[Gpdd] [ANNOUNCE] GI Joe has crossed the bridge

[DL1Bossfan at aol.com]

Dear Friends:
It is with great sadness that I must tell you that my sweet little GI Joe  
died tonight.  I am not sure what the cause was, but I suspect heart  problems.  
I have told several of you that he has not been a real healthy  piggy since I 
got him from the pound last year.  He wheezed and sneezed -  but that would 
come and go.  I changed bedding to sheets and blankets and  that helped a great 
deal.  In January he went through 2 rounds of Baytril  and chlorhexidine 
soaks twice a day for Bumblefoot.  That seemed to take  care of the problem and 
the foot cleared.  About 3 weeks ago I started  observing a rather strange 
behavior in him.  He would perch on his food  bowl for 2 to 3 hours at a time 
dozing on and off.  Suzie and the Okie  piggies sent him a beautiful Valentine that 
I had attached to his cage.   One night he sat with two feet in his dish and 
stared at that Valentine for 3  hours!  I thought he was mesmerized by it, but 
looking back I am wondering  if the sudden dozing on and off (kind of a 
narcolepsy thing) had something to do  with an underlying heart problem.  On Friday 
- I noticed that the foot was  beginning to flare up again, so I started him 
back on the soaks.  He seemed  fine all day Saturday.  This morning before I 
left for church, I fed all  three boys (he is in a cage by himself) - but when 
I returned from church, his  dish was still full.  He managed to eat a little 
throughout the day.   This afternoon I went to my folks (they are only a mile 
away) - and took him  with me so I could be with him and keep an eye on him.  
I held and cuddled  him and he did not seem well, but at the same time, he did 
not appear to be in  pain.  I left at 8 p.m. - and by the time I got him into 
the house (8:10) -  he had died.  I had e-mailed my vet earlier this morning 
to tell him we  would be there first thing tomarrow morning.  He will also be 
sad - he was  very fond of GI Joe.  Please keep us in your thoughts.  He was 
so  special and sweet and I love him very much.  At least (I feel) he knew  
that.
Donna (Tom and Huck)