Neesy95
Junior Guinea Pig
As some of you might be aware, we lost Nine 3 weeks ago. She left behind her husband piggy - Zorro, and 3 gorgeous little boys (6 months old) - Lancelot, William and Pixie.
Pixie was very very close to his mum. Was always by her side, snuggled with her to sleep and just they loved each other to absolute pieces. He was her baby and he was a mummys boy.
When Nine passed away I was very worried about what would happen to little Pixie, whilst he loved the rest of his family, he really truly needed and loved his mother more than I can explain.
My gorgeous little man was heartbroken and bereft. And we tried to keep him happy, he was eating fairly well and was doing okay but he wouldn't play anymore. He wouldn't shout at his cagemates anymore, he was just very subdued and sad.
About a week ago I noticed that Zorro was a little too rough with Pixie than I liked. So I seperated and put Pixie and Lancelot together and left Zorro and William together.
Pixie was fine with this and eating well, but I noticed his poos were a little smaller than I would have liked and I felt like maybe he was a little underweight. He wasn't losing weight but he's always been on the smaller side (I guess he was the runt?). I topped up his feeding with syringe feed just to help him, he wasn't struggling with eating at all, I just wanted him to be a bit stronger and get a bit more meat (his heft suggested he was slightly underweight too). He LOVED the syringe food and would eat a great amount of it and still go and eat independently and I was so happy. But he was still very still in his cage and wouldn't do much just eat and sleep, like he was depressed. Lancelot tried to play with him and Pixie would entertain him for a little while but then stop very soon after and just go back to bed.
This behaviour only started once we lost his mum. And I read online that when poos are small that means there could be an internal problem. He was eating and pooing fine (some were normal size some were smaller size), but I was worried still.
And i touched his tummy and felt very slightly bloated last night. I took him to the vets, (not our usual one as they are closed overnight and the "emergency" get they told us to go to is 40 miles away and not accessible unless you drive and we don't). The vets weren't too worried but said they would keep him overnight for observation, they started him on some fluids, Emeprid, Baytril and metacam. To keep him comfortable, to relive the slight bloat and to rule out any respiratory illness (pixie was breathing and his whole body was moving slightly as he was breathing and i knew that wasn't normal for him so wanted to get that checked out too). The vet I saw was very knowledgeable about guinea pigs, and he seemed to be someone who was trustworthy and was obviously doing the night shift.
This morning I call and speak to another vet to find out how he is, she said none of the vets present were guinea pig specialists and that they could do an ultrasound because they feel a mass. And I asked okay and what about after, you see its a mass and then what? And she couldn't answer because she didn't know much about guinea pigs. At this point I told them we would be taking pixie to our normal exotic vets who are very knowledgeable and that any scans and stuff would be best left to the people who know more about guinea pigs.
Sadly, pixie was very frail when my partner picked him up. Happy to see his Dad and on his way to our normal vets he was moving around the carrier a little bit, but then at our vets he deteriorated fast.
He was unable to hold himself up and he was breathing really erratically. And sadly the vet said, it could be cancer or a build up of poo (which I don't understand because he was pooing fine just small poos), and that they could do an emergency operation but Pixie was suffering too much. And was in too much pain and the vet really didn't want to put him through that. He said he was so weak.
We made the heartbreaking decision to put him down, but sadly before they could do it, he slipped away by himself.
He just wanted to be with his Mummy, and whilst myself (his human mummy) is so heartbroken and so is his dad, I'm comfortable knowing he's with his Mum over the rainbow bridge, no longer suffering. He looked so peaceful. We have buried him next to his mum, and he can snuggle and sleep right next to her over the rainbow bridge.
I already miss you my little Pixel (his nickname), rest well and give your mummy lots of cuddles from me and daddy too.
My heart is broken, but I'm so glad that in the 6 months we had you, you were a lovely sweet sweet boy and you were loved so so much.
Pixie was very very close to his mum. Was always by her side, snuggled with her to sleep and just they loved each other to absolute pieces. He was her baby and he was a mummys boy.
When Nine passed away I was very worried about what would happen to little Pixie, whilst he loved the rest of his family, he really truly needed and loved his mother more than I can explain.
My gorgeous little man was heartbroken and bereft. And we tried to keep him happy, he was eating fairly well and was doing okay but he wouldn't play anymore. He wouldn't shout at his cagemates anymore, he was just very subdued and sad.
About a week ago I noticed that Zorro was a little too rough with Pixie than I liked. So I seperated and put Pixie and Lancelot together and left Zorro and William together.
Pixie was fine with this and eating well, but I noticed his poos were a little smaller than I would have liked and I felt like maybe he was a little underweight. He wasn't losing weight but he's always been on the smaller side (I guess he was the runt?). I topped up his feeding with syringe feed just to help him, he wasn't struggling with eating at all, I just wanted him to be a bit stronger and get a bit more meat (his heft suggested he was slightly underweight too). He LOVED the syringe food and would eat a great amount of it and still go and eat independently and I was so happy. But he was still very still in his cage and wouldn't do much just eat and sleep, like he was depressed. Lancelot tried to play with him and Pixie would entertain him for a little while but then stop very soon after and just go back to bed.
This behaviour only started once we lost his mum. And I read online that when poos are small that means there could be an internal problem. He was eating and pooing fine (some were normal size some were smaller size), but I was worried still.
And i touched his tummy and felt very slightly bloated last night. I took him to the vets, (not our usual one as they are closed overnight and the "emergency" get they told us to go to is 40 miles away and not accessible unless you drive and we don't). The vets weren't too worried but said they would keep him overnight for observation, they started him on some fluids, Emeprid, Baytril and metacam. To keep him comfortable, to relive the slight bloat and to rule out any respiratory illness (pixie was breathing and his whole body was moving slightly as he was breathing and i knew that wasn't normal for him so wanted to get that checked out too). The vet I saw was very knowledgeable about guinea pigs, and he seemed to be someone who was trustworthy and was obviously doing the night shift.
This morning I call and speak to another vet to find out how he is, she said none of the vets present were guinea pig specialists and that they could do an ultrasound because they feel a mass. And I asked okay and what about after, you see its a mass and then what? And she couldn't answer because she didn't know much about guinea pigs. At this point I told them we would be taking pixie to our normal exotic vets who are very knowledgeable and that any scans and stuff would be best left to the people who know more about guinea pigs.
Sadly, pixie was very frail when my partner picked him up. Happy to see his Dad and on his way to our normal vets he was moving around the carrier a little bit, but then at our vets he deteriorated fast.
He was unable to hold himself up and he was breathing really erratically. And sadly the vet said, it could be cancer or a build up of poo (which I don't understand because he was pooing fine just small poos), and that they could do an emergency operation but Pixie was suffering too much. And was in too much pain and the vet really didn't want to put him through that. He said he was so weak.
We made the heartbreaking decision to put him down, but sadly before they could do it, he slipped away by himself.
He just wanted to be with his Mummy, and whilst myself (his human mummy) is so heartbroken and so is his dad, I'm comfortable knowing he's with his Mum over the rainbow bridge, no longer suffering. He looked so peaceful. We have buried him next to his mum, and he can snuggle and sleep right next to her over the rainbow bridge.
I already miss you my little Pixel (his nickname), rest well and give your mummy lots of cuddles from me and daddy too.
My heart is broken, but I'm so glad that in the 6 months we had you, you were a lovely sweet sweet boy and you were loved so so much.
Sleep tight Pixie xx
