Another pig off to the Rainbow Bridge

[dietcokeandwine]

My lovely long haired girl pig has died

I posted a thread a few months back about her, she'd developed a lump under one of her teats. After much agonising and consideration and chats with our vet, pet boarding lady (hugely experienced pig owner) and some of the lovely posters on here, we decided against surgery. Too invasive, lump in a tricky place, chances of success fairly small, chances of significant pain and distress for pig fairly large etc etc. Decided to keep an eye on things and monitor her and see how things went.

On the plus side: she's had four happy months with us since that decision, hasn't seemed in any pain or discomfort whatsoever, and has continued to eat with gusto.

On the negative side: the lump kept growing. It never really seemed to impede her mobility but in the last couple of weeks I knew we were on borrowed time.

The crunch came last night when I got her out for a cuddle and check and realised the skin over her lump was effectively breaking down. I booked her the earliest vet appointment I could get, but by the time I'd got there the lump was almost totally necrotic - the sudden deterioration was really quite scary - and the decision to put her to sleep a complete no brainer : it had to be done.

Torn now between guilt (she still seemed quite happy which sounds ludicrous but she honestly was) and relief that it never got to the point of her suffering.

We are going to miss her

She was the most beautiful pig, too. All these pics were taken today . Full of life to the end and determined never to let Ginger Pig win the dandelion leaf tug-of-war She looked so healthy and happy until you lifted her up and saw the lump...

Ginger Pig is getting lots of extra cuddles and we will find him a new partner as soon as we can.

diet, I am so sorry.

She was a very beautiful girl and was obviously so happy and well loved with you.

Rest in peace lovely pig.

Oh very dietcoke

Looking at her little face (and the determined look when she was having that leaf) she had a good happy life with her Pig Husband.
As you say, surgery is not a guarenteed sucess and she might not have thrived,survived or had a good outcome. It's a really tough decision to make but it looks like your Piggie got to enjoy her last months.

Is she the timid one who had the little baldy nose when you got her, but progressed to standing on her Boar ? (I remember from when I was getting my sows)

It's devastating to say goodbye to them, a tough price for sharing your life with these little beasties and loving them.
Cuddles to dietGinger
Run to the Meadows little TriColour.

Such sad news-she looks like she was such a character. Sending for you and for ginger pig.

So sorry to hear this dietcoke. Even when it's not wholly unexpected, it's still a shock. She had a lovely life with you and clearly enjoyed developing her dandelion wrestling skills. She'll give my old Smoothpig a good dandelion battle over the Bridge.

Hope dietginger is coping well. If I couldn't hear my Gingerpig munching celery at the moment I'd think he'd moved in with you! Dietginger is his twin. Good luck with finding him a new friend. Hopefully he (and you) won't have to wait too long.

In the photo of her on the pink blanket she looks like Sonic the Hedgehog

Thank you all

70 she does doesn't she? And yes she was the shy little one who had been badly neglected when she was originally rescued-no hair on her nose at all apparently. She'd been rehabilitated by the rescue by the time we adopted her but her nature was always quiet and shy (except for Dandelion Wars obviously).

Fernie I always think that when I see pics of your Gingerpig. Identical twins indeed!

Our ginger pig is coping ok today as far as I can tell. Eating well and lounging about. My 6yo came out with a classic this morning, acknowledging that it was sad that our piggie had died but adding brightly 'In some ways it's quite handy for ginger pig though, mummy, because now he gets to eat all the food'. Don't you just love kids' logic?!

Kids are brilliant. They often handle death a lot better than people think they will too. That's a very practical observation from your DC diet. Poor dietginger will probably enjoy getting all the veg to himself even though he'll be missing his wife. He'll get a shock when he has to share again with a new pig. Is there going to be a funeral or was your piggie looked after by the vet?

If I hadn't met my Gingerpigs brother when I adopted him, I'd think you had him Diet. But Gingerpigs real brother was ginger and white.

Funnily enough our ginger's real life brother is tricolour, but mainly black, and doesn't look anything like him at all! But the rescue I've contacted seem to have some lovely female smooth haired ginger pigs available for adoption soon. We could end up with his'n'hers ginger pigs in dietcokeland!

We can't do a funeral for our sheltie pig unfortunately - we are currently in rented accommodation whilst major building work takes place at our house, and our garden is quite literally a building site with nowhere to bury her. So we opted for cremation and will get her ashes in a couple of weeks. My oldest DC likes the idea of planting a little tree in her memory and scattering her ashes under that. Her name was Holly, so we think a little holly tree would be perfect

I think this is a shining example of "Better a day too early than a day too late" . When you know that your pet has reached the end of their road.

There are piggies waiting on the other side of The Rainbow Bridge (if they've left any grass, my 3 boars (GP1/GP2/GP3)are hard at work over there being locusts )

Holly is a very good name BTW, my DD is a Holly.

I like the idea of his and hers ginger pigs . Also, they have such sensibly coloured claws - so much easier for clipping.

Our HollyPig was a big fan of grass mowing 70 - I am sure she'll give your boys a run for their money! I love, love, love the name Holly, it was our front runner for a baby girl every time but we had three gorgeous boys, so I'm using my favourite baby girls names for guinea pigs instead I think the new piggie will be Lily or Martha.

Very true too re your quote. Our vet (who is brilliant, both with the animals and their humans) said to me that the comment he hears most often when owners bring pets to be euthanased is 'I left it too long, I wish I had done it sooner and not let them suffer'. Part of me will always feel a bit guilty I think - having HollyPig put to sleep when she was still quite bright and chirpy - but at least I know she didn't suffer. And I could make sure that she had a lovely 'last day' with all her favourite things too. Cucumber, grass, dandelion leaves, a long cuddle AND the opportunity to wee exuberantly over my legs during said cuddle, which was her personal trademark

Fernie so true re the claws!

I'll keep you updated on ginger pig's hunt for a new friend and of course post pics in due course

You did absolutely the right thing all the way through with Holly. I thought you were very kind not to put her through lots of treatment/operations and just let her enjoy being a pig. I'm sure she enjoyed her lovely last day especially the chance to wee on you ( my boys love doing that too)! I think you timed it well.

Looking forward to seeing pigtures of new piggie in due course.

Just like Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit, Ginger is not the only colour

Himmys look nice with Ginger (though the little swine have dark claws)

We have a Himalayan with tricolour wives. One wife is a slightly less long haired twin for your beautiful dietcoke pig. Himalayan mr pig is absolutely wonderful-he loves sprinting round the kitchen and will come and sleep on your feet if he's tired. Highly recommended if you can get one! It's worth the minor difficulty with claws.

You absolutely did the right thing for her. Giving her such a wonderful happy last day instead of letting her suffer was the kindest thing to do, and it couldn't have been easy for you. Try not to feel guilty-I'd have done the same as you.

Purple d'you know how many times my hunter green Woollovers Pure New Wool jumper has been in the wash and still has half a Himalayan stuck to it?

The claws are the least of your worries, the little blighters shed their white fur on your dark clothes and glare with their ruby eyes.
At least with a tri you've got a chance of hiding the cast fur.

I still love a Himmy.

Purple d'you know how many times my hunter green Woollovers Pure New Wool jumper has been in the wash and still has half a Himalayan stuck to it?

I know the fur thing well! It's as bad as a cat. Mine is less judgy eyed and more cheeky sweet but he is a boy. My girls-if you want stinky looks they're the queens.

Just wanted to say thank you and to you all for your support and lovely comments.

And to weigh in on the claw debate and say that my pigs have a positive guinea rainbow of claw colours between them (tricolour boar has four completely different colour paws) but guess whose claws I invariably end up cutting too short and making the pig bleed? Yup, that'll be my little satin girl whose claws are all white

She gives me the death stare every time

Diet
Agree wholeheartedly that you're decision to let Hollypig live like a pig for as long as possible. She's had 4 wonderful extra months and no pain.

To enter yhe debate about ginger pigs .. i always joke a do not want a pig who is ginger .. i do not mean it of course .. and now we have fat Mollie with an ever expanding thin line of ginger hair amidst her grey and white .. and about 4 ginger hairs on her head
And of course young Sadie ... a ginger face and ginger bum separated by a white body that sheds white hairs all and everywhere. However when she is sitting waiting by the door and suddenly this ginger bum scampers off it makes me smile and i forgive the white hair pile!!