[Gpdd] Brownie: 1999 - 2004

[rjpugh at comcast.net]

http://rjpugh.home.comcast.net/brownie.html
 
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It's been said that one of the things that makes guinea pigs such great pets is their ability to tug your heartstrings without even trying. If that's the case, then Brownie was a pro. I met Brownie at a "guinea pignic" in September of 1999, and found her to be one of the most attractive guinea pigs I had ever met. I couldn't get those soft, doe eyes out of my mind, so two months later, I decided to adopt her from the Metropolitan Guinea Pig rescue, the same group through which I acquired Twix. Brownie was quite timid, but that's understandable, considering where she came from. 

Brownie was a rescue success story. She was one of about 50 guinea pigs that were rescued from a Washington area laboratory late in the summer of 1999. These pigs would have been euthanized had some members of the local House Rabbit Society, Humane Society, SPCA, and similar groups not intervened. As it is, some of them died within a short time of being rescued, but at least they were given a fighting chance. 

>From what I've been told, Brownie was subjected to some rather unpleasant experiments involving the nursing of young, and she gave birth to at least three litters of pups before she was six months old. When she was brought to a safe house in Baltimore (i.e. her foster home), she was still suffering from the guinea pig equivalent of shell shock. Throughout her life she got spooked over sudden noises, and occasionally screamed when picked up.

When she came home, she had trouble eating, was constantly pulling on the water bottle, and acted almost psychotic. As it turns out, she had some malformed teeth that prevented her from eating normally! The vet gave her some creative dental work, and I had to hand feed and nurse her for close to a month, but it paid off. She became more active and curious, her disposition improved considerably, and she no longer screamed at the slightest thing. 

Brownie used to purr like a cat when being petted, and would sit in your lap for long periods of time. I always assumed that Brownie got her name from the color of her coat. It was the same as a Brownie Girl Scout. In fact, she even had a black sash over one shoulder on which to display her merit badges! 

Brownie was, by and large, a content little old lady who was prone to bouts of curmudgeon-ness. She used to make quite a racket when it was time for food, and if she didn't want to be touched or cuddled, she let you know in the form of a harsh nip and some rather loud chattering. 

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On December 20 of 2004, Brownie very suddenly fell ill. She wasn't eating or drinking, and her body temperature had fallen dangerously low. She was taken to Wheaton Animal Hospital that morning, where a series of tests were run. Over a two-day period, Dr. Schwartz tried three very different treatments on her symptoms, and used a battery of medications to help pull her back, but none of them seemed to work. She just kept slowly declining, and became less and less responsive. Finally, she refused to eat or drink on her own; all of her nourishment was coming from injections. Exploratory surgery was the only avenue left, but given her weakened state, it wasn't a viable option. At that point, after what had been two days of very difficult waiting and hoping, I decided that the best thing I could do for her was to end her suffering. Brownie was put to sleep on December 22, 2004, shortly after 6 PM, at the Wheaton Animal Hospital. Lisa and I were with her when Dr. Schwartz performed the procedure. 

A post-mortem examination found a tumorous growth on one of her kidneys, and her liver had become badly malformed. Schwartz believes that the cancerous growth on her right kidney was the root problem. By creating problems in her gastro-intestinal tract, the cancerous kidney made it impossible for her to properly digest food or retain fluids. She may have been suffering from this for a long time, but she wasn't debilitated until the very end. 

She had a good, full run of five years and eight months. Given her shaky start, that's very impressive. She was always a shy pig, but at the same time she knew how to handle herself. When confronted with something difficult, her usual reaction was to hunker down and hold her ground. She was a determined survivor who made it through a life as a lab animal, dental surgery, and even being low pig on the totem pole. She was also a fighter, who stood her ground as much out of defiance as out of self-defense. She was a shy little waif with a will of iron. 

I'm glad she eventually gave me her trust; I hope I didn't betray it. Travel safe to Rainbow Valley, little one. 


--
Richard J. Pugh: the Cyberbard
http://rjpugh.home.comcast.net/