ILoveGilbertTheGuineaPig
Senior Guinea Pig
I am so terribly heartbroken to be on this page right now..Gilbert left me less than an hour ago. I can't concentrate on anything. The thought of him not being here is clouding my brain. He joined our household on February 14, 2009. I would say he's been unwell since the 2nd year he's been with us. We've taken him to the vets 4 times, but each time, he would only recover 90% after all the medicine had been used. Then slowly, he would decline again, and we would take him back. During the summer, I removed his pigloo from his cage because he wouldn't use it. I think I put it back in two months ago because I was worried he would be cold sitting outside. He still refused to use it and sat outside instead. He peed and pooped where he sat. After a few days, I removed the pigloo because he clearly wasn't going to use it and it was only taking up space. Then I realized his leg had become swollen. It looked like bumblefoot, but it was only on one foot. I think he had gotten it from sitting in his pee and poop all the time. It didn't seem to be bothering him...so I didn't do anything. I regret it so much. I feel like I let him down. He started limping and walking funny this week. My mom scheduled an appointment for him for tomorrow at 4 pm with the exotics vet. I had that doctor last time and he was great. He diagnosed him right away and sent us home with eye drops and antibiotics for his upper respiratory infection. That's what he seems to have been sick with all his life. Gilbert was a pet shop guinea pig.
Yesterday, he was limping, but he was still pretty energetic. Well tonight at 7, I was getting ready to take him out for floor time but he wouldn't get in his box. When he finally did, and I put the box on the floor, he wouldn't come out. Once he did, I could see how bad his leg had gotten. I think he had been laying on his side for a long time, so the good leg was limp too. His leg looked so bad that he could barely walk. I knew he wouldn't want to move to his food bowl, so I got critical care ready...and that's still sitting in front of me right now...<//3. I fed him but he took it very slowly. I had been feeding him critical care every night for a few months now. He had never eaten it this slowly. He only took a little, then he completely shut down. He wouldn't swallow anymore. I took him to my room, put him on my bed and stared at him. Just continuously stared at him. I had a feeling he wouldn't be making it. He wasn't moving, and he wasn't eating. Even when I tried to force something down, he just wouldn't chew and swallow. I tried getting him some parsley but he wouldn't take it. I looked in his mouth and the critical care was still there. At about 8 pm, he lifted his head up a bit. He tried to get up but fell over. His eyes seemed to open wider. He was still lying on his side, but now he was moving his legs. It looked like he was running. I had a feeling this was his time. I had a feeling after his little "jog", he would be leaving me. And he did. I saw his heart stop. He's still laying on my bed right now..after an hour. I'm so used to hearing his loud breathing because of his URI. His URI seems to have gone in the last few months of his life, and the primary problem that took him away this time I think was his leg. He lost a lot of weight. So much weight, that I didn't even want to check it anymore for the fear of how low the number would be. I blame myself for not taking him to the vets earlier. The upside is...I'm glad he passed away in the comfort of his home rather than at the vets. I did think about bringing him to emergency vets but I knew that the doctor I wanted wouldn't be there. If he had survived tonight and made it to tomorrow's appointment, I don't think much could have been done. He wasn't taking any fluids and wouldn't stand up. Oh and something weird...after he passed I noticed a few chunks of this transparent stuff that had come out of his behind...Anyone know what that was?
I will really miss him so badly. =( I was never able to get him a friend because I had limited space and I didn't want to risk fighting in such a small cage. I don't know how I will adapt to his cage no longer being in the living room....his perky face when I came home ..his loud wheeks that used to wake me up on the weekends..his patience at the cage door every night after floor time, waiting for his treat or critical care ... his excitement whenever he got grass...the loud chewing of cardboard...his pitter patter foot steps when he would be waiting to go home...everything. I miss him so much. I'm so used to waking up and checking on him, making sure he has food. And coming home from school to take him out for floortime and clean his cage. Then after a few hours I would put him back in and prepare his breakfast for the next morning. I spent so much time with him, and now that time will be....open. I won't have him anymore. My precious baby...I really hope he lived a happy life with me. That's all I wanted for him. I tried to give him everything I could. He is by far the most my family has ever spent on a pet. He was my first guinea pig, and unfortunately I won't be getting another guinea pig I don't think, until I have my own place. I'm going to college in 2014, and I'll be dorming, so I won't be able to care for him, and I don't really trust my parents to.:x
Forever loved and missed...here are some of my favorite pictures of him
When I first got him
and this was part of the last photoshoot I will ever have with him </3
Bye Bye Gilbert..Run free at rainbow bridge and share your adventures with all the other piggies over there. Make some new friends. I hope you had a good life with me <3 I'll miss you a lot.:rose
Yesterday, he was limping, but he was still pretty energetic. Well tonight at 7, I was getting ready to take him out for floor time but he wouldn't get in his box. When he finally did, and I put the box on the floor, he wouldn't come out. Once he did, I could see how bad his leg had gotten. I think he had been laying on his side for a long time, so the good leg was limp too. His leg looked so bad that he could barely walk. I knew he wouldn't want to move to his food bowl, so I got critical care ready...and that's still sitting in front of me right now...<//3. I fed him but he took it very slowly. I had been feeding him critical care every night for a few months now. He had never eaten it this slowly. He only took a little, then he completely shut down. He wouldn't swallow anymore. I took him to my room, put him on my bed and stared at him. Just continuously stared at him. I had a feeling he wouldn't be making it. He wasn't moving, and he wasn't eating. Even when I tried to force something down, he just wouldn't chew and swallow. I tried getting him some parsley but he wouldn't take it. I looked in his mouth and the critical care was still there. At about 8 pm, he lifted his head up a bit. He tried to get up but fell over. His eyes seemed to open wider. He was still lying on his side, but now he was moving his legs. It looked like he was running. I had a feeling this was his time. I had a feeling after his little "jog", he would be leaving me. And he did. I saw his heart stop. He's still laying on my bed right now..after an hour. I'm so used to hearing his loud breathing because of his URI. His URI seems to have gone in the last few months of his life, and the primary problem that took him away this time I think was his leg. He lost a lot of weight. So much weight, that I didn't even want to check it anymore for the fear of how low the number would be. I blame myself for not taking him to the vets earlier. The upside is...I'm glad he passed away in the comfort of his home rather than at the vets. I did think about bringing him to emergency vets but I knew that the doctor I wanted wouldn't be there. If he had survived tonight and made it to tomorrow's appointment, I don't think much could have been done. He wasn't taking any fluids and wouldn't stand up. Oh and something weird...after he passed I noticed a few chunks of this transparent stuff that had come out of his behind...Anyone know what that was?
I will really miss him so badly. =( I was never able to get him a friend because I had limited space and I didn't want to risk fighting in such a small cage. I don't know how I will adapt to his cage no longer being in the living room....his perky face when I came home ..his loud wheeks that used to wake me up on the weekends..his patience at the cage door every night after floor time, waiting for his treat or critical care ... his excitement whenever he got grass...the loud chewing of cardboard...his pitter patter foot steps when he would be waiting to go home...everything. I miss him so much. I'm so used to waking up and checking on him, making sure he has food. And coming home from school to take him out for floortime and clean his cage. Then after a few hours I would put him back in and prepare his breakfast for the next morning. I spent so much time with him, and now that time will be....open. I won't have him anymore. My precious baby...I really hope he lived a happy life with me. That's all I wanted for him. I tried to give him everything I could. He is by far the most my family has ever spent on a pet. He was my first guinea pig, and unfortunately I won't be getting another guinea pig I don't think, until I have my own place. I'm going to college in 2014, and I'll be dorming, so I won't be able to care for him, and I don't really trust my parents to.:x
Forever loved and missed...here are some of my favorite pictures of him
When I first got him
and this was part of the last photoshoot I will ever have with him </3
Bye Bye Gilbert..Run free at rainbow bridge and share your adventures with all the other piggies over there. Make some new friends. I hope you had a good life with me <3 I'll miss you a lot.:rose
