My 6 1/5 Year Old Lady - Not Got Long Left

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TAN

TAN

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Truffles is the piggy in my avatar and was bought for my daughters 12th birthday - she and her sister Noodles were pets at home pigs - so I know within 2 weeks her true age.Her sister passed in August last year and Truffles has been slowing down recently due to her arthritis and has been slowly loosing weight although she is holding steady now at 880gms - but in her youth she was a 1150 gm sow.She was checked over a couple of weeks ago by my piggy specialist vet who gave her a whiff of gas to give her an x-ray and check her teeth to see if there was any other underlying cause for her gradual decline in weight,apart from a small spur on one of her back teeth that the vet filed (and did't charge me for ) and her arthritis in her right hip for which she has metacam for she is fine.She eats like a horse and is worshipped by her husboar Reg.
Sadly I just know that she won't be around much longer - possibly only a few weeks - so i am spending as much time with her as she will allow,as she was always my daughter pig and only really likes being stroked or held by her - daughter is in the middle of sitting her A levels,so it's my worst nightmare that we will come downstairs the morning of an exam and find her gone to rainbow bridge.Here are a couple of pigtures of my old lady.piggies 028.webp

piggies 060.webp
 
Don't lose hope Tan, I thought that about my little Wilma around two years ago. She's completely blind, deaf, bunny hops and slow. Despite her elderly appearance, I've had her 7 years and she was 18 months when I adopted her.
 
flintstones said:
Don't lose hope Tan, I thought that about my little Wilma around two years ago. She's completely blind, deaf, bunny hops and slow. Despite her elderly appearance, I've had her 7 years and she was 18 months when I adopted her.
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Wow! that's incredible! I know there are only a couple of "oldies " on here one or two at 7 and one nearly at 8 - my vet has only managed to get hers up to just over 6 1/2 - Truffs was always the more feisty out of her and Noodles - took a good 20 mins for the guy at pets at home to catch her as my daughter was insistent that it was her and Noodles that she wanted - Truffs has never been a lap pig and has huge eyes - always been a to catch!
 
Don't lose hope, the fact that she is eating well is a great sign. They do get bony and loose muscle mass as they age, but it isn't necessarily a death sentence when you see this happen. It just means they are elderly, but not necessarily at death's door. Even though 6.5 years is an old age, there are certainly pigs that live well past that so you really don't know.

My old girl, Sundae,is over 6 now and has had a ton of health problems over her life, but just got a clean bill of health from the vet... her heart sounds great, lungs sound great, kidneys feel good, etc. Only problems are her bladder (this is an ongoing issue for her) and the fact that she now has mature cataracts and really can't see. To me she looks bony and old, but apparently her organs are good so hopefully she will hang around for a bit longer, though I know at her age there aren't any guarantees!
 
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The oldies are so special :wub:
I hope she is with you for a while longer, she may surprise you and just keep going.
 
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I had an oldie (a real grouchy piggy) who lived to well over 8 years. They do lose muscle mass as they age (as we humans do, too) but she looks bright and perky and as she is eating and enjoying married life she may surprise you!
 
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How is little Truffles doing? x
 
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flintstones said:
Don't lose hope Tan, I thought that about my little Wilma around two years ago. She's completely blind, deaf, bunny hops and slow. Despite her elderly appearance, I've had her 7 years and she was 18 months when I adopted her.
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Ditto fintstones. Mavis ( in my avatar) was 18 months and with us for 8 years - so 9 when she passed in April. She got boney with age, and her back very boney with her weight slowly falling to 800g but still happy, munching and bumbling about and she got sweeter and more confiding with age. Dear lovely girl, Truffs may surprise you yet!
 
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Hi Tan,
It's so sad to hear you've lost hope in your piggy! I'm sure Truffles will go on for much longer! :)
Here's to the best
 
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Truffles still seems to be bouncing around - she seems to be moving a bit more in the evenings and I am putting in a little bowl of critical care as well for her which she seems to be enjoying - no slow down in the appetite so fingers crossed!
 
TAN said:
Truffles still seems to be bouncing around - she seems to be moving a bit more in the evenings and I am putting in a little bowl of critical care as well for her which she seems to be enjoying - no slow down in the appetite so fingers crossed!
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That's great! Sometimes they just keep on going... I wouldn't have expected Sundae to be here at 6 years of age, but she has been a tough little critter! :) Hopefully she continues to surprise!
 
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