Tanner and his internal mass - RIP my sweet boy

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lilspaz68 said:
Let us know when you get that appt. I am glad its looking better and the pressure./pain is off your wonderful boy but I still would feel better having a professional look at it :)
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Called the clinic but didn't make an appointment just yet - my vet wants to talk to me, so she will be calling me back during the day. Worst case scenario, he is already booked for Friday...
 
I guess my vet and yesterday's vet discussed - I have no other appointment to make but the one on Friday. In the meantime, Tanner will suffer through hydrotherapy 2 to 3 times a day, and be flushed with Baxedin (thank you Victoria, that Baxedin is really coming handy!). Hopefully, the remaining abcess will burst by Friday afternoon!

She told me the black spot was infected fluid that was becoming necrotic and that it would fall on it's own. The sooner the better, IMO...
 
Ya I'd try to treat the infection too, but ooh...that abcess looks evil! I hope it does burst or your vet will burst it for him cause god OUCH! We all know how abcesses hurt us, but ours never took up like 1/5th of our body did it? I can't imagine how he feels. Hang in there Tanner!
 
Bad update - the mass is back... :sad3:

And it's growing fast, now.

Tanner saw the vet 2 weeks ago and we discussed his options. There were 3 options that could be considered:
1. Get him back to surgery. But the first surgery lasted 2,5 hours, was very, very, VERY difficult and created A LOT of residual fibroma, making it the new surgery even more challenging. It already is a miracle that Tanner survived the first surgery.
2. Make him comfortable as long as possible, and euthanize when he loses all quality of life
3. Euthanize on the spot.

It was a very happy conversation as you can imagine (not!) - and mostly the reason why I didn't post much for the last 2 weeks, as my head and heart were heavy with having to part with a happy, lively, playful, popcorning 1 year-old boy that deserves so much more from life.

Of course option 3 was crossed out right away. We took Tanner home with metacam and a slowly growing mass that day, and even with a change in abs, it keeps growing. My baby boy is now back to sleeping on his side/back most of the time. :sad3: As much I as hate it, Option 1 is put aside as it definitely puts Tanner's life at risk, plus the costs would be enormous. Last surgery, I paid the estimate only, which was a little below $1,000 for a 1-hour exploratory surgery which ended up lasting 2,5 hours. The new surgery would be estimated at over $3,000. As hard as it is for me, I have to brush it off... You have no idea how much I HATE having common sense taking over on my values! But I was also thinking of adding a revised Option 1 - exploratory surgery to see what things look like, proceed if it's really not as bad as before (i.e. not attached to the bladder, or whatever) or euthanize if it is too hazardous.

I need your thoughts... I am at loss... :cry4:
 
Is your boy still enjoying life? If not I would go with your revised option 1. If he is enjoying life I would just make the rest of his time pure heaven with you. And enjoy him until it's time for him to leave. Gentle kisses to your boy.
 
mamarat - Yes he does enjoy life. He is the exact same rat, but I can tell he is uncomfortable and that it hurts is sometimes. I would love to get Option 2 to the fullest and then go with the revised Option 1, but the more we wait, the harder the surgery will get. Or I might chance it anyway, it seems I cannot give up before a last fight... an another one... and another one...

Lilspaz - I saw how miraculous the Dex was with Cabotine, and was indeed wondering for Tanner. I would need to have him injected every 3 days, right? Do steroids affect the immune system, as his issue is basically an abcess, which is why he will not be upgraded to Pred when metacam fails. This steroid thing is completely new to me... :oops:
 
Unepuce said:
mamarat - Yes he does enjoy life. He is the exact same rat, but I can tell he is uncomfortable and that it hurts is sometimes. I would love to get Option 2 to the fullest and then go with the revised Option 1, but the more we wait, the harder the surgery will get. Or I might chance it anyway, it seems I cannot give up before a last fight... an another one... and another one...

Lilspaz - I saw how miraculous the Dex was with Cabotine, and was indeed wondering for Tanner. I would need to have him injected every 3 days, right? Do steroids affect the immune system, as his issue is basically an abcess, which is why he will not be upgraded to Pred when metacam fails. This steroid thing is completely new to me... :oops:
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Any chance of the marsupialization technique like we did with Tonka? is the abscess attached to the abdominal wall or deep inside or free floating?

if the pred is not an option then dex isn't either for Tanner :(
 
lilspaz68 said:
Any chance of the marsupialization technique like we did with Tonka? is the abscess attached to the abdominal wall or deep inside or free floating?
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Gosh, another new procedure to me! This never came up. My understanding for the first abcess is that it was attached to both the muscles and the bladder. It was an abcess indeed, but the capsule was VERY thick. Think I could mention that?

ETA - Too late, I did!! :giggle: They called back to ask me a question and I mentioned it to them. We'll see what the vet says...
 
Unepuce said:
lilspaz68 said:
Any chance of the marsupialization technique like we did with Tonka? is the abscess attached to the abdominal wall or deep inside or free floating?
Click to expand...

Gosh, another new procedure to me! This never came up. My understanding for the first abcess is that it was attached to both the muscles and the bladder. It was an abcess indeed, but the capsule was VERY thick. Think I could mention that?
Click to expand...

Hmm no it sounds very attached deep inside, this technique probably wouldn't work but do a search for it and Tonka on here.
 
:sad3: :cry:
I am sitting at our market square reading this & teary-eyed... I have to stop thinking about it. My immediate thoughts are that I would have to go with option 2, but that is because I couldn't afford option 1... But it's up to you! Also, it may cut his time shorter. Revised option 1 has a larger chance of cutting his time short but could also keep him alive and well much longer; but who knows when another mass will show up? And option 2 sounds good but can you keep him comfortable enough or will he just be painless but miserable his last days? Gah! Poor guy :( I can't believe this is happening so soon; He's only 1. Ok, I'll be back later. Stay strong Nancy & do what your heart (or gut/instincts etc) are telling you to do. I know you'll do the right thing for him!

:hugs:
 
I'm so sorry to hear Tanner's mass is back again. I have to say that I would go with keeping him comfortable and letting go when it's time. Chances are that it will recur again, and what quality of life is it to be constantly recovering from surgeries... One of my ratties Jazzy had a tumour removed twice, and when it grew again the third time, we decided not to proceed with another surgery. It was hard to let her go because she was so bright and full of life, but it wasn't fair to keep her going for our sakes. :hugs:
 
Quick update on Tanner.

He is still with us. He's still trooping around, bugging his brother and friends, fighting and playfighting, grooming and being groomed... if he didn't sleep on his side constantly or walk with an arched back, you would never know he is sick. He is a licky boy who enjoys being on us when we sit down on the floor with them in the "rat room", but he also likes to hide and rest. I don't know how long he will still be happy and playful, but as long as that spark is there, he's staying. I just love his brother... he'd go to him to playfight, and would automatically fall on his back and let Tanner win... ain't that brotherly love??? :heart:
 

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