause her pain very soon if it isn't already.
She may be able to go on a little longer without pain, you know her habits, behaviour & character so perhaps you can tell if she is suffering.
It's always a hard decision to have to make I know from experience but if I had an elderly ham with a tumour like this I think I would prefer to make the choice for her before she suffered too much rather than wait until it was too late,
You know her best so I think you will know if the time is right or not, just try to remember it's something we do out of love for them if there are no other options.

[Thin Lizzy]

So sorry to hear about your ham's tumour, cypher has worded it so well, sometimes we have to make difficult decisions when it concerns our hamster, you know deep down what's best for your little one.

[Drago]

I'm very sorry about your little one, I too agree with cyphera point in that only you can know when your little one is ready. If she seems in too much pain, it may be time to say goodbye. Keep her happy and comfortable for her last days and just be there for her. I hope everything turns out alright for you two