Emx93
Forum Donator 2023/24
I dont even know where to start but I'm sure most of you saw on my h & I thread that fluffy crossed the rainbow bridge rather suddenly with a uri yesterday, I am still in deep shock, guilt and grief so please forgive me if this is a little jumbled but here's what's happened and the situation.
Friday - weekly weigh in and health check no problems detected and weight normal. Sunday acting completely normal felt a normal weight when giving meds, definitely was eating in the evening Monday morning- wheeked as normal but the kids distracted me so I didn't stop to see if the pigs ate but seemed to head towards nuggets when I scattered them! Monday evening did not react when I put evening veggies in walked to the bed to cuddle toddler to sleep and give her space to see if she ate when not watched, went back she'd still not moved, picked her up after catching her (she ran away from being picked up like usual) to give metacam and weigh her, felt very light, 113g down from Friday. Panic mode made a syringe feed and she didn't fight me but she's never been a good syringe feeder which is why we syringe little and often or she gets very distressed which in turn makes her appetite worse! In other words every time she's had appetite loss we have always done 1-2hours feeds of however much she tolerates (usually around 2-5ml) she took 3ml and I popped her next to me for an hour to see if she pooped (she didn't but also was grooming herself so still wasn't overly panicked but did consider emergency vet, posted here and contacted my student vet nurse friend for advice) next feed she didn't do great wondered if I'd fed too soon popped her with her friends for half an hour. Took another 2ml then and some pro c. We continued the cherade she was still able to move but her companions we sticking by her side when she was in the cage and rumble strutting each other whenever I took her out.i think they knew what was happening to be honest even though we had no idea. She was only managing such a tiny amount (barely a mouthful or two and I wasn't convinced she was swallowing it) by 7:30am that I weighed up just calling the emergency vet but with 3 kids to get up and dressed and the distance too the emergency vet it actually worked out quicker to call mine when they opened, I did miss a syringe feed here in order to get ready to go to the vet, I did and got her down there within 15mins of them opening, I ended up leaving her companions home as they were giving me the run around and I just desperately wanted to get her to the vets. The vet brought her back out with some meds she wasn't overly concerned just she was a bit snotty and as the meds kicked in and as the mucous cleared she should start eating again but keep trying with the syringe food. I got her home got the meds down her then another syringe feed that she took another 3ml, I was relieved thinking I'd just double the effort and hopefully she'd be OK, she'd done this scare so many times previously (and was comparatively much worse after her spay to be honest) that while worried I never thought she'd die. The next syringe feed I'm not sure she swallowed any she really didn't do well. By 1pm I suspected she wasn't going to make it, I was convinced she was just holding food in her mouth by this point. 1:30 called the vet said I think she's having a siezure and she's getting worse. They asked us to describe it (had no clue how to describe it so don't think I described it properly as they didn't think it was a siezure) they said likely low blood sugar advised to rub sugar in her gums which we did and she didn't try to bite us or put up resistance at all she was very weak. Called back again and said she'd stopped the twitching but kept trying to stand and falling on her side. They asked about her breathing which we said we could barely see it was shallow they said they weren't too worried as she wasn't struggling to breathe or open mouthed breathing but booked us another appointment for that afternoon. Sam informed work he was going to be late and we both looked at each other and said she's not going to make it she's no longer processing food let's put her back in with her friends. Told her we loved her tried once more with the food which she just held in her mouth and started convulsing (very clearly convulsing this time there was no mistaking it) grabbed her comfiest bed and put her back with her friends
a few moments later she was still and her friends started pulled at her mouth and ears to rouse her we knew she was gone. Called the vets back and they were as shocked as us told us to take her down so they could confirm it and cremate her! I'd only booked the second appointment 10minutes before she started convulsing as I hung up the phone! I wish more than anything I'd taken her to the emergency vet but looking back I don't think it would have made any difference she hadn't pood in so long I think she was likely already shutting down when we realised she wasn't eating and if our piggy savvy vet wasn't massively concerned yesterday morning I don't think the emergency vet would have been either 
it was such a shock and the most horrific thing I've ever witnessed, if I'd have known I would have tried so much harder with the syringe feeding, been more forceful or something it's just she really did not look as bad as she had done previously and the little and often had always worked before for her. She had never been quite the same since loosing her bestie in April 2020, she didn't hate her new companions and was a good leader piggy to them but her sparkle had gone, we'd had loads of vet visits and tests too try and find out why she still looked so depressed in the months following princess' death but didn't find anything. She was not even 3 but had already gone through a hormonal fall out, a spay, fear aggression, failed bonding, successful bonding, a hernia repair, she had adhesions, loosing her friend, more fear aggression and failed bondings and finally bonding with flower and caramel when they were tiny 8 week old babies. Sadly the only friend she was ever deeply attached to was princess who died, we think the uri got her so quickly as she just wanted to be back with Princess but l really wish she could have pulled through. Either that or she really did have some undetectable underlying issue.
Her friends are very quiet without their mummy pig but I think they knew she was dying as they seemed to be working out dominence while we were still thinking she'd get through, their weight is stable and they are eating very well! Thankfully as there is two of them I don't need to worry about further bonding or getting more pigs! But I do have a question I was due to clean vetbed today but after reading the bereavement guide I'm not sure if I should leave it till tomorrow for comfort?
Also she died two days after my rainbow bridge cats adoption day, I feel like I have combined grief for onslow, Princess, my grandad and now fluffy, and I just keep replaying yesterday's events in my head wondering how it happened so quickly!
Thankyou for reading and any advice for the remaining companions would be amazing I am currently daily weighing all of them not just her friends through fear this practically silent but quickly deadly infection was contagious!
Friday - weekly weigh in and health check no problems detected and weight normal. Sunday acting completely normal felt a normal weight when giving meds, definitely was eating in the evening Monday morning- wheeked as normal but the kids distracted me so I didn't stop to see if the pigs ate but seemed to head towards nuggets when I scattered them! Monday evening did not react when I put evening veggies in walked to the bed to cuddle toddler to sleep and give her space to see if she ate when not watched, went back she'd still not moved, picked her up after catching her (she ran away from being picked up like usual) to give metacam and weigh her, felt very light, 113g down from Friday. Panic mode made a syringe feed and she didn't fight me but she's never been a good syringe feeder which is why we syringe little and often or she gets very distressed which in turn makes her appetite worse! In other words every time she's had appetite loss we have always done 1-2hours feeds of however much she tolerates (usually around 2-5ml) she took 3ml and I popped her next to me for an hour to see if she pooped (she didn't but also was grooming herself so still wasn't overly panicked but did consider emergency vet, posted here and contacted my student vet nurse friend for advice) next feed she didn't do great wondered if I'd fed too soon popped her with her friends for half an hour. Took another 2ml then and some pro c. We continued the cherade she was still able to move but her companions we sticking by her side when she was in the cage and rumble strutting each other whenever I took her out.i think they knew what was happening to be honest even though we had no idea. She was only managing such a tiny amount (barely a mouthful or two and I wasn't convinced she was swallowing it) by 7:30am that I weighed up just calling the emergency vet but with 3 kids to get up and dressed and the distance too the emergency vet it actually worked out quicker to call mine when they opened, I did miss a syringe feed here in order to get ready to go to the vet, I did and got her down there within 15mins of them opening, I ended up leaving her companions home as they were giving me the run around and I just desperately wanted to get her to the vets. The vet brought her back out with some meds she wasn't overly concerned just she was a bit snotty and as the meds kicked in and as the mucous cleared she should start eating again but keep trying with the syringe food. I got her home got the meds down her then another syringe feed that she took another 3ml, I was relieved thinking I'd just double the effort and hopefully she'd be OK, she'd done this scare so many times previously (and was comparatively much worse after her spay to be honest) that while worried I never thought she'd die. The next syringe feed I'm not sure she swallowed any she really didn't do well. By 1pm I suspected she wasn't going to make it, I was convinced she was just holding food in her mouth by this point. 1:30 called the vet said I think she's having a siezure and she's getting worse. They asked us to describe it (had no clue how to describe it so don't think I described it properly as they didn't think it was a siezure) they said likely low blood sugar advised to rub sugar in her gums which we did and she didn't try to bite us or put up resistance at all she was very weak. Called back again and said she'd stopped the twitching but kept trying to stand and falling on her side. They asked about her breathing which we said we could barely see it was shallow they said they weren't too worried as she wasn't struggling to breathe or open mouthed breathing but booked us another appointment for that afternoon. Sam informed work he was going to be late and we both looked at each other and said she's not going to make it she's no longer processing food let's put her back in with her friends. Told her we loved her tried once more with the food which she just held in her mouth and started convulsing (very clearly convulsing this time there was no mistaking it) grabbed her comfiest bed and put her back with her friends
a few moments later she was still and her friends started pulled at her mouth and ears to rouse her we knew she was gone. Called the vets back and they were as shocked as us told us to take her down so they could confirm it and cremate her! I'd only booked the second appointment 10minutes before she started convulsing as I hung up the phone! I wish more than anything I'd taken her to the emergency vet but looking back I don't think it would have made any difference she hadn't pood in so long I think she was likely already shutting down when we realised she wasn't eating and if our piggy savvy vet wasn't massively concerned yesterday morning I don't think the emergency vet would have been either it was such a shock and the most horrific thing I've ever witnessed, if I'd have known I would have tried so much harder with the syringe feeding, been more forceful or something it's just she really did not look as bad as she had done previously and the little and often had always worked before for her. She had never been quite the same since loosing her bestie in April 2020, she didn't hate her new companions and was a good leader piggy to them but her sparkle had gone, we'd had loads of vet visits and tests too try and find out why she still looked so depressed in the months following princess' death but didn't find anything. She was not even 3 but had already gone through a hormonal fall out, a spay, fear aggression, failed bonding, successful bonding, a hernia repair, she had adhesions, loosing her friend, more fear aggression and failed bondings and finally bonding with flower and caramel when they were tiny 8 week old babies. Sadly the only friend she was ever deeply attached to was princess who died, we think the uri got her so quickly as she just wanted to be back with Princess but l really wish she could have pulled through. Either that or she really did have some undetectable underlying issue. Her friends are very quiet without their mummy pig but I think they knew she was dying as they seemed to be working out dominence while we were still thinking she'd get through, their weight is stable and they are eating very well! Thankfully as there is two of them I don't need to worry about further bonding or getting more pigs! But I do have a question I was due to clean vetbed today but after reading the bereavement guide I'm not sure if I should leave it till tomorrow for comfort?
Also she died two days after my rainbow bridge cats adoption day, I feel like I have combined grief for onslow, Princess, my grandad and now fluffy, and I just keep replaying yesterday's events in my head wondering how it happened so quickly!
Thankyou for reading and any advice for the remaining companions would be amazing I am currently daily weighing all of them not just her friends through fear this practically silent but quickly deadly infection was contagious!
I do think she was likely already too far gone by the time she showed symptoms but it doesn't stop the guilt does it 
xx