My gerbil's scent gland tumor is growing. Surgery or euthanasia?

Unfortunately besides surgery, there is nothing you can do but monitor her quality of life. If Saphira reaches a point where she isn't eating or drinking, or has trouble moving, is losing weight, and/or is lethargic, I'd consider letting her go peacefully with the vet.

Gerbils may develop tumors associated with the scent gland. Without an exam, diagnosis is difficult. You can monitor it for rapid change or growth and then have him examined or you can have him in by your veterinarian sooner. A fine needle aspirate can be done to collect samples for pathology. This may provide a diagnosis. Once the lump is identified, you can discuss removal with your veterinarian.

Unfortunately you are correct in assuming this is probably a cancerous mass, especially if it has grown quickly. Keep in mind that the life span of a hamsters is only about 2-3 years. This may help in your decision making process. If you are unwilling or unable to have surgery performed to remove it then just keep Crackers as comfortable as possible. If her energy level and appetite decrease then you would have to consider that the cancer is likely spreading. I hope this helps. Best of luck.

Anaesthesia can be very hard on small mammals. In the case of an older gerbil I feel that it would be a lot to put the little thing through for what may be not a lot of time. Personally I would leave the lump alone if it is not infected or causing discomfort. If the lump starts to interfere with his quality of life I think it would be kinder to have him put to sleep rather than put him through surgery.

Your hamster, by now, is a very old hamster and practically at the late stage of his life. You need to weigh up how his recovery from the first surgery was and how long it took. It may be more humane to not put him through surgery again and let him live his last months of life as well as possible, There is pain medicine that can be given for a while if you think he is in pain. Finally, once he stops eating and/or you feel he is suffering, you can give him the best gift by euthanasia to stop his suffering. Should you have the tumor removed, it very likely will come back again, and it is also not a given that he makes it through anesthesia. I am sorry about the situation, you are taking good care of your baby and diseases like this always are traumatic to the animal as well as the owner.

I'm sorry Lorenzo has a tumor. Unfortunately, rats in general, especially older rats, have a predisposition to developing tumors both benign and malignant. His prognosis depends on the type of tumor as well as its location. To determine either, he would need to be physically examined by your veterinarian and have diagnostics performed. This could include blood work, x-rays, abdominal ultrasound or a fine needle aspirate of the mass. Once you have this information, you can discuss all options with your vet. Good luck!

Without a physical exam, it is difficult to determine what the lump is and what her medical status is currently. Ideally, she should be examined by your veterinarian. Antibiotics can be dispensed for minor infection. A fine needle aspirate can be done to collect samples for pathology. She is "old" for a gerbil, but more information would be needed before determine a course of action, let alone euthanasia.