Pepsi

[Butterflykelly]

Hi I'm new to this but I am really struggling so thought I'd try coming here. I put my guinea pig to sleep on Thursday he meant the world to me. He turned 7 the Friday before but that's the day he got ill. I had got him lots of presents but he couldn't do anything with them he just kept going to sit in corners everytime I picked him up and put him back on the floor. That night he wasn't breathing right so I took him to the vets first thing on the Saturday. She gave me antibiotics I made sure I was giving him that to start with he was eating little bits but after a couple of days he wasn't eating anything I tried syringe feeding him some food but now I'm worried it was no where near enough. On the Wednesday night when I tried to syringe feed him the food was just sitting there so I didn't feel comfortable giving him anymore. That night his legs went funny and he couldn't really move so I had him on the bed with me. I took him to the vets on Thursday morning they didn't seem to think there was anything more I could do so I put him to sleep because I didn't want him to suffer like some of my other piggies had. I regret it so much I feel like there was so much more I could have done. I wasn't even with him because the vet didn't ask me I didn't want to let him go but I put him in his carrier and they took him out the back to send him to the rainbow bridge. I wanted to be with him so I knew he went peacefully I just don't know why I didn't say can't I be with him. I'm sure he was so ill because I wasn't syringe feeding enough and now I'm so scared I killed him and he could have got better. He was my best friend for almost 7 years and it hurts so much that I let him down like this. I haven't been able to function properly since I let him go I just feel so responsible for him dying. He was the gentlest sweetest little piggie ever and I miss him so much. I just wish I had of known how to do the right think to help him. Sorry for long post I just feel so sad

 

[Qualcast&Flymo]

Hallo and welcome. I'm sorry you had to say goodbye to your piggy. 7 years is a good age for a guinea pig, so you must have looked after him very well; and you certainly didn't let him down or kill him. I think your vet was right, there was no more you could do to make him better, and at that point it is kinder to stop them suffering and help them on their way to Rainbow Bridge. The facing the corner is a sign that he was feeling very poorly. It may have just been his time anyway, the breathing issue could have been the final straw or it could have made no difference, either way you did try to help him, you couldn't have done more.

Unfortunately, most vets don't allow owners to be present when a pet is euthanised, it is upsetting but necessary.

Guilt is a normal feeling when we lose a pet through illness, but hopefully thise feelings will fade and be replaced by positive memories of your boy when he was healthy and happy.

Popcorn free, Pepsi

 

[Butterflykelly]

Hallo and welcome. I'm sorry you had to say goodbye to your piggy. 7 years is a good age for a guinea pig, so you must have looked after him very well; and you certainly didn't let him down or kill him. I think your vet was right, there was no more you could do to make him better, and at that point it is kinder to stop them suffering and help them on their way to Rainbow Bridge. The facing the corner is a sign that he was feeling very poorly. It may have just been his time anyway, the breathing issue could have been the final straw or it could have made no difference, either way you did try to help him, you couldn't have done more.

Unfortunately, most vets don't allow owners to be present when a pet is euthanised, it is upsetting but necessary.

Guilt is a normal feeling when we lose a pet through illness, but hopefully thise feelings will fade and be replaced by positive memories of your boy when he was healthy and happy.

Popcorn free, Pepsi

Thankyou for replying I really appreciate it. It's nice to know you don't think I let him down or killed him. I am finding it so hard because I just keep thinking if I'd tried something more then maybe he would have been OK. I have 9 other piggies still but I'm finding it very hard to love them like I used to because I feel like I'm only going to go and let them down too when they need me the most too. Pepsi was so special too me and always will be I just thought I would always help him more than I did. When I look at pepsi's picture all I can feel is that I let him down and I just feel like all those years I gave him are void because of how I failed him when he needed me the most. I don't want to feel like that because I went through so much with him. He helped me so much. I miss his little piggy kisses and cuddles. He was always so gentle from day one. I got him from 14 weeks old with his brother Orlando who is at the rainbow bridge too .
I hope he knows how much I love him and I just thought I was doing the right thing not to let him suffer more. I think it will take me a long time to feel like I couldn't have done more but I just hope at some point I can remember the happy times with him.
Thankyou so much for your kind words they really do mean a lot. This is a picture of him.
He is the one with more white on him the other one is his girlfriend Minnie. I had him neutered when he was 4 he didn't spend all his time with her but quite a bit and sometimes he was in with one of my other piggies Elsa. The last 3 and a half months he was with Minnie all the time because she lost her son nemo to a tumour in April he was only 2 and a half. I am worried about her but I've put one of my other neutered boys in with her because I don't want her to be on her own. I just find it hard changing them all around. I just hope no one fights because the girl I was going to put with Minnie bit her foot and I knew it couldn't work. I just wish things were the way they were.

 

[Bill & Ted]

I’m so sorry you had to let Pepsi go over the bridge Pepsi lived a very long and happy life so please never feel you let him down, you didn’t at all, you took him to the vets, got meds and supported him and really that is all anyone can do.
Take good care of yourself while you grieve. In time you will be able to think of Pepsi without the terrible pain you feel now and smile and think how lovely he was and all those happy times you had together x

Sleep tight little man

 

[h_and_piggies]

Sorry for your loss. You gave Pepsi a wonderful life full of love. Sleep tight Pepsi x

 

[YvonneBlue]

I am sorry for your loss, it is always hard to make the decision to PTS but you did it from a place of love for your piggy and that is the most important thing to remember. Seven years is very old for a piggy and shows what great care he had from you to reach this age. Try to remember that you gave Pepsi lots of happy piggy days. Take care of yourself.

 

[Merab]

Welcome to the forum.
7 is a good age and a real tribute to your love and care.
You acted promptly as soon as you saw he was ill and took the difficult decision to PTS out of love.
Be gentle with yourself as you grieve

 

[weepweeps]

I’m so sorry you had to make the hard decision to help Pepsi over the bridge. He knew how much you loved him. He lived an amazing life with you. Piggies hide any illnesses so well. You did all you could for him but sometimes it’s just not enough and the call of the bridge is too strong. Popcorn high at the bridge Pepsi. Take care

 

[Butterflykelly]

Thankyou so much everyone for your kind words I did try my best for almost 7 years to give pepsi a good life but I am really struggling still feeling like I've put him to sleep without doing enough. Please tell Me if I did the wrong thing so I don't let my other piggies down. On the Friday which was his 7th birthday he was so ill all day not eating much like normal didn't want to move around and that night his breathing was very bad. I took him to the vets and they said I had 2 options try antibiotics and metacam or think about his quality of life I said ill try medicine. By the Monday evening he wasn't eating anything on his own so I tried to give him some syringe food until Wednesday evening I never gave him much at all because only twice he was willing to take some the other times he didn't want it and just tried to get away. On the Wednesday night I tried giving him some but didn't think he was swallowing cos it was sitting in his mouth I decided that night to just cuddle him and not give anymore he wasn't moving at all by that point he stayed in one place all night and wouldn't move I decided the next day if the vet couldn't give Me anything else to help I would put him to sleep even though it would kill me. In the time I was syringe feeding him it was hardly anything because I didn't want to push loads into him when he didn't want it. Do you think this is why his body shut down because I didn't feed him enough or do you think he was dying anyway because the medication never helped him want to eat. I'm so scared I did the wrong think I just didn't want to make him do things he didn't want to do because he had never stopped eating his whole life and I just thought if medicine isn't getting him eating then he must be really ill or was it food that would have made him better. I also confused I did the wrong thing. I never meant to. I feel like I gave up on him when I didn't try giving him enough food but I thought if he doesn't eat on his own with medicine then that means no amount of me putting food into him if he didn't want it would keep him alive if he couldn't eat normally. Please tell Me if I was wrong I feel so bad. I just thought if he was dying I didn't want to push food into him that he didn't want. I don't want to make the same mistakes again because I feel like I put my best friend to sleep not doing the right thing to save him. I just didn't want him to suffer. Sorry if anything I did was wrong I just need to know I know it doesn't bring my boy back but I need to know I won't do the wrong thing again.

 

[Bill & Ted]

Please don’t feel guilty, you did everything a caring owner could have done. Pepsi sounded quite poorly and guinea pigs hide their illness to the bitter end so as not to show weakness and often by then the illness very difficult to treat. Be kind to yourself, Pepsi would not have wanted you to suffer like this, you made the kindest decision for him made from your love. Sadly while you are greiving it often feels like you’d given up, but you certainly didn’t x

 

[Pound Shilling & Pig]

You gave him so much care and love throughout his long life and at the end you made the hardest decision there is, to help him over the bridge, also out of love.
You did everything that could be done. You treated him with kindness and respect syringe feeding him and not stressing him out by forcing more into him than he could cope with. There are many illnesses piggies can get which can't be cured by medicine or any amount of syringe feeding. You did the right thing by letting him go so he wouldn't suffer.
Guilt is part of the pain of grief. I have felt guilt for having piggies put to sleep and feeling like I have given up on them and I have also felt guilt for not having piggies put to sleep and wishing I had. Questioning what you did comes from a place of love and compassion. Take time to grieve and try to allow yourself a little self compassion too x