Dusty_bugs
Teenage Guinea Pig
With a very heavy heart I have to announce the very sad departure of Leeland. Though she had many struggles in her life she had always knocked on through but this one was too much and her leaving was drawn out and painful for everyone involved.
2 days ago she came back from a spay to remove 2 haemmoragic ovarian cysts. My vet believes 100% that the option to use hormones would have actually done her no good as to drain the cyst may have lead to an unexpected internal bleed and septicaemia. On her return she downed hay, a large fist of fresh grass, dandelions and lettuce. She allowed us to give her a little crit care for extra balance and plenty of water. But yesterday morning I noticed that she had become listless and weak. I had to go to work and the boss wouldn't let me leave site on my lunch to give her more critical care so I made the arrangement to do half day swaps with a colleague (my friends at work are legends).
As soon as I got home I realised it was a vet observation job and the fact she hadn't pee'd or pooed since the day before was a huge alarm bell. They kept her from 1 till 8pm but I went over at 6 to see how things had gone. THey had done scans/xrays/subcutaneous fluids.. but there was no indication to her floppyness, her odd massive pear shape and lack of gut movement. We immediately treated for stasis and as her guts were full we gave cisapride and a warm bed, tilting her backwards so the pressure of the gut was off the lungs.
It made no difference. As the night wore on her breathing became more laborious, she would anxiously tilt over to her left (she had layed on her paw so much it had gone solid and bruised).. I kept her on my chest through the night keeping her position upright, massaging her paws. I went to bed at 11 and put her in a pen next to the bed. I had called the night surgery who had spoken to my vet, they offered oxygen but said that their observations could not be consistently as high as my own. I wavered the oxygen in favour for mechanical positioning, it doesnt matter how pure the air if she isn't getting it in! At 2 I woke up spontaneously and checked her, she was breathing hard. I gave her eye drops and as I went to reposition her she began to scramble madly. I held her in my arms and soothed her until she calmed down. She began to whimper so I put her back on my chest until she quietened down. It seemed she had gone back to sleep so I put her in the cot again. I then woke up at 4 to find her breathing poor again. As I went to move her again she began to scramble but this time it turned into a fit. I put her on my pillow and tried to keep her from panicking, her head was convulsing and her legs were stuck out. Eventually she began to gasp but there wasnt any air going in.. She died a minute later.
We will be going to wales this weekend to bury her with DT and Vincent. Back at home things feel absolutely awful, I've always had someone here. She was with me when I was alone at my ex's parent's house for 2 years. She was with me when my mum died, when I broke up with my ex, when I had to leave my happy job and move house. She was with me through debt problems and when I argued with my sisters, because no-one else in the family wanted to hear how the golden family with the dead mother could fall out over cash (it wasnt that simple). She was my constant and I gave her EVERYTHING I had. And now my home is quiet and cold and my partner is reluctant to commit to more just yet.
A part of me wonders if my pigs have always been doomed to an early or sickly death. I have never had a pig die of old age. Malocclusions, mucosal haemmoraghic guts, stasis. All my pigs have been sickly and my after care plan hasn't been exactly appropriate no matter how many scans and xrays. Do I even want pigs after this when I'm not sure I am giving the right things. My partner wants a bearded dragon instead.. I'm willing to try but pigs have always been the animal most close to my heart.
I suppose I can wait for an answer, I need some time to myself. Until then I will have to steralise the cage, pack away the hay into dry storage and put all the spare toys into cupboards, keep things tidy. Really not looking forward to that.
Bye bye Leeland, you were the most intuitive and engaging pig I have ever had the pleasure of slaving over. You listened to me talk and I understood everything you ever said to me. You will always be my most special girl. The one pig who made time for me.
2 days ago she came back from a spay to remove 2 haemmoragic ovarian cysts. My vet believes 100% that the option to use hormones would have actually done her no good as to drain the cyst may have lead to an unexpected internal bleed and septicaemia. On her return she downed hay, a large fist of fresh grass, dandelions and lettuce. She allowed us to give her a little crit care for extra balance and plenty of water. But yesterday morning I noticed that she had become listless and weak. I had to go to work and the boss wouldn't let me leave site on my lunch to give her more critical care so I made the arrangement to do half day swaps with a colleague (my friends at work are legends).
As soon as I got home I realised it was a vet observation job and the fact she hadn't pee'd or pooed since the day before was a huge alarm bell. They kept her from 1 till 8pm but I went over at 6 to see how things had gone. THey had done scans/xrays/subcutaneous fluids.. but there was no indication to her floppyness, her odd massive pear shape and lack of gut movement. We immediately treated for stasis and as her guts were full we gave cisapride and a warm bed, tilting her backwards so the pressure of the gut was off the lungs.
It made no difference. As the night wore on her breathing became more laborious, she would anxiously tilt over to her left (she had layed on her paw so much it had gone solid and bruised).. I kept her on my chest through the night keeping her position upright, massaging her paws. I went to bed at 11 and put her in a pen next to the bed. I had called the night surgery who had spoken to my vet, they offered oxygen but said that their observations could not be consistently as high as my own. I wavered the oxygen in favour for mechanical positioning, it doesnt matter how pure the air if she isn't getting it in! At 2 I woke up spontaneously and checked her, she was breathing hard. I gave her eye drops and as I went to reposition her she began to scramble madly. I held her in my arms and soothed her until she calmed down. She began to whimper so I put her back on my chest until she quietened down. It seemed she had gone back to sleep so I put her in the cot again. I then woke up at 4 to find her breathing poor again. As I went to move her again she began to scramble but this time it turned into a fit. I put her on my pillow and tried to keep her from panicking, her head was convulsing and her legs were stuck out. Eventually she began to gasp but there wasnt any air going in.. She died a minute later.
We will be going to wales this weekend to bury her with DT and Vincent. Back at home things feel absolutely awful, I've always had someone here. She was with me when I was alone at my ex's parent's house for 2 years. She was with me when my mum died, when I broke up with my ex, when I had to leave my happy job and move house. She was with me through debt problems and when I argued with my sisters, because no-one else in the family wanted to hear how the golden family with the dead mother could fall out over cash (it wasnt that simple). She was my constant and I gave her EVERYTHING I had. And now my home is quiet and cold and my partner is reluctant to commit to more just yet.
A part of me wonders if my pigs have always been doomed to an early or sickly death. I have never had a pig die of old age. Malocclusions, mucosal haemmoraghic guts, stasis. All my pigs have been sickly and my after care plan hasn't been exactly appropriate no matter how many scans and xrays. Do I even want pigs after this when I'm not sure I am giving the right things. My partner wants a bearded dragon instead.. I'm willing to try but pigs have always been the animal most close to my heart.
I suppose I can wait for an answer, I need some time to myself. Until then I will have to steralise the cage, pack away the hay into dry storage and put all the spare toys into cupboards, keep things tidy. Really not looking forward to that.
Bye bye Leeland, you were the most intuitive and engaging pig I have ever had the pleasure of slaving over. You listened to me talk and I understood everything you ever said to me. You will always be my most special girl. The one pig who made time for me.
Our days were spent in habitual conversations and she'd play her bits to the letter. I'm sure everyone has had such a relationship with their long loved pigs, no matter how much the guys at work love to laugh and call me a nutter for convincing myself of that. They laugh because they believe that nothing so unlike a human being could relate to us in a meaningful way, shows how blind the human race can still be! But I have a whole different beef about that 
