- Quote :
- She is my baby and I have been so sad for a week, the vet reassured me there is nothing I could have done to prevent any of this
This is true. You could not have prevented any of this.
However, you can prevent any future suffering.
I do not wish to sound insensitive, but I do want to be sure that you have the information you need to make an informed decision.
*Are you aware of the statistics on survival of gliders who have abdominal surgeries?
*Are you aware of the statistics of survival with metatstatic cancers?
*Have you considered doing a needle biopsy prior to doing any surgery?
*Are you aware of the risks of performing surgery where there is an active infection?
*Have you considered the risks if surgery is delayed or put off all together vs. the risks if you DO the surgery with a heart condition.
*Are you aware of the statistics regarding leading causes of death in sugar gliders?
*Are you aware of the risks of using pain medications to control pain for a lengthy period? This would be necessary following a surgery of this type
*Are you aware of other options for controlling pain after surgery if it is needed?
*Have you considered the QUALITY of her life if you are to move forward with all these medications and surgeries and such?
*Are you aware of the impact that such medications have upon the sugar glider liver (and thus, the gall bladder) as well as the statistics about liver disease in cause of death for sugar gliders?
*And finally - are you aware of opportunities to participate in research (whenever the time comes) so that other gliders may benefit from our increased knowledge gained from your baby? This is sometimes comforting to people - to know that they have done some good in the midst of their grief. This is the only reason I mention it now.
These are just a few of the issues that *I* would be thinking about if it were MY glider in this position. It is a lot to take in at one time, but we are charged with making decisions that are best for those in our care. It is best that you are armed with all of this information, so I just want to make sure that is the case.
I'm so sorry that you are going through this. How did your vet find all of these problems? Which tests were performed?
Does Snickers live alone?
We are all pulling for you here! Please keep us updated and feel free to use this space if you need/want some more support.
If there are any of the questions above that you do not have the data/information on, just let me know and I'll share with you the data we have from the SUGAR Group.