piggl
Forum Donator 2024/25
Hi,
This monday I woke up to medicate my 5 year old boar Winston as usual. He had been suffering with stasis on and off for a few weeks, and I was hopeful for our vet appointment that afternoon. I thought this would finally be the time we get rid of the stasis once and for all.
To my surprise I started syringe feeding him his critical care and he spat it out, he almost looked like he was choking on it. I cleared his mouth and made a post here for advice as I was somewhat lost and shocked.
I then noticed he was unable to swallow completely, choking on his own spit every 2-5 minutes.
I rang the vets urgently and although there were no appointments they managed to slip me in, in one hours time.
I just sat there, holding him and trying to keep his mouth/throat as clear as possible, speaking to him as I can’t imagine how scary it would have been for him.
Once we made it we were sat in the waiting room and he kept choking. People were looking at us probably wondering what the hell was going on, I kept opening the cage and trying my best to keep his mouth clear.
We eventually got called in and she weighed him and had a look around. He became to choke on his spit again as she was carrying out her investigations. She listened to his heart and eventually his lungs, where she heard fluid.
Although I knew it was the end realistically, seeing her shake my head at me and tell me there was no more we could do broke me. I just couldn’t believe that that was it. I said my goodbyes and he went to be pts on his favourite blanket.
We went home and I held his body and sobbed, I really truly couldn’t believe that that was it. When done I wrapped his body back up and placed him outside in his old hutch (still wrapped up).
We decided to bury him the next day. He was stone cold and stiff. I know it’s normal but again I couldn’t believe it was happening to my Winston. I felt so horrible that I had left him out there overnight even if I know deep down it was the right thing to do.
There’s something really shocking about laying your animal, especially one who was just alive and ‘well’ the past day, to rest in the dirt. I knew he was passed away and his soul was already over the rainbow bridge, but I just felt he deserved more than the ground.
Either way I laid him to rest, walked away before my dad filled up the hole and sobbed in my room.
Since then the feelings have been on and off. I’ve been to the vet 3 times since then as my 6 month old boar got a big abscess removal the day after Winstons emergency PTS, but I couldn’t afford to push his op back as the lump was very large.
We have had some complications with it from head tilts to fluid swelling. Thankfully this morning most of it was sorted and he’s now on the road to recovery (with any luck and medication!)
My parents have been on at me the whole week to remove “his stinky old cage”. They aren’t wrong, the day he was PTS it was his full cage clean day, but how do i explain that I can’t bring myself to do it without getting laughed at (his cage wasn’t particularly stinky though, I would have removed it sooner if it was).
I finally removed the soiled hay and uneaten veg this evening, and I know that’s gross to some people but (atleast my family) don’t understand how unbelievably difficult it is to do something like that for the last time. I will now never get to clean up after him again.
I will never get to hold him again. Or give him his critical care. I will never get to surprise my mum by putting his front feet on her head and her having the biggest smile because Winston was her favourite.
Maybe I should have done it earlier, as I did need to put gloves on because it had started to go… gross (which isn’t very nice, i am aware of that so please don’t judge me). To them it’s dirty hay and poops, to me it’s the last remaining physical item I had of his.
I didn’t even get to keep the blanket he used all the time for feedings, because he had drooled so much in the hours before his PTS, so I had to wash it.
Anyway, this is really just a rant. As I took a deep breath because Remi seemed fine for the first time since Tuesday afternoon, and finally took the time to clean out the old hay and poops from his cage, I have realised he really is gone.
This forum is amazing, even the support given when I made my original post for Winston was amazing, so I thank you all for that.
If anyone is feeling the same way, don’t let your feelings/grief be put to the side because they’re “just pets/rodents”, because they aren’t just that, they’re family.
Sleep tight Winston, I love you so much.
This monday I woke up to medicate my 5 year old boar Winston as usual. He had been suffering with stasis on and off for a few weeks, and I was hopeful for our vet appointment that afternoon. I thought this would finally be the time we get rid of the stasis once and for all.
To my surprise I started syringe feeding him his critical care and he spat it out, he almost looked like he was choking on it. I cleared his mouth and made a post here for advice as I was somewhat lost and shocked.
I then noticed he was unable to swallow completely, choking on his own spit every 2-5 minutes.
I rang the vets urgently and although there were no appointments they managed to slip me in, in one hours time.
I just sat there, holding him and trying to keep his mouth/throat as clear as possible, speaking to him as I can’t imagine how scary it would have been for him.
Once we made it we were sat in the waiting room and he kept choking. People were looking at us probably wondering what the hell was going on, I kept opening the cage and trying my best to keep his mouth clear.
We eventually got called in and she weighed him and had a look around. He became to choke on his spit again as she was carrying out her investigations. She listened to his heart and eventually his lungs, where she heard fluid.
Although I knew it was the end realistically, seeing her shake my head at me and tell me there was no more we could do broke me. I just couldn’t believe that that was it. I said my goodbyes and he went to be pts on his favourite blanket.
We went home and I held his body and sobbed, I really truly couldn’t believe that that was it. When done I wrapped his body back up and placed him outside in his old hutch (still wrapped up).
We decided to bury him the next day. He was stone cold and stiff. I know it’s normal but again I couldn’t believe it was happening to my Winston. I felt so horrible that I had left him out there overnight even if I know deep down it was the right thing to do.
There’s something really shocking about laying your animal, especially one who was just alive and ‘well’ the past day, to rest in the dirt. I knew he was passed away and his soul was already over the rainbow bridge, but I just felt he deserved more than the ground.
Either way I laid him to rest, walked away before my dad filled up the hole and sobbed in my room.
Since then the feelings have been on and off. I’ve been to the vet 3 times since then as my 6 month old boar got a big abscess removal the day after Winstons emergency PTS, but I couldn’t afford to push his op back as the lump was very large.
We have had some complications with it from head tilts to fluid swelling. Thankfully this morning most of it was sorted and he’s now on the road to recovery (with any luck and medication!)
My parents have been on at me the whole week to remove “his stinky old cage”. They aren’t wrong, the day he was PTS it was his full cage clean day, but how do i explain that I can’t bring myself to do it without getting laughed at (his cage wasn’t particularly stinky though, I would have removed it sooner if it was).
I finally removed the soiled hay and uneaten veg this evening, and I know that’s gross to some people but (atleast my family) don’t understand how unbelievably difficult it is to do something like that for the last time. I will now never get to clean up after him again.
I will never get to hold him again. Or give him his critical care. I will never get to surprise my mum by putting his front feet on her head and her having the biggest smile because Winston was her favourite.
Maybe I should have done it earlier, as I did need to put gloves on because it had started to go… gross (which isn’t very nice, i am aware of that so please don’t judge me). To them it’s dirty hay and poops, to me it’s the last remaining physical item I had of his.
I didn’t even get to keep the blanket he used all the time for feedings, because he had drooled so much in the hours before his PTS, so I had to wash it.
Anyway, this is really just a rant. As I took a deep breath because Remi seemed fine for the first time since Tuesday afternoon, and finally took the time to clean out the old hay and poops from his cage, I have realised he really is gone.
This forum is amazing, even the support given when I made my original post for Winston was amazing, so I thank you all for that.
If anyone is feeling the same way, don’t let your feelings/grief be put to the side because they’re “just pets/rodents”, because they aren’t just that, they’re family.
Sleep tight Winston, I love you so much.
.
Letting go of what’s left is incredibly painful and I am facing it myself tomorrow but Esme hasn’t passed away, she’s going to her new home where she can have piggy companionship again. I can’t being myself to clean her cage when we return home and ‘getting rid’ of everything piggy so my husband is doing it for me.