[Gpdd] [RAINBOW BRIDGE] Condolences for Golden

[Debbie Jones]

Sherry and the Piggie Pals We were so very sorry to hear of the sad
departure of Golden for the Rainbow Bridge. We experienced very similar
circumstances with the very first Dolly Mixture that ever lived here,
Bafreur. His initial symptom was just lack of appetite, and at that first
vet visit he showed no real sign of illness to the vet, though to the
slave he was obviously very ill. We were given antibiotics to be given by
mouth (not much use to a piggie who wasn't eating) and, of all things,
liquid paraffin in case he was constipated. Bafreur went downhill fairly
rapidly, eventually being treated by drugs recommended over the phone by
Vedra of the Cambridge Cavy Trust, but it was all too little too late,
and he went to The Bridge at home in the slave's arms, but in a horrible
way, not at all peacefully. It was thus we learned that our local vet was
clueless about piggies, and we can so identify with your struggle to get
appropriate medical attention for Golden. It has been said so many times,
our piggies are such masters at hiding illness that they often seem to go
downhill incredibly fast once they do actually show any sign of being
off-colour. Nature designed them that way so they could try to cheat
predators, but it really does make it tricky for slaves to get help to
them in time. What you must not do is in any way blame yourself or start
dwelling on "what ifs" or "if onlys". It is evident from your narrative
of events that you did absolutely all you could for Golden, even as far
as making that terribly difficult last decision for him. We are sure he
knew just how dearly he was loved, and that he understood that you were
doing everything you could for him, even to the point of assisting his
final departure, knowing how dreadful you were going to find life without
him. I think most of us have been in a similar situation as yours at some
time, and we all empathise with your anguish. Losing a piggie is NEVER
easy, but when the final days are filled with frantic vet visits and
ineffective treatments, combined with increasing distress for the piggie
(and, consequently, the slave), the final departure can be harder than
ever to bear. There are no words we could ever utter which could ease
your pain or reduce your sense of shock and loss, but we hope that you
may find some comfort in the fact that gpdd-ers like us, all over the
world, are thinking of you at this tragic time, and wishing you well.
Debbie and the 8 Dolly Mixtures

"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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