# Finnley



## thepumpkinrat (Oct 30, 2016)

I had to get my heart rat, Finnley put to sleep last week. I can't help but question if I made the right decision. I just want to come home and see him in his cage, I can't believe he's gone. He recently turned 2 in April, and about a week ago I noticed that he was lethargic, stretching his body out weirdly, heavy breathing, and his stomach was tender. Weirdly, his testicles were also slightly blue. Luckily he started feeling better overnight and I brought him to the vet when it opened the next morning. They said that he had a lump in his stomach, but they were unsure of what it was without aspirating. They prepared me that it could be a tumor, but also gave me some hope that it was an abscess and maybe would go away with treatment. They prescribed him anti inflammatory and antibiotics. Finn returned to normal and was eating and playing like normal but yesterday he got bad again. I panicked because he looked so distressed and took him to a 24 hour vet (I'm a college student and didn't get to do this the first time he got sick because I literally had $20 but I've been working and had enough to get him seen asap this time) When I got there they put him in oxygen and an incubator, and then gave me an estimate of what his overnight care would be. It was like $800-$1000 and they didn't even know what was wrong with him.(the small vet wasn't working, his lump hadn't been diagnosed) Later when they came back to talk to me they said that he wasn't responding well enough to the oxygen and that it would be best not to let him suffer. His body temperature was so low. I'm so heartbroken but I took him there so I wouldn't have to watch him suffer. So I made the decision to let him go and I'm so scared that I took time of his life away from him, or that he could've recovered. I know a lot of you guys have probably suffered from the same uncertainty and pain. I just don't know what to do with it. The hospital that I took him to had such horrible reviews when I was looking at them the other day. I'm just terrified they pressured me into putting to sleep when I'm scared he had more time or could've recovered. Sorry for the rant, I'm pretty lost right now. Thanks for reading this if you managed to read the whole thing


----------



## Rusty7 (May 25, 2018)

I'm so, so sorry about what happened to Finnley. Ending a pet's life is a really sad decision to have to make, but it is often for the better and I encourage you not to worry too much about it. Even if Finnley had managed to recover, it would probably have been a scary and painful experience for both him and you to have to go through all of that. He would have come out feeling possibly all painful and frightened from his experience, and both of you would have had to live with the uncertainty of the future, as your rat would have been weak as he healed. Even if the hospital was bad, the vets there must have cared, because they could have gotten $800-$1000 as you said, but they instead chose for you to decide whether or not to have Finnley euthanized. For that reason, I don't think they did it because they were horrible - they didn't seize a thousand dollars when they got the chance, they instead let you make a humane choice because they knew it was probably Finnley's time to cross the rainbow bridge.

You did not take Finnley's life away from him. You took away his sadness and his suffering.

I hope you and any other rats you have will feel better. I'm so sorry you had to go through that. Euthanasia does not hurt at all and Finnley does not feel pain anymore.


----------



## Rusty7 (May 25, 2018)

On a side note to the above post, when (and if) my parents let me get my first pair of male rats, I will probably name one of them Finnley if his personality suits the name, if that's okay with you. I love the name Finnley, and I hope this doesn't sound too mushy, but your Finnley's heart may then live on in another rat, in some ways.

Again, I hope you feel better. I think you should not regret your decision.


----------



## thepumpkinrat (Oct 30, 2016)

Rusty7 said:


> On a side note to the above post, when (and if) my parents let me get my first pair of male rats, I will probably name one of them Finnley if his personality suits the name, if that's okay with you. I love the name Finnley, and I hope this doesn't sound too mushy, but your Finnley's heart may then live on in another rat, in some ways.Again, I hope you feel better. I think you should not regret your decision.


 Thank you so much. I'm trying so hard to find peace and I appreciate your kind words. It honestly made me feel better.And yes, go for it! Finn was quite the little guy, all of my friends and family loved him. I'm sure your Finnley will be a great little dude, good luck! I hope you can get them, males are so great, I love my stinky boys.


----------

