[Gpdd] [RAINBOW BRIDGE] Nuage, 3rd Dolly Mixture in a month

Debbie Jones pals4pets at cheerful.com
Wed Nov 5 03:49:40 EST 2008


You all know that Nuage had a huge swelling around her side/abdomen, and
I thank those of you who wrote suggesting what it might be. Your
consensus of opinion seemed to be that whatever it was, it was incurable,
so I put her on "hospice" care. Gradually her mobility became reduced by
the swelling, and her eating and drinking reduced, although she was
always there wheeking with her cagemates at foodtimes and getting
excited. She would just sniff round the greens but not actually eat them.
The last couple of days, all she would eat was cucumber and banana, so I
got her out and gave her as much as those as she could eat. She had been
drinking and urinating a lot, and had a brown "tide mark" around her rear
end, plus her butt area had become dried and scabby and uncomfortable
looking. So Monday morning, my 52nd birthday, I asked someone to help me
bath just that butt area. Nuage didn't like it, though we were as gentle
as we could be and I have bathed many piggies before. When I started
blow-drying her, she suddenly gasped 4 or 5 times, opening her mouth
incredibly wide, and I was very alarmed as I have never seen that. Then
she went limp in my arms and my quickly sent for stethoscope confirmed
the worst - she had gone to The Rainbow Bridge. I don't think I killed
her. I think she was on her way out anyway, and I just hastened her
departure. If anything, the lack of adequate vet care where I live killed
her. But I am very sad that she went like that, as she was obviously
frightened and uncomfortable. I would rather just have found her dead in
the hutch one morning. But I think she did realise that she was loved and
that I was trying to help her and make her more comfortable. Nuage was
one of the 5 piggies bought for me after 5 of my original rescues were
killed by dogs on 6th May 2003 - so she was definitely a SCAMP, though I
don't know her exact age - probably about 5 and a half. I have never got
round to putting her on the SCAMPS website, but will do, in conjunction
with her fellow SCAMPS Gisele, Ambree and Caramel. Her name means "Cloud"
in French, and I named her that because she was white and grey, like a
cloud. She was always a "piggies' pig" rather than a slave's pig,
although, as has been mentioned here before, when she became ill she was
much more willing to accept contact with her slave and let me cuddle her.
She had started making that puppy wimpering noise - am I the only slave
to hear this, or do other people's piggies make that sound when they are
really poorly?  She had an extra toe on one of her back feet, and when I
first got her this had a huge ball of pooh wrapped round it, which I had
to gradually remove, which wasn't easy, but I think she felt better for
it afterwards. Like all the Dolly Mixtures, Nuage loved to be outside in
the summer, and had her own special place in the run where she'd nibble
grass and sunbathe. I am sure she has found herself a similar special
place there in that Rainbow Meadow, where she has been reunited with
previous hutch mates Cannelle, Poivre, Muscade, Pirouette, Scruff,
Chestnut, Cherry and Scarecrow. She was the 3rd Dolly Mixture to leave
for The Rainbow Bridge within the past month - Zebra went on 3rd October,
and of course poor Scrabble 21st October. I was always dreading the year
the Dolly Mixtures turned 5, and it seems I was right to do so, as
Fidget, Cherry and Scarecrow have also left this year. There are only 8
Dolly Mixtures left now. Luckily, Nuage had always lived with the other 3
"Young 'Uns", as we called those that were bought for me after the
massacre, so she hasn't left anyone alone, although 3 piggies do rattle
about a bit in their great big indoor hutch! I'm really sorry to be so
behind with my emails - I do still intend to send condolences for Huck.
Life has been a bit hectic just lately - I found out on 30th October (my
partner's 58th birthday) that I have secondary cancer in my liver and
lung areas, so I am waiting to know what chemotherapy I must have and
trying to start "putting my affairs in order", just in case! 

Debbie

"We patronize them for their incompleteness, 
for their tragic fate of having taken a form so far below ourselves. 
And therein we err, and greatly err. 
For the animal shall not be measured by man. 
In a world older and more complete than ours 
they move finished and complete, gifted 
with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, 
living by voices we shall never hear. 
They are not brethren, they are not underlings; 
they are other nations, caught with ourselves 
in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners 
of the splendour and travail of the earth". 
Henry Beston

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