Tiramisu was easy to like, she was impressionable, doe eyed and being the smallest, appealed to people's sympathies. Poe seemed to be overlooked as Tiramisu became everyone's favourite, plus on her bad days, she was a bit like Ash from Fantastic Mr Fox. I felt sorry for Poe and always made an effort to connect with her.
Poe is more reserved perhaps than Tiramisu. She's not as vocal nor as much of an extrovert, but boy when she decides to speak up she did so loudly and confidently. She would stand out in the open with her head raised up (to peer over the grids) petitioning for food even when no one was in the room and wait, confident that her demands will be met.
She is incredibly brave, like everyone else, being picked up scared her, but she often held her ground as if saying: "do your worst giant hand, I shall retreat no more!" Poe was the only one to bite the vet in one of their earliest encounters. Yeah you showed him whose boss my little majestic lion :) Yes, she may not have been the cutest or the one with the prettiest markings, but she has a mane of glorious hair that she uses to her full advantage. Poe the majestic guinea pig.
I euthanized Poe on Monday, after a long battle with a temporomandibular disorder (TMD). She stopped eating and after putting her under anesthetic twice for minor teeth trims and head xrays where the vet consistently found nothing wrong we eventually discovered (via second opinion) that her right jaw joint is causing her immense pain. Diagnosis was 1 of 3 options: bone cancer (osteosarcoma), a hairline fracture or severe arthritis.
I took her to an animal physio for 4 sessions where she had acupuncture and her jaw mobilized. she made great improvement but still couldn't eat. The physiotherapist and I suspected an appetite problem because the tramadol (painkiller) that she's been on for so long causes a decrease in appetite. over the course of a week I slowly reduced her medicines (Tramadol and Metacam) until for her last physio visit, she had no pain killers that day. The physiotherapist verified that she was pain free. This was on a Thursday. On Friday she tried to eat bits of lettuce while I was syringe feeding her. Her bite was like what she was doing when the problem first started, she could open her mouth but seemed to have trouble taking the food into it to chew it with her molars. Hence the best she could manage is to bite down and tear off bits which mostly didn't end up in her mouth anyways.
I took them out on the grass on Sunday, and it was heart breaking to see the other 2 stuffing their faces when Poe couldn't even open her mouth. That is no way for a guinea pig to live.
On Monday she fought me a lot on the syringe feeding, it seemed like she was in pain again so I gave her painkillers. I took her to the vet, knowing that we must find a solution or let her go. The vet found that she was again very painful on her jaw joint, and we are back where we started. 6 weeks is a long time in the life of a small guinea pig, she was clearly suffering. She had lost all her fur on her chin from it being constantly wet from drooling (which the physio fixed), her sides are balding from constantly lying down and her arthritic foot had flared up from inactivity and is giving her bumble foot. She had lost so much weight. I felt that keeping her alive any longer would strip her of her dignity if it hasn't already.
You have been so so brave Poe, I give you all the love in my heart.
Poe is more reserved perhaps than Tiramisu. She's not as vocal nor as much of an extrovert, but boy when she decides to speak up she did so loudly and confidently. She would stand out in the open with her head raised up (to peer over the grids) petitioning for food even when no one was in the room and wait, confident that her demands will be met.
She is incredibly brave, like everyone else, being picked up scared her, but she often held her ground as if saying: "do your worst giant hand, I shall retreat no more!" Poe was the only one to bite the vet in one of their earliest encounters. Yeah you showed him whose boss my little majestic lion :) Yes, she may not have been the cutest or the one with the prettiest markings, but she has a mane of glorious hair that she uses to her full advantage. Poe the majestic guinea pig.
I euthanized Poe on Monday, after a long battle with a temporomandibular disorder (TMD). She stopped eating and after putting her under anesthetic twice for minor teeth trims and head xrays where the vet consistently found nothing wrong we eventually discovered (via second opinion) that her right jaw joint is causing her immense pain. Diagnosis was 1 of 3 options: bone cancer (osteosarcoma), a hairline fracture or severe arthritis.
I took her to an animal physio for 4 sessions where she had acupuncture and her jaw mobilized. she made great improvement but still couldn't eat. The physiotherapist and I suspected an appetite problem because the tramadol (painkiller) that she's been on for so long causes a decrease in appetite. over the course of a week I slowly reduced her medicines (Tramadol and Metacam) until for her last physio visit, she had no pain killers that day. The physiotherapist verified that she was pain free. This was on a Thursday. On Friday she tried to eat bits of lettuce while I was syringe feeding her. Her bite was like what she was doing when the problem first started, she could open her mouth but seemed to have trouble taking the food into it to chew it with her molars. Hence the best she could manage is to bite down and tear off bits which mostly didn't end up in her mouth anyways.
I took them out on the grass on Sunday, and it was heart breaking to see the other 2 stuffing their faces when Poe couldn't even open her mouth. That is no way for a guinea pig to live.
On Monday she fought me a lot on the syringe feeding, it seemed like she was in pain again so I gave her painkillers. I took her to the vet, knowing that we must find a solution or let her go. The vet found that she was again very painful on her jaw joint, and we are back where we started. 6 weeks is a long time in the life of a small guinea pig, she was clearly suffering. She had lost all her fur on her chin from it being constantly wet from drooling (which the physio fixed), her sides are balding from constantly lying down and her arthritic foot had flared up from inactivity and is giving her bumble foot. She had lost so much weight. I felt that keeping her alive any longer would strip her of her dignity if it hasn't already.
You have been so so brave Poe, I give you all the love in my heart.
Very sorry for your loss. Rest in peace, Poe. May you eat an abundance of lettuce over the rainbow bridge.
ReplyDeleteAm so sorry for your loss. Its never easy to lose a cavy- they are so precious. May God bless you and your remaining piggies and heal your hearts.
ReplyDelete