Thank you, I really appreciate it. I know at least I got him to the vet when he needed it and I have no doubt that putting him to sleep was the right option, the vet said he was already mostly there
[EMBED content="thread-182885"]
I’m so sorry to hear about Maelona, it’s awful when it’s sudden but I suppose at least then they aren’t suffering for a long time. I can feel how much I want to have answers and know exactly what went wrong or if I could have done anything different, but I also know that there was nothing that could really have been done
I do think he was in multi organ failure as you’ve described - from yesterday he was lethargic, keeping to one hidey, refusing food and meds, not fighting the syringe and showing no interest in anything. This morning he’d just drastically worsened and I’m sure his time was here
Partner and I had already discussed we want to continue the piggie cycle whenever one of our boys’ time came - I just thought I had longer! Tofu is back in his cage having a munch on same hay and he’s been keeping to the spot Noodle was in last. Are there any warning signs I should look out for in him? He’s got a vet appointment for his eye issue in a couple of weeks anyway
My little Noodle xx
View attachment 257605View attachment 257606View attachment 257607[/embed]
Yes. It very much sounded like Noodles was already climbing the Rainbow Bridge but you have kindly spared him the steepest bit. It is the most heart-breaking but also the most loving gift we can give our pets.
If you struggle with your soul-searching or catch yourself revising symptoms, you can find our dying guide in the link in my previous post. It has a chapter on what to expect with multiple organ failure although symptoms can vary enormously depending what gives first, in which order the organs cave in and how much of a fight each of them is putting up. But it my give you at least a few answers to help ease your mind a little and make a bit more sense of what has just happened.
Tofu has obviously had time to brace for Noodles's passing - he would have known before you - and is eating and drinking, which is always a big relief. But he really misses him and clings to where his brother's scent is strongest. Give him a few days to mourn but see how he copes and take any companionship needs from there. Don't clean the areas where the scent lingers (even if it gets manky) and allow the scent to fade away on its own. This will comfort Tofu in his own grieving.
Perhaps you could look for an older single boar to share the cage or live alongside for compansionship so you end with a hopefully much smaller age gap when Tofu's time comes? It is always very difficult at the end of the line but Tofu is still too young to be on his own and rescues are bursting. Giving away piggies of your own triggers its own, if smaller grieving process with a very pronounced guilt trip in my and other members' experience who had to make that decision at some point or other.
Make sure that you give yourself time to not be OK for a little. The quick end has been kindest for Noodles but it means a higher emotional burden on you and your partner. It's always harder when you have both the shock and the loss to deal with at the same time.