guineapigdad84
New Born Pup
I posted on here a while back about my 5 year old Abyssinian Rosie. Back in September, she was originally diagnosed with cervical lymphadenitis after taking her to the emergency vet. Around November during another trip to the normal vet, it was determined that she had not gotten better with her medication. On her fifth birthday in December, the vet said that the diagnosis was now either a systemic infection or more likely cancer.
Since getting that diagnosis, I have spent a large majority of my free time with Rosie. We had an impromptu early Christmas, not thinking she was going to make it to the actual holiday. Christmas came and went as did the new year, however she slowly started to go downhill. These last few weeks in January, her weight has gone down from the low 900s, progressing down to the low 800s and for the past week she has been teetering in the 730g-740g range. Not only that, but she has been slower to get up and has eventually started laying in her own urine. Her poops have gotten smaller and dryer looking.
Knowing that eventually I was going to have to make the tough decision to have her put to sleep, I had in the back of my mind a little bit of hope, that she would hold out a few more days or even a few more weeks. I tried to not be selfish wanting her to hold out for my inability to say goodbye. Every morning before going to work, trying to fight to get is her critical care and medicine proved to be harder and more exhausting as the days went by. Seeing her behavior and lack of energy didn’t make it easier when I would see her standing up at the side of the cage, or squeaking louder and more often. I took that as a sign that she was telling me something. Seeing her increasingly lifeless eyes and feeling her lighter body I called the vet today to make arrangements for her to be put to sleep tomorrow, after four long months of fighting and holding on. I’ve lost one pig to cancer, PTS at the onset of a bad URI and lost another during surgery to remove a stubborn tooth abscess. This is the first time I had to make the decision for them. Does it always hurt with a deep sense of dread and regret? I mean, I know I am doing the right thing as she has gone downhill the past three weeks and it will only get worse for me and harder for her. Please tell me I am doing the right thing tomorrow instead of waiting.
Since getting that diagnosis, I have spent a large majority of my free time with Rosie. We had an impromptu early Christmas, not thinking she was going to make it to the actual holiday. Christmas came and went as did the new year, however she slowly started to go downhill. These last few weeks in January, her weight has gone down from the low 900s, progressing down to the low 800s and for the past week she has been teetering in the 730g-740g range. Not only that, but she has been slower to get up and has eventually started laying in her own urine. Her poops have gotten smaller and dryer looking.
Knowing that eventually I was going to have to make the tough decision to have her put to sleep, I had in the back of my mind a little bit of hope, that she would hold out a few more days or even a few more weeks. I tried to not be selfish wanting her to hold out for my inability to say goodbye. Every morning before going to work, trying to fight to get is her critical care and medicine proved to be harder and more exhausting as the days went by. Seeing her behavior and lack of energy didn’t make it easier when I would see her standing up at the side of the cage, or squeaking louder and more often. I took that as a sign that she was telling me something. Seeing her increasingly lifeless eyes and feeling her lighter body I called the vet today to make arrangements for her to be put to sleep tomorrow, after four long months of fighting and holding on. I’ve lost one pig to cancer, PTS at the onset of a bad URI and lost another during surgery to remove a stubborn tooth abscess. This is the first time I had to make the decision for them. Does it always hurt with a deep sense of dread and regret? I mean, I know I am doing the right thing as she has gone downhill the past three weeks and it will only get worse for me and harder for her. Please tell me I am doing the right thing tomorrow instead of waiting.
