I haven't posted in quite some time and unfortunately my 1st post back isn't going to be a great one...By beloved Lily has gone completely blind in both eyes and has the beginnings of a tumor. I come to you asking if this would warrant putting her to sleep. It breaks my heart to see her bumping into things and falling out of her hammocks (I've since lowered them nearly to the ground now). The fact that she's got the beginnings of a tumor also make me think that this is a painful experience for her. My husband and I spent most of the night trying not to cry over this but to try and make the right decision for her. I am open to your opinions. Could you please give me some insight as far as if her life has now become painful and if it's cruel to keep her alive.
Total Blindness + Beginnings of MT
- Thread starter LilysMom
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lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
How old is your lady? Does she have friends? does she still eat and drink well? Blindness and a mammary tumour on their own are not enough reason for euthanasia, if there is no other factors like illness. Mammary tumours are not painful and only affect them once they get much bigger.
Where's the tumour and what is her general health like?
Where's the tumour and what is her general health like?
She's about 1 and a half years old and still eats and drinks and has 2 friends in there with her. The tumor is under her front right arm and is about the size of a pea at the moment. She's still kept her friendly disposition and hasn't ever had any health problems. She's one of the healthiest hairless rat's I've personally seen until she lost her sight and got this tumor. I just want to make sure she's not in pain. I know rats have poor vision to begin with so I know she could still more or less get around without it but the tumor is what had me worried.
Thanks so much for your input. I can rest a little easier knowing that she's not in pain.
Thanks so much for your input. I can rest a little easier knowing that she's not in pain.
lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
18 months is very very young for blindness/cataracts. What do her eyes look like? Knowing she's a hairless/nakie girl whom are prone to eye issues might change things overall.
when did she lose her sight?
when did she lose her sight?
lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
LilysMom said:
do you have any pics you can put up? is there any swelling or the eye protruding? Is the eye white all over and it was relatively sudden, or just cloudy looking? Is there any porphyrin discharge, any rubbing at the eyes? I have been through so many eye isses but my comparison pics are on photobucket which I cannot access from this work computer
My camera is broken at the moment and hopefully will be fixed soon. It's almost all over the entire eye. The porphyrin discharge is no different than it always has been. She's a freak about keeping her face clean and I always like to wipe it off when I see it as well. The only time she rubs her eyes is when she wakes up and cleans the porphyrin from her face.
lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
Like this?
or more like Aura
or more like Aura
lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
that is unfortunately an injury or glaucoma...does it look normal in size and shape?
*Rebel_Angel*
Well-Known Member
Aaah poor sweet Lily (I have a Lily too well her names Aily but I also call her Lyli and shes the sweetest soul ever another one of her names is Momma Aily, I think she's the mom of the group always caring for the others (including me) before her....it must be something with the name that the rats with that name are little sweethearts)
I hope ur girl can recover from whatever she has and live out a happy healthy long life because as lilspaz said she is still quite young.
I hope ur girl can recover from whatever she has and live out a happy healthy long life because as lilspaz said she is still quite young.
Thank you rebel angel. I'm sure the fact that she was once a pet store rat and was pregnant upon me getting her plays some role in her health but I love her soooo sooooo much regardless. As long as my sweet Lily isn't in pain she's going to be with me until she's ready to go to the rainbow bridge.
lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
LilysMom said:
Just keep an eye on that shape and colour, but hopefully nothing will happen.
change her environment to help her get around. If there's levels and ramps, hang hammocks to catch her if she falls, lower her waterbottle, etc.
jorats
Loving rats since 2002.
I wonder if she might have something else going on... blindness will not cause a rat to bump into things nor fall out of a hammock. Rats barely use their sense of sight anyways. They sniff and touch their way through life.
lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
jorats said:
Actually if you have seen a blind nakie, they bump into everything...with those short curled up whiskers they have nothing to tell them when things are coming up once they are blind. Eli bumped into everything as he wandered around the room.
jorats
Loving rats since 2002.
Oh right, the nakies don't have their whiskers to guide them. Goodness, those poor nakies, they really shouldn't be made.lilspaz68 said:
