Okie, I know the title sounds weird but really, spotting Belle's pool of pee and poo just makes my heart skips with joy cos it means the supplement is getting into her body .. = )
You see, Belle's health has deteriorated quite rapidly over the past year and she is slowly losing her sight , hair , weight and her back limps are probably developing arthritis (symptoms of old age) which means she can't support her own weight and and topple over after standing for a period of time. At times, we will find her lying on her side struggling to get up helplessly and it totally breaks my heart. What is most worrying of cos is that she will not be able to reach her pellets and water source and will die of exhaustion with all that struggle
So I brought her to the vet earlier this month and it is very devastating to hear that I should be preparing to let her move on if she were to stop eating altogether. Being the stubborn me, I refused to consider that option yet and strongly believed that Belle is a fighter.
For a guinea pig that is plagued with all sorts of illness and handicap since young, to be able to live till 7yrs old is indeed remarkable. The live span of a GP is usually 5 - 7 yrs or even 10 yrs if well taken care of . I mean like how many piggies can survive through 7 injections to get rid of mites (dunno why she got that from) , 3 general anesthesia to trim molars (when GA is dangerous for small animals) and countless visits to the vet . Belle is such a darling ... = )
So these days, I have started to handfeed her with Oxbow Critical Care, a nutritous mix, twice a day to supplement her diet in the event that she is unable to get up and reach her pellets.Hopefully this will make her limbs stronger and prevents her from toppling over which currently happens quite often. In fact, I will wake up at least 2 - 3 times per night just to check that she is doing fine but more often than not, I will see her lying by her side
This is not a flattering shot of her ..hahaha .. looking all dishevelled and spunky.
You see, Belle's health has deteriorated quite rapidly over the past year and she is slowly losing her sight , hair , weight and her back limps are probably developing arthritis (symptoms of old age) which means she can't support her own weight and and topple over after standing for a period of time. At times, we will find her lying on her side struggling to get up helplessly and it totally breaks my heart. What is most worrying of cos is that she will not be able to reach her pellets and water source and will die of exhaustion with all that struggle
So I brought her to the vet earlier this month and it is very devastating to hear that I should be preparing to let her move on if she were to stop eating altogether. Being the stubborn me, I refused to consider that option yet and strongly believed that Belle is a fighter.
For a guinea pig that is plagued with all sorts of illness and handicap since young, to be able to live till 7yrs old is indeed remarkable. The live span of a GP is usually 5 - 7 yrs or even 10 yrs if well taken care of . I mean like how many piggies can survive through 7 injections to get rid of mites (dunno why she got that from) , 3 general anesthesia to trim molars (when GA is dangerous for small animals) and countless visits to the vet . Belle is such a darling ... = )
So these days, I have started to handfeed her with Oxbow Critical Care, a nutritous mix, twice a day to supplement her diet in the event that she is unable to get up and reach her pellets.Hopefully this will make her limbs stronger and prevents her from toppling over which currently happens quite often. In fact, I will wake up at least 2 - 3 times per night just to check that she is doing fine but more often than not, I will see her lying by her side
Here's a typical pic of belle standing but this is a pretty awkward position as her back limbs are angular and her back is arched. Then again this is a reassuring situation cos it means she is accessing to her pellets.
This is the Oxbow Critical Care that I have to syringe Belle on a daily basis.
This is not a flattering shot of her ..hahaha .. looking all dishevelled and spunky.
Her eyes are almost white now due to cataracts.
No comments:
Post a Comment