Rutabaga 2009ish-August 2010
I remember the day I found this little fluffball that changed my life. In Spring of 2009 I had gone to work at Lombard early to do an early drop off. I walked around to let in the clients and there was an aquarium there and it looked like a snake set up. I didn't see any animals, but there was a hiding log. I could see something under it but I couldn't tell what it was. I set it aside and helped the clients. After they left, I went over to the cage, lifted the wire mesh lid (that had a hole in it) and I picked up the log, expecting to find some kind of lizard or snake.
What I found was a 4-6 month old chinchilla. I was shocked.
We took him home, got him all set up and after a naming vote at Lombard... we named him Rutabaga.
We have had him in our home ever since. We bought him a giant cage, we even tried out having another friend though it didn't work out. He got out a couple of times and we had to chase him under the couches, he met the cat who was decidedly uninterested, he hid in our closet when the inspections came and otherwise enjoyed a spoiled and pampered existence. He was well loved. He loved apple wood chew sticks, granola, raisins and shredded wheat cereal.
On Tuesday we cleaned his cage and he seemed to be fine. He was eating, playing and everything. Wednesday evening he was having a hard time breathing. We rushed him to DoveLewis and they gave us antibiotics and had him in oxygen for a little while. The doctor didn't hear any crackles or heart murmers. Thursday he seemed a bit more perky. Last night he seemed more sedate, but he was sick so I wasn't thinking too much of it, his eyes were still bright and he wasn't heavily breathing. This morning I got up and one of his eyes was shut with fluid and he was on his side heavily breathing. We gave him his antibiotics, called the exotic vet and rushed him there.
At Paws and Claws they took him back right away and got him on oxygen and gave him some time to settle. The doctor called us a few hours later. The oxygen wasn't doing too much, but he was sleeping. She gave us some options but his prognosis was poor/guarded and they are so delicate. We aren't made of money and eventually it did become the decision of "we could do everything and he could still very likely not pull through" and he is suffering. We thought long and hard about it and discussed it. We couldn't take him home and watch him suffer and die gasping. I couldn't afford hundreds and hundreds of dollars of diagnostics. We decided that we would end his suffering in the most humane way that we could.
We drove back to Paws and Claws and we were put in a room. They brought him in his little oxygen box and there was a hot water bottle on the table. We had him out for only a few minutes before he was struggling to breathe again and we put him in the oxygen box again. We called in the vet and told him we were ready. They took him out of the room for the injection (abdominal) and brought him back in.
He died peacefully in Lauran's arms with my hands on him as we were both whispering how much we loved him and how much he meant to us and how he wasn't alone. And how sorry we were that he had gotten so sick. It took a few minutes for everything to end, but it was generally peaceful. He was wrapped up and put in a little box for us. We took him to my friends at the MCAS shelter who are going to cremate him and get me his ashes. I am thankful to have so many caring people in my life. I am thankful that Rutabaga was in my life, even if it was only for a short while.
This is the first animal that I have had to make the decision to euthanize. It was hard, and my feelings on it are complex. On one hand I am thankful that his suffering has ended and on the other hand my heart is broken and filled with guilt because I am not sure that I did enough.
I will say this. I loved you Rutabaga. There is a hole in my heart, my house and my life where you used to be. I hope that in Chinchilla Heaven that there is nothing but raisins, granola and shreddies to eat and apple wood to chew! I hope that you are free of pain and suffering that I never intended to cause for you.
Thank you for being in my life.
What I found was a 4-6 month old chinchilla. I was shocked.
We took him home, got him all set up and after a naming vote at Lombard... we named him Rutabaga.
We have had him in our home ever since. We bought him a giant cage, we even tried out having another friend though it didn't work out. He got out a couple of times and we had to chase him under the couches, he met the cat who was decidedly uninterested, he hid in our closet when the inspections came and otherwise enjoyed a spoiled and pampered existence. He was well loved. He loved apple wood chew sticks, granola, raisins and shredded wheat cereal.
On Tuesday we cleaned his cage and he seemed to be fine. He was eating, playing and everything. Wednesday evening he was having a hard time breathing. We rushed him to DoveLewis and they gave us antibiotics and had him in oxygen for a little while. The doctor didn't hear any crackles or heart murmers. Thursday he seemed a bit more perky. Last night he seemed more sedate, but he was sick so I wasn't thinking too much of it, his eyes were still bright and he wasn't heavily breathing. This morning I got up and one of his eyes was shut with fluid and he was on his side heavily breathing. We gave him his antibiotics, called the exotic vet and rushed him there.
At Paws and Claws they took him back right away and got him on oxygen and gave him some time to settle. The doctor called us a few hours later. The oxygen wasn't doing too much, but he was sleeping. She gave us some options but his prognosis was poor/guarded and they are so delicate. We aren't made of money and eventually it did become the decision of "we could do everything and he could still very likely not pull through" and he is suffering. We thought long and hard about it and discussed it. We couldn't take him home and watch him suffer and die gasping. I couldn't afford hundreds and hundreds of dollars of diagnostics. We decided that we would end his suffering in the most humane way that we could.
We drove back to Paws and Claws and we were put in a room. They brought him in his little oxygen box and there was a hot water bottle on the table. We had him out for only a few minutes before he was struggling to breathe again and we put him in the oxygen box again. We called in the vet and told him we were ready. They took him out of the room for the injection (abdominal) and brought him back in.
He died peacefully in Lauran's arms with my hands on him as we were both whispering how much we loved him and how much he meant to us and how he wasn't alone. And how sorry we were that he had gotten so sick. It took a few minutes for everything to end, but it was generally peaceful. He was wrapped up and put in a little box for us. We took him to my friends at the MCAS shelter who are going to cremate him and get me his ashes. I am thankful to have so many caring people in my life. I am thankful that Rutabaga was in my life, even if it was only for a short while.
This is the first animal that I have had to make the decision to euthanize. It was hard, and my feelings on it are complex. On one hand I am thankful that his suffering has ended and on the other hand my heart is broken and filled with guilt because I am not sure that I did enough.
I will say this. I loved you Rutabaga. There is a hole in my heart, my house and my life where you used to be. I hope that in Chinchilla Heaven that there is nothing but raisins, granola and shreddies to eat and apple wood to chew! I hope that you are free of pain and suffering that I never intended to cause for you.
Thank you for being in my life.