Ashley Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 I just had to have my hamster euphanised. I noticed yesterday her underside was wet and her tail looked longer and curled around. Took her to the vets this morning and they said she had wet tail. Offered antibiotics but said it doesn't always work etc (although online reports suggest it can be cleared away but I'll trust the vet as...well its too late for one thing). Plus she was 2 1/4 anyway so I knew she wasn't long for this world. And now I feel terribly guilty. I just committed a creature to death, which is something I try and avoid. I know its for her best but still its not nice. First time I've ever had to decide it (as previous pets were when we were young). Obligatory picture. So I thought I'd start this bleak topic so we can all have a big cry or something! Its going to be so fucking weird not hearing her shuffling around and such in the night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyboy-the-Dane Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 You really shouldn't feel guilty. You did it for her sake. It was for the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReZourceman Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Sorry to hear that. How long do they normally live for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayseven Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Man that's bizarrely surprising. I actually felt a twang of emotion for you, bro. It's certainly one reason why I don't know if I could bear having pets that I'd outlive. Replacement tortoise is in order. My friend had to put one of her rats down a few years ago. I went with her, and on the way we took the rat out at a park and just let him run around for a bit. Was an odd day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S.C.G Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 I'm sorry for your loss Ash... losing a pet is always a sad time, no matter how big or small the creature, the feeling of loss is still the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diageo Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 I used to have a hamster. I feel for you bro! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyboy-the-Dane Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 My friend had to put one of her rats down a few years ago. I went with her, and on the way we took the rat out at a park and just let him run around for a bit. Was an odd day. That just played a note on one of my heartstrings. Must've been hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eenuh Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Having a pet euthanised is a horrible feeling, but in the end you know it's for the best. Still really hurts to have it done. We had to do it with our previous dog, about 7 years ago now. I was the only one who wanted to stay with her when it happened. It still haunts me to see her "fall asleep" like that. I hope you're okay, so sorry about your hamster. Have a hug. *hugs* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happenstance Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Sorry to hear about that Ashley, such a horrible thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEVILMURRAY Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Hamsters... They seem so pointless when someone else has one, but when you have one yourself you feel the love. Hamster loss is a dangerously uncool. Its going to be so fucking weird not hearing her shuffling around and such in the night. I feel that. I always wondered how my hamster figured out how his wheel worked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 I've lost a few cats over the years, I know how painful it can be but at least you did the right thing. I'm dreading getting the phone call about my oldest Cat who just turned 19, I've had her since I was 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heroicjanitor Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 I'm sorry for your loss but you made a very unselfish decision, respect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bard Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 That sucks man, hope you're aight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellmeister Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Yeah Ash, kudos on doing the right thing. I was the one who noticed my family's first hamster wasn't right. turns out a blood vessel had burst in the lower half of her body and she was paralysed from half her body down. Was horrible. Most hamsters we've had put down because they get so old there's no point in prolonging it with hopeful antibiotics as it may not work and you don't really want them in pain. Sorry Ash Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 I haven't had much luck with pets either. At 7 years old my first dog got an eye infection so his eye looked illuminous blue almost. He always seemed fairly happy and pretty unaffected by it. But one day, which I remember perfectly, he was acting extremely odd. He'd been to the vet a few times recently but today it felt as though he died, just not mentally. He was technically alive but he just sat in our utility for the entire day, staring. We tried to cheer him up but he didn't react at all. The next day we found that he'd gone missing and ran away. Later my uncle found him lying dead in a field. It was pretty heartbreaking. I just remember quite vividly my Mam tellin my sister and myself when we came home from school. My Sister wailed for hours, even my Mam (not a big animal lover) shed a few tears. I was more in shock at this point but I cried a lot when everyone left the house. Losing a pet is always sad. I hope you're Ashley, don't feel guilty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Peeps Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 I've had hamsters, none of them have ever managed to just die of old age You did the right thing for sure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan_Dare Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Sorry to hear it man. It's always hard even with small creatures like hamsters. It was really hard when my cat Elvis died. I'd had him so long that loosing him was like loosing this constant part of my life. He was there, good and bad, through all my youth and changes. I still miss him an awful lot from time to time. It pisses me off when people say cats are just mercenary things because Elvis was anything but. He was my friend and my companion for life and he absolutely adored me. Even so I knew putting him down was the best choice for him. He was very ill and it was an act of mercy. You can always take solace in that with your hamster too. it helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxigen_Waste Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 It sucks. (charizard) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Sorry to hear it man. It's always hard even with small creatures like hamsters. It was really hard when my cat Elvis died. I'd had him so long that loosing him was like loosing this constant part of my life. He was there, good and bad, through all my youth and changes. I still miss him an awful lot from time to time. It pisses me off when people say cats are just mercenary things because Elvis was anything but. He was my friend and my companion for life and he absolutely adored me. Even so I knew putting him down was the best choice for him. He was very ill and it was an act of mercy. You can always take solace in that with your hamster too. it helps True, it really pisses me off when people just say Cats are selfish and only show affection when they want something. One of my Cats would refuse to sleep anywhere that I wasn't there and would always wait for me to come home before napping. If I was ever gone for an extended period he use to mope around, or so I was always told. I miss him dearly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shorty Posted December 14, 2010 Share Posted December 14, 2010 I have a pet rat with a cyst which may be benign but may not - andd needs surgery; I have a dog with two malignant tumours who is too old for surgery. I don't really know what to say, I suppose I am not in any place to understand your sadness yet but in the case of my dog it's only a matter of time. I think jayseven has the right idea. Pets that outlive you from now on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aztec Rose Posted December 14, 2010 Share Posted December 14, 2010 It may just be me, but my animals are my babies. I feel you did the right thing, because watching your animal suffer is just awful. My tortoise suffers frequently from respiratory infections and watching her struggle to breathe is horrible. I'm sorry for your loss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyboy-the-Dane Posted December 14, 2010 Share Posted December 14, 2010 (edited) Our oldest cat has dementia or something, we suspect. She occasionally gets "fits" of some sort where she gets extremely hyperactive, runs around the house and seems scared. Her pupils are very big, so we also suspect she might simply have problems adjusting them to the light, distorting her vision and thereby scaring her. In any case, it's a very unpleasant experience. Since she was originally a stray cat (who was used to humans and thus perfectly tame), we don't know how old she is, but her life has evidently worn her down, so we don't expect her to live very long anymore. Our previous cat we had to have put down because (and I'm not kidding) he had an infection in his gums, making him unable to eat. He had even survived a somewhat serious neural disease not long before, so it seemed like some kind of cruel irony of fate. A sister to one of our current cats was hit by a car (the only of our cats who has ever been hit by a car, surprisingly) and killed. This still makes me sad since she was so beautiful and elegant. Completely black, thin and long-legged with a shy, gracious nature. She may just have been my favourite of our cats. Edited December 14, 2010 by Dannyboy-the-Dane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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