Tumor

by Sparrow Mon 20 May 2019, 1:38 pm

I feel like everything is happening at once... Between caring for two pregnant mice, I also noticed a tumor on Stella.

I'm pretty familiar with tumors on rodents as I had to deal with it twice on hamsters in the past and I will be brining Stella into the vet on Wednesday. Nevertheless, I am still really worried as she is my little baby girl...

While doing a routine health check on Stella, I noticed a small tumor on her underbelly, just behind the right back leg. It's hard to touch and doesn't seem to be causing her any pain. Her quality of life does not appear to be declining. She is as friendly as ever, she eats and drinks without any issues and she plays with other mice as well as by herself without any issues.

If any of you have ever dealt with a tumor on a mouse, how long on average does it take to notice their quality of life to decline? I want to be prepared to take any necessary action to make her life with me as comfortable as possible.

With my previous two hamsters, the vet refused to take any action to help, as they were too old and were not in pain. One ended up having to be put to sleep after a year of having the tumor as it got so big that he had trouble moving around. The second hamster died peacefully, due to old age at the age of 3 and a half - his tumor didn't grow bigger up until his final last month's.

What should I look out for and what can I expect when it comes to tumors in mice? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

by CallaLily Fri 24 May 2019, 10:53 am

There really isn’t one answer here. In some cases things progress rapidly but in others they can live quite comfortably for a while. Depends on how quickly the tumor grows and the mouse. We’re talking weeks or months here.

It’s likely the vet won’t be able to do much here either, except to help keep her comfortable if needed. Some tumors can be surgically removed, some can’t....but with mice it can be trickier because they’re so small and fragile. You have to weigh the risks. I’ve seen a few posts on other mouse groups where tumors have been removed only to come back in another month or so. I’ve wondered if it’s worth all the pain and stress for a mouse’s short little life or if it’s kinder to keep them comfortable and happy for as long as you can. Undecided

I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Unfortunately it’s very common in pet mice so many of us have been where you are. hugs

Tumor

Tumor

Re: Tumor