# Is diabetes cause for euthanasia?



## madmouse (May 19, 2012)

I have a brindle doe, about 20 months in age, who is morbidly obese. I have noticed her drinking excessively and one day she peed in my hand and it was enough to fill my cupped palm. Also, the latter half of her tail had shown signs of poor circulation. While I was wondering what, if anything, could be done for the tail, the bad half of it suddenly disappeared. It was cleanly nipped off, self-amputated I presume. The stump has healed very well and the remainder looks perfectly healthy. I am thinking the doe has diabetes (if anyone thinks differently, please! let me know). I check her feet and tail every day for further signs of poor circulation (I'm not currently seeing any). She is otherwise alert, energetic, sociable with friends, of good appetite and good coat. If it was obvious that she suffered or her condition was deteriorating, I would not hesitate to humanely euthanize her. She is one of my original mice and a special favorite, so I don't look forward to putting her down. Is it too late for a special diet to alleviate her condition? (She lives in a 55gal tank with 6 other retirees who would eat the same.) Should I wait til I see more complications to euthanize her?

The above paragraph is technically more of a hypothetical now. The particular doe in question, while I was doing my daily examination of her limbs, is showing a mammary tumor. So I'm electing to euthanize her anyway. BUT, I have another aging tub of lard (who is unrelated- I am not breeding such obese mice) who could have similar problems. My general question is: Is diabetes, in and of itself, a cause for euthanasia?


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## besty74 (May 26, 2012)

if they are not suffering or being used for breeding then i see no problem with keeping them if they are your pets, its completely up to you, i am sure you would be able to tell if they are suffering.


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