When to euthanize?

[petunia]

My little Petunia, she is 1.5 years old. She has been aging rapidly the last couple of weeks. It all started with her buggy eyes. We took her to the vet & they gave us some eye drops. The medicine did very little to help Petunia.

Then, a few days ago, something very weird happened. Petunia's hind legs stopped working properly. She was just lying there, in the bottom of her cage, unable to move. This was about 6 in the morning. She was paralyzed. I thought we were going to put her down. It was very upsetting. I called up the vet as soon as they opened that morning. And, the vet said it was probably a tumor that was making her eyes buggy & this tumor was probably pushing on her brain which is why her legs weren't working. They said they couldn't do anything for her, expect put her down.

Well, my partner & I were really distraught. Of course we didn't want our Petunia to suffer, but we didn't want to be too hasty. I was about to take Petunia out of her cage to take her to the vet, but then she started walking normally. I mean, she was stiff, but she was getting around, moving her back legs. Then, she found a peanut in her bedding and was munching on it. We figured she wasn't in pain if she wanted to eat and sleep.

It's been about 3 days since she fell over & her hind legs stopped working. She still is eating. She even wants to come out and play. She has a little walk around & tries to climb up on me. But, today her eye looked so weird, we thought it popped out. It didn't, it was just crusty & Petunia was able to open her eye without any help. She still cleans her face & licks her feet. But, I think she's been peeing on herself. Today she smelled REALLY bad, like old urine. It wasn't due to a dirty cage. I've been changing it every day & checking on her quite frequently this weekend. She stills yawns and stretches when she wakes up. But, she is breathing very heavily.

I guess I'm really confused. What is a good sign to know she is in pain?

[StarlightSerenity]

Sorry she's going through this

Did the vet actually diagnose the problem with her eyes?

I'm not going to be much help but I though I'd post a few links for you -

Hamster hind leg paralysis
eye problems - Specifically this article Glaucoma in Hamsters

No one here can tell you when to euthanise in all honesty hon but I do think you know when the animal has had enough (I know I did when I had to have my dog pts). She won't show obvious signs of pain due to being a prey animal but behavioural changes will give you a clue - changes in her activities (chewing, running on her wheel, drinking, eating etc). That she's eating and grooming is a good sign.

What breed of hamster is she? Where did you get her from (pet store, rescue, breeder)?

[petunia]

She's a Syrian, and I got her from the local pet shop. The vet wasn't able to diagnose the problem with her eyes. The vet wasn't an exotic specialist & didn't have the right equipment to check. I would take her to the exotic pet vet, it's away aways. I don't want to stress her out any more. The drops perscribed were Maxitrol. I've stopped giving them to her, because that was so stressful.

She seems happy at the moment, I guess I just want to prepare myself for the inevitable.

[racinghamster]

petunia, I`m sorry to hear about your wee one. It`s obvious that the vet you see doesn`t really have much of a clue. They will normally prescribe eye drops if an eye issue is present, but it depends what the problem actually is. If her eye is actually bulging (but doesn`t have any discharge or crusting or looks inflamed due to infection) drops won`t really be much use. She could have something going on with her brain or nervous system if her legs are giving out. Paralysis can be caused by nerve damage or a spinal problem or a degeneration of some kind. It`s difficult to say. Sometimes a deficiency in the diet can be a cause also. It might be worth researching that.

Is she managing to get mobile at all? Can she walk without her legs sliding outwards? How is she coping generally? If you can make her cage one floor only and keep her food and water in easy reach and basically make her habitat OAP friendly, it will suit her best. She`s not too old at 1.5 years, but sometimes genetics play a role and they degenerate faster as a result. Hope she pulls through for you. x

[Demecat]

I'm sorry, but again, you'll just know hen the time is right. We are all here for you *hugs*

[KatiePillow]

I was in the same position as you about a month ago with my alfie, he's had a tumour for about 8 months now, repeated problems with his eyes and then he lost movement in his hind leg - but he's still going strong, he keeps having eye infections which I'm finding it harder to get rid of, but I think that's just because he's a bit weak - She seems to be still fighting, so I'd say as the others have, that you'll know when she just wants to rest.

I hope that she continues to fight and you have more time with her, and that she's getting spoilt

[petunia]

Thanks everyone. She gets around on her own & can use her back legs. I've put her house & everything she needs on the bottom floor of her house. She has been getting cuddles & treats a plenty when she wakes up. Especially, lots of love!

[KatiePillow]

She seems like she should be happy enough generally people say when they're no longer able to do what they enjoy.. then it's their time.
I'm glad she's getting round on her own and coping and that she's been getting cuddles and treats! My Alfie is rediculously spoilt!

[racinghamster]

If she has any shelves or her cage is tall rather than long, it would be best to keep her in a one level cage now because of her weaknesses.

[namrufmo]

With my old hammy Hercules I knew it was time when he stopped eating his daily peanut.