PhotoGal Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 One of our pet mice has a lump behind her ear. She was a rescue mouse and we don't know how old she is. Should we take her to the vet? I'm leaning toward yes, but I don't know if our vet even sees mice? Am I being reasonable or ridiculous? What would you do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 I have asked some hamster questions on here. There are some who say yes, some who say no. Our Vet wants $38 just to see a rodent, plus meds and/or treatment. Euthanizing for our hamster was going to run $58. :tongue_smilie: Just so you know, don't expect less pricing just because the darn thing weighs 1/50th of your dog! :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 I would not. It is very common for mice/rats/other rodents to have cancerous tumors. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annandatje Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Generally we have had poor results with taking small mammals to vet. It is hard to tell they're sick until they're almost gone anyway. However, we did indeed take a pet rat to vet for a lump behind its ear. It turned out to be an abcess and easily treatable. The rat pleasantly lived out its life span. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldskool Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 It would depend on how much expendable cash I had. If you have the money I would say you could, but then again it may be a tumor and there may not be a lot they can do. We had this happen to our guinea pigs. Sorry.:grouphug: I hope it turns out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 No. A guinea pig yes, I can see that. I took my ferrets in, too. A mouse? No. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalknot Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 I have, and do. 90% of the time we know what it is going in (cancer; pet rats), but 10% of the time it's been something else - either an infection or a drainable cyst. Not all vets are comfortable (or even willing) to see smaller pocket pets, but a simple phone call is all it takes to determine if yours will! If he doesn't, he may be able to refer you somewhere else; if all else fails, consult the yellow pages or consider asking at a university if you have one nearby. Another resource to consider if you're unsure of financially committing to a vet is any local club. There are tons for fancy rats, and I'm sure some exist for mice or general rodents. Ask at a pet store (preferably local, not chain), a nearby college, your city ASPCA or shelter, or even Google. ((hugs)) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalknot Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 No. A guinea pig yes, I can see that. I took my ferrets in, too. A mouse? No. Okay, that's just funny (and maybe predictable? LOL) coming from the username "justamouse" :tongue_smilie:! /thread interrupt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myeightkiddies Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 When I had a rat, I took him in for a well-rat check-up at the vet. The vet loved him. Research pet rats, for those who don't know about them. They make great pets, except they don't live long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Mice only live for a year or two. Yours is a rescue. How long have you had it? My dd had a rescue mouse. Right after she got it, it developed mites (probably came with them). Our neighbor has guinea pigs and had the meds for mites. She weighed the mouse and figured out a the amount by how much smaller the mouse was to her pigs. That was the only treatment Sandy got. It was free. Sandy lived with us for 1.5 years. Not knowing his age before rescue, this is a normal life expectancy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunD Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 I would, if I had the money to spend on it. Call up your vet and ask if he/she is knowledgeable about small rodents. If not, ask them to recommend a good small animal vet. It might be something easily treatable or it might be cancer. I would consider finding out a good demonstration of responsible pet ownership for your DC. They might be able to estimate age, too, and include that in the discussion about whether to treat it. I actually had surgery performed on a dwarf hamster. Gasp, yes, I know. She was a year old and lived another two. At that point she was my only friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 No, I wouldn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 If it's not too much of a hardship and you love the mouse, why not? :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 I took a gerbil to the vet several times as a child, after calling half the phone book to find one who would agree to see them. I ended up at a vet hospital that normally did farm animals (including dogs and cats), run by an old country vet and his wife-I'm guessing they took pity on the panicked 10 yr old on the other end of the line (and their bills also indicated that-they were always in amounts that were very reasonable for a child to pay-I believe the first one was $8, and the last was $20) Sometimes it was treatable, sometimes it wasn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyLady Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 I think when you take in a pet you're taking on the responsibility of ensuring it lives a healthy life, mouse or not. I would say to at least have it looked at. You then have the option to decide if you can afford to treat it further if need be. If it's suffering, you don't want to prolong it. Good luck! I hope it's ok! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheApprentice Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 I wish I could I wouldn't, but I'm afraid I would. And did for my son's hamster. He truly loved his pet hamster (his first), and he said that I would go to the vet for my dog, why not his hamster.:001_huh: It was a $70 visit, and it still died that night. But I realized I wasn't doing it for the hamster, but for my son.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weaver_67579 Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Any pet worth having is worth caring for if in need of vet care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth in WA Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 I wish I could I wouldn't, but I'm afraid I would. And did for my son's hamster. He truly loved his pet hamster (his first), and he said that I would go to the vet for my dog, why not his hamster.:001_huh: It was a $70 visit, and it still died that night. But I realized I wasn't doing it for the hamster, but for my son.;) :iagree: This. I want to say I wouldn't, but if the animal was important to my kid, well then, I would. I wouldn't have a pet mouse if one of my kids didn't love it, so.... yeah. I love my kids; I love their pets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 I took our pet rats to a small animal vet. I saw them as important as our cats and dogs. One rat in particular, Jelly, was so sick and I tried so hard to nurse her back to health. I had to use a dropper to give her medicine and juice. She reached the point where she couldn't move and she would just hold my fingertip with her little hand. We had to put her down and I cried just like when my cats passed away. She was so sweet. Oh my, I've got tears in my eyes just thinking about it and that was over a year ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizaG Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 We had several pet mice, and they all got tumors. From what I've read, this is extremely common. We didn't seek medical treatment (what would the vet do anyway... mouse chemo?), but we did have a couple of them euthanized when their tumors got so huge that they had trouble walking. We are not getting any more pet mice. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 If it's not too much of a hardship and you love the mouse, why not? :grouphug: I agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 No, I wouldn't take a small rodent to the vet any more than I'd take a pet fish. The mouse has already won the lottery by being born a pet instead of nuisance inside someone's wall. They don't live long enough to pass a cost-benefit analysis. I know some of you would do it anyway and that's cool, but it sounded more like you (OP) are looking for validation that you're not cold and heartless. There's nothing wrong with letting a mouse die a natural death and burying it in the backyard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandellie4 Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 I would definitely take a mouse into the vet's. Much of what I've learned about having pet mice, rats, guinea pigs, and rabbits came from talking to the vet about what was going on with one of ours. We've used antibiotics on mice and actually had it work. When they're time is over, it's over, but I would feel awful if I let something suffer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandellie4 Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 ...I actually had surgery performed on a dwarf hamster. Gasp, yes, I know. She was a year old and lived another two. At that point she was my only friend. Yep, me too. Pretty much friendless and mine was a mouse. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 We did, and the hamster lived for another year. The vet only charged us for the meds, probably because he was going to do this :lol: when we left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 It's a mouse. They don't have a long life span. The lucky thing was not bought for snake food. It has had a good life. Let it go and be recycled as a new mousie. (My own theory is all animals and bugs are 'recycled'. I cannot think that heaven is full of ants....) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 No, I would never take a mouse to the vet. Not even a gerbil or a hamster. eta: I thought about the snake too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 No, I would not. I'd probably give it some extra mouse treats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5LittleMonkeys Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Okay, just about two weeks ago we had to have dd12's beloved rat put down. She had a tumor that had gotten so large that she couldn't walk around anymore. It broke our hearts; she was every bit as much of a pet as a dog. If dh had allowed it I would have taken her in when we first noticed the tumor. (This type of tumor wasn't necessarily cancerous and could have been removed.) He didn't feel it was worth the cost (over $200) for an animal that only lives such a short time. I didn't agree with him but since $200 is A LOT of money to us I let his decision stand. It was heartbreaking to watch my dd go through that though. She would ask weekly how much longer I thought Thornbush would be able to stay with us...she knew we would eventually have to have her euthanized. As it was it cost $40 to have her put down. We have started a rat care savings account though in case our new babies end up with a similar health problem. I don't want to be in the situation again where I have to just stand by and do nothing. So, I guess my answer would be, if the money isn't an issue then I would take it to the vet. If money is an issue then obviously your decision is made for you, however, be prepared that you still may end up with the cost of euthanasia if the mouse gets to the point that it is suffering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassoonaroo Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 (edited) We have four rats. And they go to the vet. So does the parakeet but not the betta fish. I guess I'd google to get advice if the betta fish had skin issues or something where a water additive might help, but the parakeet and rats actually have relationships with us and they are important to the kids (and, I admit, to me -- dh less so). And the lesson we are teaching is "take care of the critters you take on." Do call around and find a reasonably priced exotic vet if possible. This month, all the animals except the youngest rat and betta fish have been to the vet in the last 11 days. I kid you not. I'll share the short version of this story. Before Thanksgiving, we knew that Maggie had a tumor. But we decided not to strap our pet sitter with post op issues (a good thing, it turns out as Maggie was not a cooperative post-op patient). Our last visit to the vet before this string of them was in May, so we've had over six vet-free months. Last Monday: Maggie has three tumors removed, the original one and two more. She comes home with a shaved belly and two rows of stitches on her belly. Last Tuesday: Since Maggie decided to remove one line of stitches overnight she went back in to get both incisions closed with staples instead -- they are harder to remove, but she's up for the challenge. Meanwhile Tipsy has started breathing heavy (pneumonia). So she goes in to and gets a steroid shot and antibiotics. About this time Lizzy the parakeet gets diarrhea. Saturday: We take the bird in but also take Maggie back as she's removed one line of staples. We never found the staples and guess she ate them! The vet glues the hole shut and puts glue on the remaining line of staples. Tuesday: The glued together incision is open and has infected gunk in it. She goes back in to get the incision cleaned out and starts on antibiotics. I'm cleaning her incision twice a day with peroxide. Wednesday: She's removed the other line of staples but the incision is closed up. Thursday: This afternoon, DD notices blood on Love's rear. Not sure where it came from -- being a girl rat, she's got three options. Took her in and they think it's UTI (she got an xray and urinalysis -- made possible because she peed on the Xray table giving them a clean sample). She is very old and might not make it. So, I have three geriatric rats on antibiotics. The first two with the tumors and the pneumonia ought to pull through but the other one, I think not. We couldn't have done this without an affordable vet. Our old vet (loved her, close by, clean office, nice staff), charged $75 for an Xray whereas today's Xray was $20. And they wanted over $100 for a tumor removal after a $40 office visit and $25 for antibioitics. Our new vet charged us $79 for the office visit, removing three tumors, swapping the stitches for staples, gluing the gap shut, cleaning out the gunky wound, and then $10 for antibiotics after the wound got yucky. And, he would've removed the staples if the rat hadn't have done it herself! And when I brought Tipsy in with pneumonia, he didn't even charge for her for that visit. And they charged $39 for Lizzy including the lab work to look at her poop. Still not cheap, but they are less than half the price of the nearby vet. He does a good job and always considers if the animal is healthy enough to endure surgery. One policy that a friend of mine has is that each rat they own is "allowed" one visit to the vet for "something big" and that's all. After that, it's minimal medicine and then putting to sleep if needed. Oh, and the local ASPCA will put down animals for a minimal cost (or nothing if family cannot afford). Go ahead and take the little mouse in. Or at least call around and ask the price of an office visit. Edited December 16, 2011 by Bassoonaroo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhotoGal Posted December 16, 2011 Author Share Posted December 16, 2011 Thanks for your help, everyone. From the very different opinions, I can see that at least it makes sense for me to be torn on this issue. :001_smile: We decided to call our vet in the morning and see what he says. From searching online, it doesn't look too good. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 I've had a lot of rats in the past, and from what I've read, rats and mice have been bred to be especially prone to cancerous tumors for research purposes. Don't know if that's true or not. I have, however, had tumors removed from rats. I had one rat that I rushed in because practically overnight she developed some kind of horrible respiratory infection. The vet rushed her back to give her oxygen, but she was so close to gone we opted for euthanasia. They sent me a condolence card a week later. No one will bat an eye if you bring your pet in, and no one will think you're heartless if you don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhotoGal Posted December 17, 2011 Author Share Posted December 17, 2011 I want to thank everyone for their help with this decision. Our little mousy didn't survive the night, sadly. :sad: Though I'm relieved not to have to make the decision, it would have been nice if we could have extended her life with us - at least past the holidays. The kids are really upset. We just buried her in the backyard. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhschool Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 Yes, of course. Just because he's littler doesn't mean he's not important! If he is your pet, you should definitely take him to the vet if he is sick! It's not his fault he is small! God Bless (and prayers for your mousie!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizaG Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 OP -- sorry your furry friend didn't make it. I remember how sad our children were when that happened to us. (As it happened, their favorite mouse died around the same time as their grandfather, and the two events were connected in their minds for a long time. "I miss Gramps and Blackie" was something we heard a lot. :grouphug:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 I want to thank everyone for their help with this decision. Our little mousy didn't survive the night, sadly. :sad: Though I'm relieved not to have to make the decision, it would have been nice if we could have extended her life with us - at least past the holidays. The kids are really upset. We just buried her in the backyard. :( I'm sorry for your family's loss of a pet. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 No, I wouldn't take a small rodent to the vet any more than I'd take a pet fish. The mouse has already won the lottery by being born a pet instead of nuisance inside someone's wall. They don't live long enough to pass a cost-benefit analysis. I know some of you would do it anyway and that's cool, but it sounded more like you (OP) are looking for validation that you're not cold and heartless. There's nothing wrong with letting a mouse die a natural death and burying it in the backyard. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 I want to thank everyone for their help with this decision. Our little mousy didn't survive the night, sadly. :sad: Though I'm relieved not to have to make the decision, it would have been nice if we could have extended her life with us - at least past the holidays. The kids are really upset. We just buried her in the backyard. :( :( Sorry to hear that. We lost our dog and our hamster this fall. There is something that makes it harder around Christmas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whereneverever Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindyg Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 I realize the sweet little pet in question has already passed away, and I'm so sorry about that. But I did want to vote. I *would* take a mouse to the vet, but my dh would *not*. We have two pet mice, and we have already had a third one die, so it is something we've discussed. I would not engage in an expensive treatment program, but I do wish we had a way to put them out of their misery when the time comes. I do think, as you experienced, that their lives are so short that their end-of-life illnesses are likely to be short as well. With our little one that already died, he was gone within just a few hours after I could tell he was sick. But it's traumatic watching a pet suffer. I'm sorry for your loss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: I'm sorry to hear about your mouse. I was hoping she would be OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.