Shiloh, our Guinia Pig, gone for good

Shiloh's Dead. After 2 months with us, Shiloh had to be put to sleep.

We got Shiloh from Erica, mom's friend who returned to the US at the end of June. Shiloh was fun and happy for about 8 weeks. We got him when dad was here; we put him to sleep July 3. Here's the story:

After several really bad injuries at the playground, the rule was that Shiloh could not go outside without mom being present. While mom was searching the internet for cheap vacations to Turkey, Cole Ryan took Shiloh outside. I was sewing and told Cole to ask mom if he could. He didn't ask her. CR walked away while Austin "watched" him. Well, Austin left Shiloh on the stairs while he played in the yard and Shiloh took a tumble resulting in a chipped and bleeding tooth and a twisted back with hind legs that didn't work. I found Shiloh and started crying. We took him to his cage, gave him food, and kept watch.

Not being a guinea pig owner ever before, mom and I searched the internet for advice. There is a plethora of guinea pig lovers on the web so I posted a query. Here's what was advised: find an exotic animal vet who specializes in guinea pigs and have the vet x-ray Shiloh to determine if he broke his spine or just hurt himself. Now, we live in a developing country where finding a vet is difficult enough; finding one that specializes in guinea pigs, impossible. And finding one with x-ray equipment....well, let's just say that mom's friend Amy's cat had to have x-rays and Amy had to sneak the poor cat into the (human) hospital where the x-ray was taken. We didn't think that would work with a guinea pig.

Because he couldn't use his hind legs, he sat in his poo and pee and had to be bathed twice a day. I bathed him while mom cleaned the cage. I saw a little progress in him. He was moving both legs, and soon was putting weight on one. He started walking for food. I thought he could probably recover, but of course, I got jinxed. I got jinxed because when I got up he had Diahriah. We fed him to many tomatoes the night before I think. I also thought that maybe it was because his body was not working right.

No one wanted to bathe Shiloh but Armine helped......ALOT. He wouldn't eat anything, even grass( his favorite food). I called mom and she asked Armine to call the vet( to put him to sleep). She did, and the vet said it would cost 2000 dram( 6 dollars about). I was fine with the idea, because I knew he wouldn't suffer any more. Also because I knew I would feel horrible if I woke up in the morning to see him dead.

We all went to the vet, including Armine. The vet was very nice. His office was VERY weird. First of all, it was totally outside with a port-a-potty. There were covered tables for the rain, and lots, and lots of plants. There was also a swimming pool. The vet smoked. Before Shiloh died, the vet gave mom some flowers, like a funeral. We said our goodbyes to Shiloh, and then he died with a shot(of course we were not looking).

Madisen