[Gpdd] (Bridge) Willie

[Stacy Harvey]

Yet another member of the Squee Squad has gone to the Bridge and I am heartbroken. Willie passed away sometime today while I was at work. 
 
He had been having problems with his incisors and was having regular trims. He was such a trooper about it all. This past trim (last week) we noticed he had developed another abscess under his chin. It was smaller than that first one he had about a year ago, but it filled up quickly. We aspirated as much of the pus as we could and the Doc started him on chloramphenicol. He stopped eating and we thought it was the medicine, so we decided to stop it temporarily. These past few days, he had begun eating again, although we had to shred his food, and syringe him Critical Care. I did the ritual this morning as always, and he ate the CC without too much fuss. He also downed a shredded baby carrot and some greens. He seemed fine...except that when I looked into his eyes something was "off". I can't quite explain it. He just didn't seem to be Willie anymore, and he had stopped making those happy noises that he usually made when he was in my lap or if I stroked
 him on the head.
 
I guess maybe somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that he wouldn't be here much longer. It just hurts so much. I have lost 3 of my babies in just a little over a month. I know that's one of the hazards of having a larger herd, but I had been lucky up until now. I may have lost one a year or so. Now we're barely 2 months into a new year and I have lost so many. Maxine is 8 years old this year, and every day I keep expecting to find that she, too, has passed. Willie would have been 6 in March. 
 
Goodbye Willie, my driving partner. I hope you think I was a good piggy mom. I'm sure Tigger and LuLu Belle are waiting at the Bridge to greet you and you are all healthy and whole again.
 
-Stacy and the grieving Squee Squad