[de4life]

I had a similar situation with my male Syrian Axel (he's my avatar). His fur began thinning and his abdomen began to swell. Otherwise he seemed healthy, active and comfortable though. I changed his cages so that he had easier access to everything and kept a close eye on him. At first the swelling wasn't too noticeable, and the vet told me he was otherwise healthy, but after around six months he was shaped like a light-bulb. He was nearly three years old by this point.

I decided to have him pts when I saw he was struggling to get into a comfortable position to sleep due to his unusual shape, and he was also struggling to get into his potty or drink from his water bowl. His eyes by this point were almost always shut and he was sleeping a lot. His hair had thinned a lot and he generally just looked very old. I have to say though, until it got to that point he still appeared content and would still come out for 20-30 mins every evening. It was only in the last week or so he stopped wanting to come out.

It was still a very hard decision to have him pts though. On the day he went to the vet he was sitting in his nest chewing on a cashew nut. I knew it was the right time, though, as his quality of life was beginning to decline and I didn't want him to suffer. It's a tough decision to make but it's when their quality of life is gone that it has to be made.