Friday, December 31, 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!





So much for my dog being in the bedroom, Cotton has moved in and so Buddy
is just being watched, played with more and walked more. It is all i can manage to do right now. I can't have my dog not with me. Here are some after Christmas dinner pictures for you.





Suzy has been going down hill and yesterday i had this mad cap idea that her mass looked bigger, could it just be an abscess? I do this all the time when I have already made vet appointment. And based on my experiences with pigs I should know better then to sway from what i know and what i want it it to be. Of course it is not just an abscess, something less life threatening and with totally different symptoms. It is natural i guess when facing a possibility of euthanasia , it just sucks to have to make these decisions.

I called my Farm Call vet, Herman Geerstema came out yesterday and he arrived just after 6 to see my Suzy. Together we moved her onto a blanket and laid her down in the lower part of a crate. Placed her on a wagon and we took her for a ride to Penny's large shed. I had already fixed it up for her , moving all the straw and laying down a carpet. She had to get out of the little house she was in, as she wasn't getting up to go outside potty. And of course this makes it easier for the vet to get a good look at her , with more elbow room and lighting.

Her leg or foot is okay , it is not broken and yet there is a mass on it causing her enough pain to stop going out every morning. She stopped eating her peanuts for breakfast, and the normal piggy pellets. At first i thought she was just refusing the new food here as it has been a struggle right off the start to get her to eat.

Herman suggested we ex-ray her and although this is another expense, it would help Ken on the day of our appointment for surgery to see what he is up against. And it would answer the question of should i let her go now. Poor little girl did her best to get away from us and she struggled to her feet to go out the door. This was after many pictures were taken and moving her little self around for better angles. I wanted her to stand up and use those legs as my heart and mind are still on her tomorrows.

Herman will email those pictures to Ken so he will have a chance to view them on Jan 10th.

After I fed the crew outside, smashed out the ice for drinking water, thawed the stupid hose to the sump pump and then i fed Suzy. I had an old tin of chicken soup in the back of the cupboard and added baby carrots. And i went to the store and bought eggs as although i try to be vegan , i just don't know what else to offer her that will have her get some nutrition into her,to keep her weight on and for her to be interested in eating what i offer. The tins of sardines i had for the turtle weren't tossed either and i forgot about them way in the back of my cupboard. Suzy ate with gusto and we do quite good laying down. I gave her some pain meds and repeated this ritual this morning. I tried beans of every variety and she doesn't like them.

So this will be an estimated cost of last nights call to be well over 600.00 and i know the surgery will be another 2500.00 . WE really need some surprise donations to come in. After everything we put threw last night , i simply couldn't let her go after all that and i just have to try.


Suzy is adorable and lets me kiss her and rub her eyes. Even Herman mentioned that she was a cute pig , not everyone see's them for who they are. She is darn cute and answers me with every word and she ah ah ah's in a piggy way of letting you know just how she feels. I have to try.

Look at her hip ...and her cute sweet face


Edited to add at 9:50 and after feeding. I tucked everybody in and closed the shed door on Penny and Suzy. Penny gave the door a thump and it sprang open. Penny is quite restless so she must be in heat and i walked in Suzy was getting up. Was she going to make a break for it too?? Any how filled me with hope , it wasn't much but she stood for a while and then she settled back down and is all tucked in again.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy new year: I love the pick of the pig and two dogs and all the decorations. Really wonderful.

I try to be vegan too, but I am not always successful. Don't be hard on yourself!! Be kind and compassionate to yourself, too. Veganism isn't about polishing oneself into a diamond of purity: it's about compassion and about trying to live in this wicked world :)

I hope Suzy feels better soon.

Best wishes for 2011

Janice Gillett said...

Suzy will be helped to cross over at around noon today. Her condition changed last night as she was so very restless.

This morning she is quieter but there is no turning this around now. I can't save her ...

Colleen said...

Heartfelt hugs to you today Janice.

Take good care of yourself.

Anonymous said...

We live; we all die. We must accept it all.
Suzy was so lucky to have lived with you.
You cannot save all beings from all suffering and death.
You can only do what you do and take care of yourself.
Still, you're an angel. That's a fact.
I'm very saddened for you, but I hope you can have a moment of peace, knowing how wonderful you were to this creature.

Anonymous said...

We live; we all die. We must accept it all.
Suzy was so lucky to have lived with you.
You cannot save all beings from all suffering and death.
You can only do what you do and take care of yourself.
Still, you're an angel. That's a fact.
I'm very saddened for you, but I hope you can have a moment of peace, knowing how wonderful you were to this creature.

Anonymous said...

Bless you for what you do with the pigs, etc. Prayers and hugs to you with Suzy,s passing. She is in Rainbow Heaven now.