[Gpdd] Big Rumble and Wigwam

[milton.the_bold at virgin.net]

Some of you may remember that I posted about my guinea pigs, Big Rumble and Wigwam, a few weeks ago.  Wigwam had a suspected urinary tract infection and Big Rumble, his twin brother, was ill as well (although he's been ill and needed attentions of various sorts for 21 months).I was on holiday in Albania for the past two weeks and both of them were healthy when I left, Wigwam's infection had cleared up and Rumble, who had stopped eating for a while with diarrhea, was positively ecstatic when he realised he was at the petsitters and saw Unlimited Foodlady, otherwise known as Ann.  He was demanding food and running around the hutch squealing.  So I left them (and my five other pets) feeling quite happy although Ann was aware that they had been unwell. Unfortunately when I was away, Wigwam started getting blood in his urine again.  He was taken to the vet, who initially gave him another course of bayril. Then on Monday this last week, Rumble died quite suddenly in his sleep.  He had been quite happy and eating normally right up to the last minute and it was quite sudden.  Wigwam however then took a turn for the worse and stopped eating.  The antibiotic was changed to tribissen, which had to be injected daily (fortunately Mr and Mrs Unlimited Foodlady are farmers and are experienced in giving injections).  The vet x-rayed him and confirmed no bladder stones, but there was a lump in the bladder region which could have been a tumour.  Oddly enough, his brother Rumble had also had a similar lump, although further down in his system.  Wigwam was taking science recovery (critical care) and eating small amounts of his favourite veggies but he had obviously decided to go.  He was so miserable (in the sense of looking miserable and lonely, rather than in pain) that I was rung to ask what I wanted to do.  This was on the evening before the day I was due to come back.  I was in Switzerland at the time and about to fly back from Italy the next day, so I said I would call as soon as I got back.  Unfortunately when I rang I was told that he'd died a few minutes before.It's possible that both of them had tumours (they were both part of the same incestuous offspring) and that it affected them in different ways, Rumble over a long period and Wigwam just in the last few months.  I don't really know.  However it is devastating to lose them both (my petsitters were both in tears, as they have had the stress of watching Wigwam decline and die over the last week).  A lot of my time over the past few months has been taken up with both of them and their individual needs, and now there is a big gap where they used to be.  Their "pal" Captain Noodle, who is nearly six, now has no-one to play with (although he only got on with Rumble anyway) as the other guinea pigs are too boisterous and assertive.  I am going to have all four of them out together in fenced pens so they can sniff and wiggle bottoms at each other but not fight.  It is not the same though, I used to have Noodle, Rumble and Wigwam out together every evening and they would run around together for hours, chasing each other in and out of cardboard boxes.  This is the first death I have had for over two years, so I guess time is catching up with me.I am going to have Noodle out shortly to see if he hunts around looking for the others, because I have their bodies here at the moment and if he is looking for them he ought to see them before they go to the crematorium tomorrow.  There shouldn't be much scent around as I cleaned the playroom floor this morning before collecting everyone from the petsitters.  Cleaning the playroom was pretty hard, I'm sure this experience is one many of you will share, but on the floor was a little cardboard tray which I had filled with dried grass from the garden and Rumble and Wigwam used to like sitting in it to get away from Noodle (who can't climb that well).  It was on the floor and there were two indentations in it from when they had last used it, the night before they went to the petsitters.  I think I almost blubbled the floor clean.  I felt a bit better, however, once I got the bodies back and was able to say a quiet goodbye to them in person.Sorry for the long post.  My parents and other half are all on holiday and my friends all appear to be out for the weekend, and I needed to put my thoughts into words.  Both Wigwam and Rumble gave me years of happiness, and I have lots of tape recordings and photos to remember them by.  I'm just sorry I wasn't there with them at the end.Milton