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On Sept 9, 2017 Smudgee showed zero interest in eating her morning veggies, she was perfectly fine the night before (so I thought) since she was eating before I went to bed. Since this is an usual behavior for a guinea pig I drove to the Exotic Vet and got her to see the doctor.
I was there for a couple of hours, he did a physical, put her in a oxygen tank and took several X-rays. He showed me the X-rays and she had several masses in her body along with bloat. He suspected it was cancer, but couldn't do a blood test since guinea pigs need anesthesia to draw blood and she was to weak. The next step was to get a ultra sound, but his office didn't perform ultrasounds and next available appointment I could get was on September 11, 2017 an hour away. Plus their office was close the next day. He sent me home with pain meds for her.
I ended up taking her home and started calling around to cavy savy people I knew. I ended up syringe feeding and massaging her (for her bloat) every hour on the hour throughout the night and into the morning.
On Sept 10 between the hours of 630am - 7am she crossed the rainbow bridge. I fed her at 6 am and gave her a 15 minute massage and was able to rub her belly one last time. At 7am I went to give her hourly feeding and saw her body lifeless, I knew she passed. It was an exhausting night.
Smudgee had a rough start at life, she lived outside in a cardboard box with little shade by herself. She almost became snake food, but I rescued her. Her last years was spent in a herd, living in a piggie mansion and eating quality food. She was well loved and was surrounded by her herd during her last moments.
Adoption Date: Nov 8, 2015
Crossed the Rainbow Bridge on : Sept 10, 2017
I was there for a couple of hours, he did a physical, put her in a oxygen tank and took several X-rays. He showed me the X-rays and she had several masses in her body along with bloat. He suspected it was cancer, but couldn't do a blood test since guinea pigs need anesthesia to draw blood and she was to weak. The next step was to get a ultra sound, but his office didn't perform ultrasounds and next available appointment I could get was on September 11, 2017 an hour away. Plus their office was close the next day. He sent me home with pain meds for her.
I ended up taking her home and started calling around to cavy savy people I knew. I ended up syringe feeding and massaging her (for her bloat) every hour on the hour throughout the night and into the morning.
On Sept 10 between the hours of 630am - 7am she crossed the rainbow bridge. I fed her at 6 am and gave her a 15 minute massage and was able to rub her belly one last time. At 7am I went to give her hourly feeding and saw her body lifeless, I knew she passed. It was an exhausting night.
Smudgee had a rough start at life, she lived outside in a cardboard box with little shade by herself. She almost became snake food, but I rescued her. Her last years was spent in a herd, living in a piggie mansion and eating quality food. She was well loved and was surrounded by her herd during her last moments.
Adoption Date: Nov 8, 2015
Crossed the Rainbow Bridge on : Sept 10, 2017
