The Vet Appointment We Did Not Make It To....

A Week of Highs and Lows.....

Last night, I expected to spend some time this weekend posting more photos and details about the excitement of Beth's Baby shower and the recipes from the shower menu. This week, we have experienced the highs of Jeffrey on the verge of an engagement, a baby shower for Beth, who is like our own family, the arrival of a (new to us) Guinea Pig, the symptoms our Guinea Pig was in distress, the search for a Veterinarian who could help us, the making of an appointment for today, and the waking up to find he did not make it through the night. Watching Megan sobbing and doubled over with pain at the loss of her new pet is unbearable for a parent. We had a funeral for him about an hour ago and gave him a proper burial. Megan is painting a rock for his grave marker. She will move on, but her need to love and nurture a pet will continue. We will use this as an opportunity to discuss life and death.

I just do not feel we could have done anything differently for this sweet little Guinea Pig, Squeakers. He was offered free to a good home from a college age girl whose parents told her that her menagerie of animals had to go or else. We got him on Monday night of this week. In my reading and research I found that these animals are extreme creatures of habit and do not adapt well to change in any way (duh) He was in an unfamiliar cage with unfamiliar people and surroundings. We had the same food he as always lived on, but I learned that in protest to change, Guinea Pigs may become Anorexic and refuse to eat or drink. They rarely survive this Anorexic protest past 3-6 days. (it was 4 for us)

I noted yesterday that he was very lethargic and when we had him out he seemed to have no strength to run around. He was limping on his injured front leg and just seemed tired. I wondered if we were interrupting his day time sleep pattern and if, being nocturnal, he would be more lively at night. I felt something more was wrong with him. He was not drinking or eating. Last night, Ron and Megan used a medicine dropper to give him water and planned to continue this dropper feeding of water.

I was certain we would go to the Vet today (by the way... do you know how hard it is to find a Vet who sees Guinea Pigs????? Not just one easy phone call) and find out how to help his injured foot, and how to help him adjust and begin eating again. We never made it to the Vet.... He was gone when Megan went to check on him early this morning. Squeakers the Guinea Pig came to us already around 2 years old, we prepared Megan for the fact that he may only live for another year or so. I could have never prepared her for this short lived love.

What began as the perfect pet situation turned to a broken heart for my little girl.

Beware of The Gift Horse, or in this case, The Gift Guinea Pig.