[Gpdd] RAINBOW BRIDGE: Virgil

pat schuett bunzella at yahoo.ca
Mon Apr 2 00:52:15 EDT 2012


I am so very sad to tell you that my sweetie Virgil went to the Rainbow Bridge on Friday morning.
 
We had been battling an abscess in his left cheek for several weeks: it had been lanced and cleaned out twice, with me flushing it with saline in between times, and also giving him two different antibiotics. Throughout this ordeal, Virgil had been a little trooper, eating better than he ever had (he actually gained weight steadily the whole time) and charming everyone he met in the vet's waiting room.  Neither of us enjoyed the flushing sessions and getting the meds into him, but he never made a fuss and didn't seem bothered by the abscess itself which was quite small.
 
On Thursday evening, he didn't quite finish his salad or his pellets, but he had never been on two antibiotics at the same time before and I thought it was likely getting to his tummy a bit.  I got up about 3 a.m. and went to check on him; he had eaten some of the veggies I had left out for him and some more pellets.  I gave him a piece of romaine, which he ate immediately, and some chunks of cucumber, which he was working on when I went back to bed.
 
When I got up at 7 a.m. and took the salad plates in for the piggies, he seemed to be sleeping in an awkward position in a corner of his cage.  The other piggies were wheeking loudly for breakfast, but Virgie did not move.  His eyes were open and he was breathing very faintly, but he seemed almost comatose; every so often, one foot would twitch slightly, as if he could hear the other piggies wheeking and some part of him felt he should get up but he couldn't make his body work.
 
I knew almost immediately that there was likely no coming back from this state, so I just sat with him, stroked him and told him how much I loved him.  I gave him some ibuprofen, in case he was in pain (though he didn't seem to be, and I doubt he was able to swallow it anyhow).   After an hour or so, even those soft little breaths stopped.
 
I love all my piggies, but Virgil was truly a very special little guy.  He was the only pig I've ever had who seemed to really enjoy and seek out human company.  He came to me from the Humane Society shelter, where he had been rescued after spending the previous summer living under the deck of a local family.  It seemed that after his time "in the wild", nothing that happened to him at my house could faze him at all --- he was one calm and mellow piggie who got along with everyone.  When visitors wanted to meet a piggie up close and personal, Virgie was my go-to guy, completely contented to sit on my lap and receive strokes and kisses.
 
I want to send my deepest thanks to Ann (who phoned me for a mutual long-distance cry after I e-mailed her on Friday morning) and Penny, who was then as ever so kind and wise and who is my piggie slave role model.
 
My sweet Virgie, please give Pixie Sue, Doris, Audrey, Daphne and Guinivere a kiss for me.  You get to run free with the girls at last!  It's still too cold for flowers here in Saskatchewan, but I know the dandelions and clover will be blooming at the Rainbow Bridge so munch them up.  Please don't forget me --- I will never forget you.
 
With love,
 
Pat


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