February 7, 2013

  • Feb 4 2013 8:59PM

    Update on Nibbler:

    The vet says that she is definitely on her way out, but certainly seems to be not suffering and wanting to continue. She has some kind of abdominal tumour, which doesn't surprise me because her upper body has gotten thinner in recent months but her belly is a bit bulbous, slightly more on the right than the left side. After some discussion with the vet, I decided to take her offer of medication and see how she does. Since the antibiotic I've been using has been helping her, the vet gave me a stronger one to keep her on. She also prescribed a pain killer in case she's feeling any discomfort.

    She's 100g, so somewhat underweight but not wasting away yet. I need to weigh her regularly and make sure she's not dropping a lot of weight suddenly. If she stops eating or shows any other major signs of distress, I can take her back at that point and it will only cost me $30 to have her put down. Today's appointment, including drugs, cost $117. Still not money I can really spare, but it's far better than paying $130 to have some stranger steal her into the cold and put her down without examination.

    The vet was great, and told me I was doing all the right things.

    I figure Nibbler is a little old lady, had a good long life. If she stops eating, she's telling me she's ready to go. I'll be ok with it when I know she's ready. For now, she's eating like a pig! She's 2 1/2 years old, which is like 80 for a hamster.