Requiem for a Guinea Pig

I shouldn’t be writing right now. I should be on the trainer, but my bike broke during the warm up. Again. I’m really beginning to hate that bike.

But, I’m not here to talk about the bike. I’m here to talk about Max II, who shall be known as Max. Remember how much Gert loves Max? How they bonded and cuddled and were oozing cuteness and love? And remember how sensitive and sweet my little Gert is? Well…

Max is in the hospital. Yes, after less than 48 hours with us. Last night we noticed that Max was breathing heavily. Very erratically. He seemed to have lost all his energy and would just sit panting. Chris and I watched him all night and he never got better. This morning, while the girls were still sleeping off New Year’s Eve, she got Max out sat him on her lap and we fed him an apple slice, which he ate vigorously. But the breathing never improved.

After some research we realized that he might have some sort of respiratory infection and, that, if it weren’t treated he would not survive. So we called the place we picked him up from. They had no vets on duty today because of the holiday but they said to bring him in immediately and he’d be seen first thing in the morning.

Realizing that this would certainly mean suffering for little Max, we decided to go to the local animal hospital our regular vet recommends. Gert loves this little guy. We couldn’t just let him sit alone in a cage while he waited 24 hours to get treatment.

So began our long wait. They admitted him and put him on oxygen right away. He was responding well, but whenever they took him off oxygen he would start to struggle breathing. Where we bought him was insisting that we bring him back now. They agreed to pay for what treatment we’ve had done, but he would certainly suffocate on the drive or, most definitely, overnight waiting for treatment.

Turns out Max has bacterial pneumonia. Had we not chosen him another family would have chosen him and found him lifeless tomorrow morning. He’s on antibiotics now, along with oxygen. We’re transferring him to the other vet in the morning and they will be paying for all of his treatment, including the overnight stay despite their reasoning otherwise. It will be several hundred dollars.

To put it bluntly, Max most likely will not survive the night. If he does, the other vet will most likely euthanize him. It would be the humane thing to do, rather than letting him suffocate on his own body slowly.

We’ll be able to get another pig, but that’s’ really not the issue. Gert’s the issue. She loves him. She’s very attached to him. Just a moment ago she was on the phone telling a friend that she got a guinea pig for Christmas, but he was in the hospital with pneumonia.

I guess I’m mostly upset about it happening to Gert when all she wants to do is love something. It’s sad to watch her dealing with this. I think she knows that Max won’t be coming home, though we haven’t taken her hope away. It seems cruel. But when I was taking her home she told me that she wouldn’t see Max again.

Tomorrow will be a difficult day for all of us. That we’ve only had him for two days doesn’t matter. What matters is that she loves him and, no matter what we had to do everything to save him.

Maybe we’ll have a miracle tonight. But, no matter what, I just wanted to thank Max for making a little girl smile for a little while, at least.