[Gpdd] [Misc] Benson has left the building . . .

[Susi Eastin]

Some of you may recall my posts earlier this year on behalf of
  a friend whose dear piggie, Benson, was having problems. We
  suspected a possible UTI or cystitis, so she took him in to the
  vet (an experienced exotic vet that I use often).  To make a long
  story short, Benson nearly died at the vet, having had what can
  only be described as a panic attack. He keeled over and was
  barely revived, but he did rally and seemed to be ok after a few
  days recuperation. He didn't exhibit any further symptoms of 
  the UTI, but was given a round of antibiotics to be safe.   He did,
  however, have a problem that flared up occasionally with one
  legs, as his slave Jennifer describes below.  Sadly, Benson
  didn't make it this time.
  Jennifer is a teacher who first became interested in piggies 
  through the classroom piggie situation.  She has also recently 
  suffered the loss of her other piggie, Franklin, who turnout to 
  be 'Francine', after she delivered 3 babies. Jennifer then bravely 
  hand fed these lovely babies, that she refers to. 
  When she asked me about taking Benson in to have his nails
  trimmed and the leg checked, I suggested she try the other vet
  I use (Dr. Wallis), and that is where we pick up her story:
   
  "...  I think that Benson was just a guinea pig with health problems.  
  ...After explaining to Dr. Wallis Benson's past he went to take Benson 
  (into the other room) to have nails cut....maybe to get Benson close 
  to the medical supplies needed such as the oxygen that he received. 
  "Here is a better description of Benson:
  Benson was born with front legs to the side for the first few weeks of 
  his life.  He was four months old when I took him to the vet for blood
  in the urine even though he was eating well. He did have his nails 
  clipped that day but from my memory he was okay until the doctor 
  gave him the antibiotic which he didn't like. After this the blood in the 
  urine went away and he recovered in about a week.  Then a month 
  later I noticed the abcess (on his neck) which was treated with an 
  antibiotic. Then shortly after I have been noticing his hip bone sticking 
  out and him dragging his right leg a bit.  I thought that him catching 
  his nails on things would not help this leg so I decided to take him 
  to vet for nail clipping not knowing that he would react the way he did.  
  Throughout all of this he ate his pellets every day and all the greens 
  and carrots that were offered.  Both vets were experienced and had 
  never seen any pig react the way he did.  I did hear Benson scream 
  out when his nails were being clipped and I feared then that something 
  had happened.  He screamed this way when receiving the medicine 
  at Coldwell's.
  I have a new cage to be in my classroom.  If everything goes as planned 
  I will keep Maple (the female) in my classroom, on the weekends I will 
  take her home.  If the weather looks bad or the holidays are around I'll 
  just keep her at home near the boys.  ... Their names are Maple, Junior, 
  and Presley (he has sideburns like Elvis).
  Jennifer"
   
  note:  It also seems to me that Benson's extreme reaction at the first 
  vet's (Dr Coldwell) was when they were attempting to get a urine sample. 
  In attempting to revive him, Dr C tried to give him an injection in the neck,
  but instead it spurted blood and he stopped, not wishing to stress him
  further. At that time, he wasn't given much chance to survive, not being
  sure what had gone wrong.  I suspected the abcess may have come
  about from the original injection site. This was all such a shock, Dr C is
  a gentle, experienced piggie vet. I suspect, as Jennifer says, that dear
  Benson was 'a piggie with some problems'.  But we are still bewildered
  by it all - I wondered if anyone else might have had any similar experience,
  either with the leg problem, or the extreme reaction to stress. Was he,
  indeed, just living on borrowed time?
  I must note - Benson was a very handsome, gentle piggie, a gorgeous
  Golden Agouti American.  Very mellow and loving most of the time - at
  least as long as he was at home. His son "Junior" looks just like him.
  Also, upon the sudden and unexpected loss of their mum "Fran", Benson
  stepped in and was a very loving, helpful father to the babies, helping
  Jennifer in raising them, and teaching them 'the piggie way'.
  Any thoughts?
  Susi & the OP's
  
 
   

       
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