Laugh or Cry ??!! - Chihuahua Forum : Chihuahua Breed Dog Forums

Aquarius · #1 07-28-2010, 07:54 PM

I have been out at work all day - whilst I was out my daughter discovered that her 18 month old dwarf hamster (about the size of a mouse) had a lump on her chest, so she took her off to a vet who specialises in small animals (where Poppy was spayed)

Well - the vet said it is a tumour and it can be removed so daughter said great and P Nut (the hamster) is at the vets until Friday and being operated on tomorrow morning.

Cost of hamster first day €5 - age of hamster now 18 months - life expectancy another 6 months (they only live til about two years) and the cost of the surgery-----------------€120 which is about $200 US .

AAAAAAAAArgh - I know, I know - poor little hamster deserves the treatment, but................!!

Jerry'sMom · #2 07-28-2010, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aquarius

Cost of hamster first day €5 - age of hamster now 18 months - life expectancy another 6 months (they only live til about two years) and the cost of the surgery-----------------€120 which is about $200 US ....

Life lesson for child about the value of each and every life-- Priceless!

Brodysmom · #3 07-28-2010, 08:45 PM

Jane, I agree with Therese! It is a great lesson for your daughter.... just because one of our pets gets sick doesn't mean we give up on them.

Our daughter Courtney (who is now grown) had a rat when she was about 6. She loved that rat. We all did. Her name was Rachel. Well, Rachel got a tumor much like your little hamster. I was wondering what to do. We told Court that animals get old and sick and sometimes they get cancer and sometimes they don't get well, etc. We were debating taking Rachel to the vet. This was right about Christmas time and Courtney was BEGGING to go see Santa. We thought she was a little old! But took her anyway.

Can you guess what happened?

She sat on Santa's lap and when he asked her what she wanted for Christmas she told him that she had a rat at home and her name was Rachel. She had a bump on her belly and her mom said sometimes it is CANCER and she wanted Santa to know that she didn't want ANY TOYS for Christmas. She just wanted Rachel to BE WELL. That's ALL she wanted.

I remember that old mall Santa's face. He looked up at us as we stood at the front of the line with all those other shoppers. And he was so surprised by her request that his eyes were tearing up. Of course ours were too. He patted her and said "he'd see what he could do."

The next day we took Rachel to the vet. She had surgery. It was mammary gland tumors and she ended up having several tumors in each of her little nipples all the way down her underside. The vet took out ALL those tumors and spayed her. He said their hormones just go into overdrive and if they don't get bred, their little bodies just produce tumors. She had an incision from her neck to her groin!

So Rachel got well and Courtney got to love her for 6 more months.

And yes, she DID get presents for Christmas too.

tulula's mum · #4 07-28-2010, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brodysmom

Jane, I agree with Therese! It is a great lesson for your daughter.... just because one of our pets gets sick doesn't mean we give up on them.

Our daughter Courtney (who is now grown) had a rat when she was about 6. She loved that rat. We all did. Her name was Rachel. Well, Rachel got a tumor much like your little hamster. I was wondering what to do. We told Court that animals get old and sick and sometimes they get cancer and sometimes they don't get well, etc. We were debating taking Rachel to the vet. This was right about Christmas time and Courtney was BEGGING to go see Santa. We thought she was a little old! But took her anyway.

Can you guess what happened?

She sat on Santa's lap and when he asked her what she wanted for Christmas she told him that she had a rat at home and her name was Rachel. She had a bump on her belly and her mom said sometimes it is CANCER and she wanted Santa to know that she didn't want ANY TOYS for Christmas. She just wanted Rachel to BE WELL. That's ALL she wanted.

I remember that old mall Santa's face. He looked up at us as we stood at the front of the line with all those other shoppers. And he was so surprised by her request that his eyes were tearing up. Of course ours were too. He patted her and said "he'd see what he could do."

The next day we took Rachel to the vet. She had surgery. It was mammary gland tumors and she ended up having several tumors in each of her little nipples all the way down her underside. The vet took out ALL those tumors and spayed her. He said their hormones just go into overdrive and if they don't get bred, their little bodies just produce tumors. She had an incision from her neck to her groin!

So Rachel got well and Courtney got to love her for 6 more months.

And yes, she DID get presents for Christmas too.

wot a wonderful story, u can't have any pet suffer.

Vivid · #5 07-28-2010, 09:07 PM

What an awesome story BrodysMom. Put a smile on my face for sure!

Natti · #6 07-28-2010, 10:20 PM

Oh thats lovely, BrodysMom!

I wish my younger brothers and sisters were the same (Dont have human kids!) - Mine would just ask for another pet!

Aquarius · #7 07-28-2010, 10:35 PM

That's a great story Tracy

My daughter is the same, she has spent her life saving the lives of everything from beetles up ... one time years ago she came into me with a pricked finger which was bleeding I asked her how it happened and she told me she pricked it so she could save a mosquito - right enough there was a dying mosquito on the window ledge with a little drop of blood beside it's head

Honestly we have had bug nurseries ever since that child could crawl!!

So today is no surprise to me - but Gulp the bill is !!! I never thought of getting pet insurance for the dwarf hamster

rocky scotland · #8 07-28-2010, 10:58 PM

Awwww cute stories about the rat and mosquito!! Life = priceless! Can you actually insure a hamster?

Loving the names, Rachel is not a very 'rat-like' name at all, it make me LOL, very cute!
And P Nut that is adorable!
Brought a smile to my face!