Bad year for my Pigs.

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Andrewpeel

I have kept guineas now for about 4 years now. I have never had any major problems apart from an unexpected litter when i first got that which i kept.

At the begining of the year i had five, i now have two. Giz was the first to go, she feel ill one day i got her booked in at the vets and she passed before the appointment came round that day. Then there was Dylan, who was poorly for a few weeks and had a build up of calcium and had to be put to sleep. Finally Mylo i found her dead in the hutch it was when we had the thunder storm and it was humid. I am not sure but i think the stress of the storm that killed her.

Now i just have left Nylo and Phoneix, I had them together last night (obviously not allowing them to get up to any funny business) They wheeked there little heads off. I think i am going to get Phoneix neutered so they can be together.

Losing 3 pigs in close period of time has made me worry but it also taught me to spend as much as possible with all my animals, you never know when they might leave you. x
 
So sorry Andrew. I know what you mean though we lost Elora at Christmas (we got her in July 2008), Pearl in February (we got her in February 2008) and Flora in May (who we got in August 2007). They come in threes so I hope that is it for now. Touch wood!
 
Very true. I am sorry you have lost so many this year. I lost two in eight days over the New Year; one on 27 Dec and the other on 4 Jan...it's not easy. Does make you appreciate the ones you have got.
 
Yeah fingers crossed it comes in threes. Just wanted to write a little something to reflect on it all. Its hard with studying, last exam tomorrow and i feel that the loss of all 3 pigs is going to hit me like a tonne of bricks! x
 
I feel for you. I had an unexpected loss when Pimpkin fitted really badly on my lap and died in seconds - it was traumatic. I find it hard to lose piggies anyhow, but it feels so very unfair when they are taken from you suddenly and there's nothing you can do about it. I do hope you cope ok. And yes, that experience has made me a lot closer to all my piggies, I like to spend more time with them now after the sudden death.
 
Enjoy the time you have with them. I lost my first two seven moths to the day due to an enormous abscess (now I know she shouldn't have had an op) and bladderstones. It was the end of an era...

I wish you all the bst with your remaining piggies!
 
I lost seventeen pigs last year and seven, so far, this year.
Some have died young and unexpectedly, others have been old and ill but have lived for much longer than I had anticipated. You have to take consolation from the fact that they have had a good life and have been well cared for.
 
I have been reasonably fortunate I suppose...I lost Lennie last year to pneumonia but also managed to keep one with us after a bit of a battle and he is still flying fit...they all have to go some time and it is knowing you have made their little lives happy while they are here that is important!
 
alcesterpigs said:
I lost seventeen pigs last year and seven, so far, this year.
Some have died young and unexpectedly, others have been old and ill but have lived for much longer than I had anticipated. You have to take consolation from the fact that they have had a good life and have been well cared for.
Click to expand...

well said AP,sorry you lost so many that must have been tough x
 
alcesterpigs said:
I lost seventeen pigs last year and seven, so far, this year.
Some have died young and unexpectedly, others have been old and ill but have lived for much longer than I had anticipated. You have to take consolation from the fact that they have had a good life and have been well cared for.
Click to expand...

Thanks Alcester. Sorry i never knew you had lost some many, it must be awful for you. Are all your pigs fine and well now? I dont know how i would cope losing so many pigs. I have respect for you, for being able to deal with that.
 
Thanks. Current number is 8 sows and 14 boars, plus one boar who is a long-term in-patient. The highest number was 45 three years ago.
The other "consolation" is to think about those pigs that are "out-there" living alone, in dreadful conditions, rarely cleaned out, no companions, never being allowed out, no fresh greens, dirty water-bottle etc. etc.
That must rate as more distressing than the loss of a well cared for pig, upsetting though that is.
We can only guess at how many are existing in such a way that maybe they would be better dead.
 
Yeah i agree with you there. It does help to know you have done all you can and done more when others would of just given. It is hard to conprehend all the others in the dreadful condtions.

So do you have a rescue then?
 
You may find, as the years go by, that not all pigs are equal, even though we all try not to have favourites. I sometimes feel more upset by the death of a visiting sick pig that I have only been acquainted with for a few days than the death of one of my own that I have had for a number of years.
Rescue? I tend to take in pigs that owners no longer want, or they are left with an only pig and do not want to get anymore. Just occasionally I will buy a pig from a pet shop if it looks to be a "special needs" pig. I do not re-home any of them. I like to think they have a good life here, although there are some improvemnets I intend to make later on this year, mainly to increase the indoor area available for exercise during the winter/bad weather.
 
I agree with you there. I dont have favorites, but some deaths are harder than others. Obvious case is losing a reasonably young pig. Not that any death is justified.

I admire you for being such a resource for pigs out there and looking after them. I know many people on here respect you and your work. although it must be hard at times, but rewarding when things do go right,
 
Thanks. I have said before "If I knew then what I know now would I have gps again? Often I think "No, I woudn't". Why? I think they can be a constant reminder of animal cruelty and suffering, a lot of which is due to ignorance rather than deliberate mistreatment. We cannot do anything about death, it is rather inevitable. We must be realistic, not every deserving pig gets the care it needs but I suppose once you become involved you take on a duty of care that can never become selective. You can never walk by on the other side.
However, all is not doom and gloom there are some good moments!
 
Agreed. I feel both rescues and sanctuaries are incredibly special places run by some very special people.
 
Yeah its defo not all doom and gloom ( I am feeling abit fed and loads of cuddles off all my animals)

I also agree with the above santuaries and rescues do a brill job.
 
My two girls are four,and are the first guineas we've had,so i hope it's a long time before i have to face this problem,but we had four cats before that,and,because all of them were the same age,being from the same litter,and got old and ill round about the same time,we had to face having them all put to sleep within a short time of each other(kidney failure),which was heartbreaking.With any animal you lose,you just have to take heart from the fact that you did all you could to give them a happy life,and let them go when the time was right for them,but it's still very hard.
 
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