Chester's Second Surgery
Chester is at the vet right now, being anesthetized and losing part of his face.
Leon noticed yesterday that the area around his stitches was leaking pus, despite Chester being on antibiotics and leaving the wound alone. The doctor told Leon this morning that a lot of the skin had died and would have to come off. We'll be given a balm to keep the area clean and I guess it will scab over and grow new skin.
As horrified as I was of the gash on his face last Saturday, I can honestly say that this is the first time I've seriously considered that he may not live through this. I'm trying to push that to the back of my mind, though, because the guilt would be just too much.
When I called my mom this morning regarding her e-mail about my great grandma, I mentioned Chester. She said, "Maybe it's time to put Chester to sleep," and I was outraged. I would never, ever euthanize a pet that I thought could survive the ailment--not unless he was suffering. And certainly not because it's expensive, which was my mom's objection.
I know she's also thinking that it's just a guinea pig. She doesn't understand. To tell the truth, I couldn't understand before I owned one. I remember when my sister's (ex-)boyfriend lost a ferret a few years ago, and I couldn't see why he was so upset about it. Sure, it was sad, but this guy was devastated. His eyes were puffy from crying. How could someone care so much about a rodent, I wondered.
But I get it now. Louis, Chester, and Milo are part of my family. I love them. They're sweet and innocent, and they can cheer me up just by poking their noses out of the cage. My mom doesn't understand.
I also wonder if she euthanized the family greyhound (Boston) before it was time, because of expenses. She and my dad would take Boston to the vet and tell us that the doctor had no explanation for Boston wasting away. After she was put to sleep, I discovered that she had throat cancer--not some mystery disease. Maybe they had been advised that the chance of survival was small, and they had to decide based on that. But I can't understand why they wouldn't try everything.
I don't want to villanize my parents. They did what they thought was best, and that's what I'm doing for Chester. He may be just a guinea pig, but I love him. I'll do whatever it takes to help him recover.
Leon noticed yesterday that the area around his stitches was leaking pus, despite Chester being on antibiotics and leaving the wound alone. The doctor told Leon this morning that a lot of the skin had died and would have to come off. We'll be given a balm to keep the area clean and I guess it will scab over and grow new skin.
As horrified as I was of the gash on his face last Saturday, I can honestly say that this is the first time I've seriously considered that he may not live through this. I'm trying to push that to the back of my mind, though, because the guilt would be just too much.
When I called my mom this morning regarding her e-mail about my great grandma, I mentioned Chester. She said, "Maybe it's time to put Chester to sleep," and I was outraged. I would never, ever euthanize a pet that I thought could survive the ailment--not unless he was suffering. And certainly not because it's expensive, which was my mom's objection.
I know she's also thinking that it's just a guinea pig. She doesn't understand. To tell the truth, I couldn't understand before I owned one. I remember when my sister's (ex-)boyfriend lost a ferret a few years ago, and I couldn't see why he was so upset about it. Sure, it was sad, but this guy was devastated. His eyes were puffy from crying. How could someone care so much about a rodent, I wondered.
But I get it now. Louis, Chester, and Milo are part of my family. I love them. They're sweet and innocent, and they can cheer me up just by poking their noses out of the cage. My mom doesn't understand.
I also wonder if she euthanized the family greyhound (Boston) before it was time, because of expenses. She and my dad would take Boston to the vet and tell us that the doctor had no explanation for Boston wasting away. After she was put to sleep, I discovered that she had throat cancer--not some mystery disease. Maybe they had been advised that the chance of survival was small, and they had to decide based on that. But I can't understand why they wouldn't try everything.
I don't want to villanize my parents. They did what they thought was best, and that's what I'm doing for Chester. He may be just a guinea pig, but I love him. I'll do whatever it takes to help him recover.