Ophelia

She eats but very little and rarely. She’s spending most of the time lying down. We don’t want her to slowly starve but I also don’t know when the right time is.
 
I’m so sorry. It sounds like today is the day. I know it’s hard but it’s better a little early than late. My vet let me sit in my car when I took Pebble in. They take them away to do it anyway. I didn’t take a paw holder.

Sending you hugs ❤️
 
It’s so hard and I’m sorry you’re going through this. I had to make a similar decision recently and in the end I went with taking her in, which was a hard thing to do (we booked and cancelled a few times, we were so confused as she kept perking up a bit). It went smoothly and peacefully and the vets were lovely but it was still very sad. For us though we had a worry she might suffer if we waited too long (she had heart disease and I didnt want her chest filling up with fluid). Our vets said better to go early than late, but it is still hard. It is clear how much you love her and whatever you decide will made from love. You have given her a wonderful life.
 
PS One thing that helped me feel a bit less sad about taking her in was a comment from someone else who had been through it, about how they had worked so hard to give their piggy a good life, and trying to give them a peaceful death was also part of that. I may be quoting that wrong but hopefully you know what I mean. All the best.
 
Wishing you comfort and that little Ophelia goes to sleep comfortably. I think once they are spending most of their time sleeping, the final sleep is a sort of continuation of this. I hope everything goes OK and peaceful ❤️🙏🐾
 
Spend some extra special moments with her even just sitting by her and sharing stories with her out loud about your favourite memories.
Have you decided if you are staying with her and taking Hamlet? 😥
 
CTWC said:
Spend some extra special moments with her even just sitting by her and sharing stories with her out loud about your favourite memories.
Have you decided if you are staying with her and taking Hamlet? 😥
Click to expand...
We won’t take Hamlet with us ❤️
 
She’s gone.

The vet said that if she wasn’t eating hay, it would lead to so much more issues. Upon listening to her breathing, she said she had fluid in her lungs.

We have put her in the run for Hamlet to see. We left vegetables for him but he hasn’t left the hay he went into when we took Ophelia out.

We will post more later.
 
PiggyintheMiddle said:
She’s gone.

The vet said that if she wasn’t eating hay, it would lead to so much more issues. Upon listening to her breathing, she said she had fluid in her lungs.

We have put her in the run for Hamlet to see. We left vegetables for him but he hasn’t left the hay he went into when we took Ophelia out.

We will post more later.
Click to expand...
Poor little fellow, his small world has been rocked 😔 I hope in due course a lovely down comes along and he will have a gal of his of own again. In the meantime, keep spoiling him, he will need it 🙏❤️ Rest easy at the bridge little Ophelia 🌈
 
Truffolo said:
Poor little fellow, his small world has been rocked 😔 I hope in due course a lovely down comes along and he will have a gal of his of own again. In the meantime, keep spoiling him, he will need it 🙏❤️ Rest easy at the bridge little Ophelia 🌈
Click to expand...
I’m spending time with him. He’s eating hay and had a long sniff and lick of the cavy cosy Ophelia had been in, before stretching out onto it. Then, I’m sure I saw this correctly, he popcorned. Now he’s eating hay again, out in the run.
 
So very sorry that you had to make that difficult decision and give Ophelia the last gift of love.
I have tears in my eyes reading the last few posts.
Be gentle with yourselves as you grieve.
Hugs 🤗
 
PiggyintheMiddle said:
She’s gone.

The vet said that if she wasn’t eating hay, it would lead to so much more issues. Upon listening to her breathing, she said she had fluid in her lungs.

We have put her in the run for Hamlet to see. We left vegetables for him but he hasn’t left the hay he went into when we took Ophelia out.

We will post more later.
Click to expand...

BIG HUGS

You have done the kindest and most loving thing for Ophelia, even if it is the most heart-breaking. Hamlet knew that she was extremely poorly and has likely already taken leave from her so don't be upset if he doesn't react like you are expecting.

Be kind with yourself when the normal soul-searching at the onset of the post-death grieving process starts and whenever you stumble across yet another of the many little unthinking bonds that connected you in the coming days and weeks. I find the latter the most painful part because you cannot brace for it.

Ophelia couldn't have found a more loving and caring home and have had a happier life. You did absolutely the right thing and spared her a slow death in discomfort. In the end, we'd all rather have our own hearts bleeding than watch a beloved one suffer needlessly, wouldn't we?

Human Bereavement: Grieving, Processing and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children
 
PiggyintheMiddle said:
There’s the guilt of allowing her to be put to sleep but when I think that she didn’t ask to die, she didn’t want to suffer either.
Click to expand...
I always found it difficult, making the decision to get one of my guineas put to sleep. Who was I, playing God? But relieving your piggies or other pets of unnecessary suffering - there are humans who'd wish for that too. Having fluid in the lungs is not comfortable, so best to relieve Ophelia of that. My dad died a couple of weeks ago and that's what he had too. Once he was given morphine, he didn't last long. And really, I believe that was best for him. Same for senior guineas who aren't going to recover.

Hugs to you all at this difficult time. 🤗🫂
 
Thank you so much to everyone for all your lovely responses and suppport. It has been a great help and comfort, thank you, since you all understand. The decision to go was made particularly hard as Ophelia had come out from the cavy-cosy just before we were due to leave and so we gave her coriander. She ate and ate and ate, and then a tiny amount of forage food, and then went over to try to take some hay at the other end of the run. She looked up at my elder daughter and rubbed her nose (as that signifies that she would like some treats, please -- as I think my elder as said.) So she and Hamlet ate more coriander side by side for a short while. He then disappeared into the pile of hay and we had to gather up Ophelia. I had intended for them to have a goodbye but Ophelia didn't want to be in the cavy-cosy and Hamlet was buried in the hay... best just to carry her away given that they had just eaten together.

But I can see that it was good that she was still able to enjoy some food and have those moments, particularly as the euthenasia turned out not to be too soon at all. The vet could see that she was really struggling and said that Ophelia had just passed the tipping point, when one issue just leads to another and another and another and it's all awful (the last 4 words are not the vets but mine!). We had taken her to the vet (a colleague of this one) two weeks earlier about Ophelia's breathing .... but as this lovely vet said yesterday, even if antibiotics had been given, it would only have prolonged things.

I am still playing things over in my head -- the way she twisted around startled, and looked at me, when she had the injection for sedation. (She was on my lap, head buried deep in the cavy cosy). But she was asleep immediately, her breathing finally eased, and by the time the vet took her away for the lethal injection, she had almost already gone, just from the sedation.

It has been particulary hard for mini-slave (in her last year at school), as she just couldn't spend the time with Ophelia in these last few days. She had a final deadline for an IB research essay (International Baccalaureate) on Monday evening at 8pm, and then, at 6.45 am the next day, had to leave for school before we had decided for certain that Ophelia needed her final journey to the vet. The piggies began living in her room at some point during Bianca's illness. They were 'hers' and she was devoted to them. She wanted us to bury Ophelia without her (whilst at school) and she hasn't yet been able to bring herself to see the grave.

I attach a photo of Ophelia from shortly before we had to leave. (I am sorry it is of such bad quality.) I asked mini-slave if she would like to see it ... but she's not ready yet.

I also apologise if I am repeating what my elder has written. I'm feeling a bit frazzled and worn out! We have Hamlet to worry about now.

IMG_6438.webp
 
I think my elder did say this, but it was nice to hear that Ophelia was already 'famous' at that vets even though we had only been twice previously. (The vet who knows a great deal about guinea-pigs had wanted me to keep her updated about her weight and behaviour through whatsapp, rather than make us have to bring her in every week.) So, Ophelia is the 'complex piggie with hyperthyroidism' and they've never had a case quite like hers. Bianca, too, was 'famous' at the other vets but for seemingly being so well for a further 11 months after diagnosis, despite the substantial tumour visibly growing -- to the extent that one vet took a photo of her as she stood perkily on the table, looking around curiously, with pepper all round her mouth (Bianca, not the vet!), her swollen body proof of the tumour, so as to send it to the vet whose prognosis had been less than a month!
 
You don't need to make any apologies for what Piggyinthemiddle has already written and that you may be repeating. You're saying it in your own way and part of the point is you being able to write it down where it will be understood and you and your emotions and decisions will be understood. Information to forum readers is secondary at this point, imho.
 
Mrs Tiggy Winkle said:
. Information to forum readers is secondary at this point, imho.
Click to expand...
That sounds blunter than I meant it to. I really just mean 'your comfort before ours atm and I'm sure any of us can skim read if necessary, but I for one have read through your posts in entirety'.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top