From:
"Sandra Reyes"
Date: 2007-06-01 16:26:01 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] How do we know when to say goodbye? (Losing a battle with lymphoma...)
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Hi--I need some guidance and support on making the awful decision to
say goodbye to one of my ferrets. Jeebus is almost 6 years old and was
diagnosed with lymphoma back in December 2006. He was put on varying
doses of prednisone and did well for awhile, up until about 2 weeks
ago. Since then, his lymph nodes in his neck have been very swollen,
his energy level has dropped, and his breathing sounds wet and raspy.
He is on 0.4 cc of prednisone now, up from 0.3 cc at the beginning of
the month and the neck nodes are a little less swollen but have not
disappeared. He still is eating and has moments of energy where he
plays with his toys and our other ferret Lily. However, overall he
seems really tired and weary. He's being very stoic so we can't tell
that he's in any pain. This breaks my heart. How do I know if this is
the time to help him out by ending his suffering? Would it be selfish
to keep him at home, keep him comfortable, and wait for him to reach
his end on his own? Dying at home versus dying in the vet's office
seems more comfortable to me, but I know I'm scared to make this decision.
Of course, I am second guessing our decision to not pursue aggressive
chemo, which our vet did not recommend because of the low chances of
success as well as the difficulty if finding a facility in our area
that would offer it.
Any advice or suggestions would be helpful. Thanks, Sandra
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