mouse with tumor on leg

Question

Delta   QUESTION: Hi there.  One of my favorite mice, Delta, has developed some form of tumor near his left rear leg.  Normally I'd have tried to do something about it but money is abnormally tight.  It developed to the size of a pea about 3 weeks ago and he developed a slight wobble to the whole of his balance, to the point if holding him and he struggled it took him a bit to regain his composure after being let go.  

He's a bit of an old boy now, almost 20 months.  His brother (I asked a question about him before, Alpha, doc said heart arrhythmia, frankly I say heat stroke, he's fine btw) has given us a couple of scares.  First the above mentioned then a day where he was abnormally slow and cuddly.  He likes attention but that was a frightening, like a child needing a hug with a fever... anyway that again was another one off... So while Alpha gets sick and bounces back like flubber, Delta seems to slowly be getting worse.  

All that is to say he seemed to be coping until yesterday.  We thought at first it was just the high heat (odd heat wave here atm) but today we noticed he was dragging it and that he was having a hard time lifting it, even to run on the wheel.  We've tried to make him comfortable but really there's only so much we can do.

Is there a way of knowing if he's in pain at all and would any sort of pain medication work for him?  If the tumor is causing swelling in the leg is there anything we can give him to relieve it?

We don't and likely won't have the money for a vet... (wish to God there was some sort of charity for this sort of thing) so both putting him down and getting an operation for his tumor is out of the question I'm afraid.

Thank you so much for your help and advice!



ANSWER: Dear Miriam,

I'm glad Alpha is doing well.  I'm very sorry about Delta.  Is there a Beta too?  

Even if you could afford an operation, it wouldn't help very much.  The kind of tumors that mice get do not respond well to surgery.  They just keep coming back.  If he survived the surgery it would buy him at most a couple months, probably less.  This is different than rats, whose tumors are benign.

It's pretty easy to kill a mouse with pain medication, so I can't recommend that.  There is no reason why a simple tumor should hurt unless it is pressing upon something, which is unlikely if it is on his leg.  If he doesn't squeak at the touch, he is probably not in pain.  

The big problem with tumors is that they grow and grow and eventually make it impossible or unpleasant for the mouse to do what it needs to do-- eat, drink, move, or eliminate.  Eventually a tumor may break open as well.  The only thing to do is make it as easy as possible for him.  Extra loving is good too.  

If his quality of life is too poor, you may be able to find a vet who would charge less to put him to sleep. The actual cost of putting an animal to sleep is largely the poison they use, and a mouse only needs about a half a milliliter.  A vet on their own might be willing to help you for a more reasonable amount of money.  My vet doesn't even charge me-- it costs him nothing but a few minutes' time. Try calling around.

It used to be easy to put a mouse to sleep by using the car exhaust (30 years ago), but cars are safer now. There is no easy way.  Some people break the neck or cut off the head.  I've heard of using dry ice too, but have don't have any first hand experience.  A vet might be able to tell you how.  Otherwise you just try to make him as comfortable as possible, give him treats, give him love.

my best to both mice,

squeaks

Natasha



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------


Delta, Beta, Gamma, Al   QUESTION: Yes, there was a Beta and Gamma, also brothers.  However Gamma died pretty young of myco and Beta managed to live a full 12 months before succumbing also.  Neither seemed to respond to medications.  

We also had a Zeta who died fairly young and suddenly.  The vet figured it was a hole in the heart.  

Epsilon was a rescue from a shelter - big boy, black, half wild half fancy.  We moved into a new apartment with wild mice living in it (didn't mention THAT before moving in heh) and he decided he wanted to join his ancestral ways - ran off one night and never saw him again.  We like to imagine he had a big family and is retired with a pipe and his feet/tail up.  Bit disappointing though, we spent a lot of money at the vet for him... between getting him with ringworm from the spca then he got lice, then myco... tough boy though, didn't even need to finish his meds before he was better each time.  We miss them a bunch.

So that leaves us with Alpha, Delta and Di-Gamma (bought two days after Gamma died)

Delta's let reminds me of either muscle cramping or arthritis.  Happily the temperature is lower today so he is moving about, though slower than a mother likes to see.  Wish there was some sort of muscle/joint therapy out there for such small critters.  Ah well.

Answer
Dear Miriam,

Thank you for answering me.  May I give you my email address-- I'd like to contact you; you seem to have some experience with mice and, for instance, I don't have personal experience with ringworm in mice and would like to know what it was like for your mouse Epsilon.  The more I learn from my readers the better I can help others.  My email is mouse@lovemouse.com.  Are you on Facebook by any chance?

Hello from my mice Chanterelle, Daisy, Valentine, and Pippi-- Pippi is Valentine's half-wild daughter who showed up in a surprise litter of ten in my virgin wire cage!  Nine of the ten became crazy-wild, like I had heard they do, but Pippi tamed herself and walks onto my hand more readily than the special show mice!

squeaks,

Natasha