Poor Taffy :(

**chrissycat21** · 02-18-2006, 09:57 PM

I can't beleive Taffy will be 7 this spring, I've been so lucky to have him this long. But, with old age come many problems.

His vision suddenly took a turn for the worst. In the last 3-4 weeks he has had more trouble seeing than ever before. I feel so bad when I see him nosing around his cage trying to find his way back into his pigloo. He doesn't understand when I try to help him find his pigloo, it just makes him more nervous.

The cyst on his back is looking horrible again. In the past few months is has burst 3 or 4 times. I thought someone had given him a strawberry and he had made a mess all over his cage, but his cage was completely blood soaked. I changed it immediatly every time, and the blood soaked all the way through the litter and had left big blotches on the newspaper. He always seemed fine after that happened like it hadn't hurt him, but it just looked so awful that he must have felt it.

For a while now his breathing has become raspy. I know he needs a vet because he probably does have URI, but I can not take him. I'm not trying to be a bad owner, but Taffy has had two, possibly three, heart attacks. Two were because of him being in a stressful situation. (One time was a vet visit and another was moving him to my grandparent's house for them to pigsit) A trip to the vet now would be risking his life. Another heart attack would probably kill him.

Because of the heart attacks, he has trouble using his back legs. Some days he will be fine. He has been fine for a long time now, but sometimes I'll see him dragging them. Everytime he has had a heart attack he lost complete use of his back legs. It made me so sad seeing him dragging his back legs. That is how I've known when he has had a heart attack, his back legs will be completely useless. (Thankfully it has been nearly a year since his last heart attack, and it better stay that way! *knock on wood*)

Ontop of everything else, he is losing fur. Its not from lice or fleas, but I beleive just from old age. He gets enough vitamin C and other nutrients where he shouldn't just be losing hair. It has been thinning for a while now, so I beleive it is just old age. He sleeps a whole lot more now, too. He can be in a deep sleep for hours at a time now.

Sorry for writing a novel, but I just needed somewhere to get that all out. I love Taffy so much and I hate to see him suffer. This past year with him has been so tough, but he is such a fighter.

Now I'm going to get off the computer and get him his nightly salad. (Which has been increasing in size for the past month, even with his old age he can sure pack it all in!)

**luvofallhorses** · 02-18-2006, 10:00 PM

**many hugs to you and Taffy**

**chocolatepuppy** · 02-19-2006, 07:08 AM

I'm sorry to hear about Taffys failing health. Seven is a good age for a g. pig. I'm sure you are keeping him comfortable and he knows you love him, that's all that matters right now. I will keep you both in my thoughts. {hugs}

**chrissycat21** · 02-19-2006, 07:58 AM

Thanks....

I think the thing that is really bothering me most is that I know he doesn't have much more time to live. I just want to make sure he's happy until then.

**chrissycat21** · 02-19-2006, 09:10 PM

Taffy isn't walking again.

I lifted him up to help him get water and he collapsed on his side.

**chrissycat21** · 02-21-2006, 07:22 PM

He seems to be doing better, walking a little more. I don't think he had another heart attack.

I think I found another cyst on his head. I was petting his head when I found it and it burst. I cleaned it off and hopefully it won't get infected. He doesn't need that on top of everything else...