Eriathwens piggies

Just got back from the crematorium dropping Cinnamon off. Ivory seemed to want to come out so we're having a nice snuggle, she makes a great scarf although I think she's going to pee on me soon!
But she's good company and lovely and warm so oh well.

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They really are the best therapy, only a little while ago I was sat with my head resting on the side of the main herd pen watching them eat their veg when Daisy waddles over, reaches up and gives my nose a lick then carries on doing her thing XD
I don't know what I'd do without them!
 
She's home again, I feel much better now she's back. I can't believe how much heavier even her ashes are compared to the other 3 piggies we've had cremated, she really was a gentle giant.
Her footprints turned out lovely and we even got a hair clipping which I forgot to ask for. Now, not to tempt fate but if that could be the last time I see that crematorium for a while, I'd very much appreciate it!

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I've decided I'm going to set up some shelves along the main wall of the piggy room where I can put everyone's caskets and footprints with a nice canvas of them above, so I can still see their faces and talk to them all.
The crematorium is so, so lovely and the staff are always so kind. Makes it easier that they don't think I'm mad for being so upset.

Panda has been out for more cuddles, she felt happy enough to eat some pellets while she was out but managed to get a few well aimed nips in on her way back, little bugger haha she's such a character.

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It finally happened...I got peed on! She might be small, but apparently Panda has a massive bladder! Bless her, she wasn't the least bit sorry XD

Leonard has decided his ball is his new best friend. He's given up throwing it around and taken to sleeping and sitting next to it..
His legs seem to be getting stronger, he can popcorn much higher and run faster. We'll be asking about follow up xrays at some point this month I think to check how his bones are doing.

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It comes to us all “I peed on you, I love you” moment x
Leonard’s made a good friend there :D
 
I really struggle getting nice pictures of these 2, I need a light box or something XD Treacle is unfortunately a little under the weather, I'm not sure if it's through grief or what, but she's doing some funny poops and has lost about 40g, although she is eating absolutely fine. We're going to be trying probiotics and critical care top up feeds over the weekend to see if this rights the problem (she's already regained 15g today alone) but if no improvement by Monday we'll be seeing if we can get her into the vets to see whats going on.

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We received a lovely card from our vets earlier, I forgot to say. Made me cry all over again but it helped motivate me to finally take Brambles blanket out of the bag I've been hiding it in and wash it, it's been covered in blood since we took her to the vet back in December and I couldn't bear to see it like that so I've ignored it. Things are slowly but surely finding their new normal.

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Mine used to love that Just for Pets hay, sadly our shop has closed.
What a lovely card from you vets.
I am glad you now feel able to wash Bramble's blanket, it took me most of a year before I could wash Willow's favourite fleece tunnel. I've only just been able to let the other piggies use it. These little furries leave such a big hole in our lives when they leave us it takes a long time to come to terms with their passing.
 
I know what you mean, I'm not sure I could let another piggy use her blanket yet, but maybe in time.

Treacles poops are normal again and she has a fantastic appetite, unfortunately her weight just won't remain stable. Her appointment isn't until Thursday but I'm sure we can plod her along nicely until then. I am slightly concerned that there may be a thyroid or kidney issue..but I'm hoping it's just a digestive upset from how severely she grieved for Cinnamon over the first 24-48 hours that by Thursday will have been overcome.
She certainly hasn't lost any of her attitude though, has taken 25ml of critical care whilst trying to kill the syringe before bed and then covered me in wee...she wasn't remotely sorry either haha
She's such a wonderful little character.

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Aw bless her. I have everything crossed that she just has a minor tummy upset.
Bracken used to love his syringe feed but he used to dribble it down his front, being semi long haired he collected a lot in his fur. After being fed he liked to shake himself like a wet dog, food flew all over me, the sofa and the wall. I really miss that little monkey!
 
XD Aw, bless him! I still have some stubborn critical care stains on the walls from Bramble, she used to do similar...although most are from me trying to unblock the syringe lol!

I have not told the pigs yet but in the next few weeks we hopefully will have 1 or 2 little ones coming to join her and Ebony, if it is grief then I'm hoping that will be a suitable distraction for her, although that isn't currently set in stone. To be honest I could do with the distraction myself, start a new chapter instead of watching them like a hawk for something else to go wrong.
 
We're managing to maintain Treacles weight at about 900g, just, which isnt too far off her normal weight of 940-960g. Hopefully we can continue doing that until she can see the vet. She is otherwise very bright and cheerful, managing to get a good bite in during this mornings syringe feeding!
She has been a little picky with her veggies, only really eating her favourites so in an effort to combat that, all her portion of veg was forage today, which she greatly approved of! (As did Ebony XD) although it's cold, wet and miserable outside..10/10 do not recommend this experience :lol!:

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Just discovered what is likely the source of Treacles issues. Unfortunately there is a lump in her abdomen, it's not huge and where it is placed makes me think it's likely another bladder stone, I am hoping so much it's not a tumour, it's too solid to be a fatty lump..It seems a little smaller than the last one so hopefully it passes by itself without as much pain as the last one she had. I'm gutted, I really hope we can avoid surgery and that it's nothing sinister, I don't think I could lose another so soon :(
 
Fingers crossed it's a tiny stone and she passes it. You must be emotionally drained with all this it's so hard with sick piggies knowing what to do for the best. X
 
She's had a lot of fluids today which I'm hoping is what's flushed it out of the bladder, I would hope I would have felt that before now if it's not new..with any luck it'll be further down by morning as she's just had more water and probiotics with some critical care.

To be honest I'm so tired and drained. I'm questioning how I'm interpreting things now too, Leonard seemed to be having a really rough afternoon but when I got him out for a run he was zooming about all over the place having a great time.
He gave me a good laugh a little while ago while I was clearing the floor though, he was fast asleep but looked up at me when I made a noise..I've no idea how he got cabbage on his head but it's so typical of him XD
I don't know what I'd do without them to cheer me up!
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I know what you mean about questioning everything, after losing 2 youngsters to stones and having 2 more piggies with sludge/grit I've spent hours researching diet and thinking it's my fault. Now Peanut's got a lump in his neck and I'm agonising over what to do for the best and wether I'm making the right decisions. Having pets is supposed to be fun, I keep reminding myself of that and the fact the vets keep telling me it's nothing I've done just bad luck. You are a very caring and brilliant slave, you know what you are doing please take some comfort from the fact your piggies wouldn't be doing so well without you.
Bless Leonard he is such a sweet boy, bet he wonders what you are looking at!
 
I'm so sorry you're having a rough time too! It's so frustrating when you change their diet and do everything you can to try to avoid this but it happens anyway :( my vet has even said they're supposed to be easy, stick them in a cage and ignore them and they'll live forever, dedicate your life for them and give them the best of care and end up with nothing but problems! I very much agree with him, it seems the better we try to do the more brick walls we hit..although it's most likely just that we're paying attention and take them to a vet, instead of them passing young from unknown causes.

And thankyou that means a lot to hear, and very much echo the sentiments towards yourself! You're doing a brilliant job with all your piggies past and present.
I just hope everything I'm doing now will benefit future piggies I have, so that even when I fail and make the wrong choice, it's never for nothing if I learn something..thinking that kind of dulls the sting a bit from messing up.
 
Both the piggy savvy vets I see say I'm picking things up very early, but I think you do when you have them in your living room and you handle them most days. I would rather go to vets a bit early than too late! I was too late with Willow, he was only 10 months old and was full of stones but it wasn't until the last two days he showed any signs of being ill, I find it hard to forgive myself and just pray he didn't suffer too much pain. The vet did say it couldn't be diet at that age unless he'd been fed handfulls of spinch and kale everyday (I don't feed spinich or kale!). The vets are very good at guiding me through the options and telling me the success/failure rates they get with various treatments. It's easy to think you failed with hindsight. I think we have to accept we make the decisions we make to the best of our ability at the time with the facts we have available, it's been a hard lesson to learn. I can't change the piggies genes or promise them a long life but I try really hard to keep them well, free from pain and give them a good life for however long or short that is, this is my new mantra!
 
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