5Cs_Piggies
Junior Guinea Pig
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2019
- Messages
- 12
- Reaction score
- 4
- Points
- 60
(I’m rather emotional while writing this, so please exuse any spelling/editing mistakes) Two nights ago, one of my piggies, Creampuff was showing signs of an URI such as breathing heavily and had stopped eating. I wanted to rush to the vet, however my parents (whom I still live with for the time being) convinced me to wait until the next morning, as Creampuff always seemed to breath like this. The nearby exotic vets had closed for the night and taking her in would require an emergency visit. I still scheduled a vet appointment for the next day at 6:00, which was the only available time for my veterinarian. I went off to work, making sure to check in with her before leaving. She was still breathing rather heavy, but it seemed to have gotten a bit slower and less labored. Hopeful, but anxious I continued the day as I normally would. When I arrived home from my shift, I ran to the cage to check in on Creampuff. Her body lay stiff and unresponsive, a sure sign that rigor mortis had already begun to set in. Instead of taking her to the vet’s office to be treated, I took her in to be cremated. I blame myself for not noticing her symptoms earlier and for not taking her in sooner, however I was aware that she was a sickly pig with reoccurring health issues due to being stunted/inbred (I rescued her from a friend who had gotten her from a pet-store) She was bound to have a shorter life, however I thought I’d have at least two years with her. Creampuff was only 1 year old. Does anyone have advice for getting over the accidental death of a pet? With Chai, my late guinea pig whom I decided to put to sleep due to her tumor, it felt like I had more control over the situation knowing that she’d died humanly in my arms. But with Creampuff, I feel extremely guilty as her last moments were probably filled with fear and loneliness. I’d appreciate any reassurance right now
