Our last 2 years in a (very large) nutshell!!!

Pimpinpuji

Post   » Sat Sep 07, 2019 3:22 am


WindeSpirit, thank you for the information about the emery boards!! I've tried to camouflage all sorts of treats to help wear down his teeth, with almost no interest from his end. So far, Sugar has hated having his teeth filed, but so many of you have suggested it, that I do think it's worth another try.
I did my first independent trim today. It was smooth and without complications, though I don't believe the piggo was happy with the end result. I think I was too conservative, and may consider trimming off a bit more tomorrow, depending on his mood.

About Ann Arbor, I miss it so much!! I miss our vet, the downtown area, the culture, the lifestyle, the medical campus....Sigh. Well, if you're ever in Southern California, I will be here! I'm sorry to know that you spent so much time in Mott. I hope your experience there was a positive one. It's so odd working in inpatient medicine, I hope to never see someone that I know, and I hope to never see my patients again (unless I run into them at the grocery store)!

Pimpinpuji

Post   » Wed Oct 23, 2019 1:26 pm


We lost our sweet potato, Sugar, a few days ago. Over the past 2-3 weeks, he had increasing difficulty walking, to the point where he wasn't moving at all in his last days, and we had to position him right next to food and water. We knew Sugar had arthritis, because his gait has been altered for about a year now, but we didn't realize how bad it was. Xrays showed diffuse arthritis down his entire spine and his knees, possibly with some spinal nerve compression, the vet wasn't even sure how Sugar had been moving in the first place. At the same visit, a UTI was diagnosed.

So, we got him on abx and stronger pain meds, knowing that there wasn't much time left, and hoping that his last few days might be comfortable and surrounded in love.
Deepak and I had already been talking about putting him to sleep so that he would not suffer. We figured we'd give these meds a try and then go the euthanasia route if it wasn't giving him the quality of life that he deserved... it was a painful conversation. Anyway, while I was at work, Deepak called me to see if I could come home early, telling me that Sugar was getting worse, and that he was absolutely miserable. He kept wheeking, but didn't want any of the food or water offered to him... he only calmed when Deepak was nearby and touching him. Sugar passed before I could make it home. He didn't want us to make the hard decisions of putting him down, so he made it for us. He had been fighting his physical battles for so long, and saw me through all of mine..he moved on to the next phase of his soul's journey only after making sure I was settled. He was so very loved, and I'm sorry that he had to suffer in his last days, I never wanted that for him. In about a month, he would have been 8 years old. Our little Potato was the sweetest and gentlest of all our pigs, and gave us so much joy.

I'ts been almost 12 years as a pig mum... and I'm not sure where to go from here. I knew that we wouldn't get more guinea pigs after Sugar, the pain of losing them is so hard... but I'm also feeling a void of sorts. I want to donate my cage and fleece, but I can't bear to even pack it into a box, because seeing those items (they are in my living room) gives me such bittersweet feelings.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Wed Oct 23, 2019 6:17 pm


I'm so sorry, Pimpinpuji. You and Sugar had been through so much together. You gave him a wonderful life.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Oct 23, 2019 8:45 pm


I am so sorry for your loss. You have all our sympathy.

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Wed Oct 23, 2019 8:50 pm


I'm so sorry that you lost her. She had such a good life with you.

Try not to make any decision one way or another while the loss is still so fresh.

Main thing for now...take care of yourself.

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Thu Oct 24, 2019 12:41 am


My condolences, Pimpinpuji. You did so much for Sugar and he was so lucky to have such good care. Give yourself some time to work through this day by day.

SkittleandTwix
Supporter in '11

Post   » Sun Nov 17, 2019 12:18 am


Pimpinpuju - I haven’t been on here in ages. Sorry I missed meeting you in Michigan. Thanks for the vet recommendations. It probably doesn’t matter now, but to answer your question, I’m involved with RASA.

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