abirmingham
New Born Pup
Hi all,
Needed to pour my feelings out before asking for some advice. My 5-year-old guinea pig Tate lost his fight with bladder stones on Tuesday. He had a stone obstructing his urethra back in November 2021. He had surgery and made it through. I made all the changes I could: filtering his water, changing his diet in regards to veggies, and limiting his pellets. Unfortunately, in March I noticed he was peeing blood and took him back to the vet. Stones were back; he had multiple bladder stones. My vet did not recommend a second surgery so I chose to do palliative care and enjoy the time I had left with him. I decided I would turn to euthanasia if and when he was no longer eating or acting like his friendly self (climbing the cage for me, etc.) He was still eating and climbing right up until the night before his death. I work the night shift and when I came home Tuesday morning he had passed sometime while I was gone. I am absolutely devastated. The only solace I can find is that he looked peaceful, he went on his own terms, and he is no longer in pain. He has a cage mate, a 7-month-old boar named Baby who seems to be doing well despite everything. I know I need to get him another friend soon because it's imperative for his wellbeing. I just don't feel ready. I know this is selfish. It just feels like I would be trying to replace Tate if I move on this quickly. I was wondering when a good time to introduce a new cage mate might be. If anyone else has experience with this how long did you wait? Should I try to push through and do it soon?
In Loving Memory of the most resilient piggie, the definition of a fighter in every sense of the word, a pig who loved burrowing under blankets and purred every time you gave him anything to eat. Until we meet again.
Needed to pour my feelings out before asking for some advice. My 5-year-old guinea pig Tate lost his fight with bladder stones on Tuesday. He had a stone obstructing his urethra back in November 2021. He had surgery and made it through. I made all the changes I could: filtering his water, changing his diet in regards to veggies, and limiting his pellets. Unfortunately, in March I noticed he was peeing blood and took him back to the vet. Stones were back; he had multiple bladder stones. My vet did not recommend a second surgery so I chose to do palliative care and enjoy the time I had left with him. I decided I would turn to euthanasia if and when he was no longer eating or acting like his friendly self (climbing the cage for me, etc.) He was still eating and climbing right up until the night before his death. I work the night shift and when I came home Tuesday morning he had passed sometime while I was gone. I am absolutely devastated. The only solace I can find is that he looked peaceful, he went on his own terms, and he is no longer in pain. He has a cage mate, a 7-month-old boar named Baby who seems to be doing well despite everything. I know I need to get him another friend soon because it's imperative for his wellbeing. I just don't feel ready. I know this is selfish. It just feels like I would be trying to replace Tate if I move on this quickly. I was wondering when a good time to introduce a new cage mate might be. If anyone else has experience with this how long did you wait? Should I try to push through and do it soon?
In Loving Memory of the most resilient piggie, the definition of a fighter in every sense of the word, a pig who loved burrowing under blankets and purred every time you gave him anything to eat. Until we meet again.