# Rest easy Darwin <3



## RazortonguesRatBabies (Oct 15, 2017)

About a month ago, I lost my precious dumbo Darwin. I've been pretty upset still, so i thought what better place to share and remember him. Darwin was a beautiful cinnamon capped dumbo, and the most overweight little chub I've ever owned. He was lazy, and just loved cuddles and kisses. He developed a malignant tumor on the throat. It was aggressive and fast growing, so fast that it seemed to almost double in size every day. Since it was either a lymphoma or a carcinoma, the prognosis was poor and he didn't qualify for payments, and we couldn't come up with the estimated low of 600$ out of the blue for surgery (and that was without the histopathology and sample processing!) Not to mention the other factors that had the possiblity to complicate the surgery. He was running out of time too fast. ):
The tumor grew and grew until he couldn't reach his arms to his mouth and couldn't get around anymore. The rat that used to weigh over a pound was now skin and bones and emaciated. It was painful to watch. He was in pain. He started having little fits where he would launch upwards out of nowhere and scream bloody murder, and bite everything around him. The whole drive to the vet he was limp and unresponsive, and his breathing was so shallow. We decided euthanasia was the kindest thing to do for him. Since our vet uses a sealed box for small mammals I couldn't hold him while he went but I did put my hand on the side of the box to pet it. As soon as I did, he crawled over to the glass where my hand was and layed against it. It took everything in me not to rip the lid off that box and pull him out. The only thing that stopped me was the fact that i had a very good veiw of the tumor that would take his life otherwise, that had made the last few months of his life so much less enjoyable. He boggled happily and passed peacefully. At the time he passed, the tumor had grown to the size of a baseball and developed several black crusty patches that wept fluid non-stop. Rest easy monkey rat <3 I'll miss you forever and always baby <3


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## CinnaLade (Oct 17, 2017)

I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. I had a similar situation with a gecko. I had him since a baby and he developed parasites and died slowly for a long time it was terrible. I can only imagine what you are feeling. I am a first time rat owner and I don't want to think what I would do once they passed or got sick! Stay strong and I am so sorry again. I know he is with you and loves you so much. ??


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## CinnaLade (Oct 17, 2017)

The question marks were smiley faces I don't know why they came out as ? marks. Anyways, you are so strong for doing that for him, it must have been so hard to see him like that.


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## RazortonguesRatBabies (Oct 15, 2017)

Thankyou, I'm so sorry about your gecko too ): poor baby, i have no idea how I'd even get myself through that. My phone reads emojis as question marks too! It's upsetting when they get sick, and its it's completely heart wrenching having to say goodbye because they are such awesome little critters. I currently have 10 rats still, and each and every one of them holds a piece of my heart. It gives me peace knowing they'll always know how much we love them, and how they love us unconditionally until the end <3 the vet stamped his footprints for us, so I always have a piece of him to keep with me and it makes me feel much better


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## trico (Oct 31, 2017)

I'm very sorry for your loss. He had a happy life with you, I cant tell <3​


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