Remembering Wedgwood

When we adopted Wedgwood her name was Storm.  It was a good name - she was certainly a stormy pig.  But I named her Wedgwood, which fit this wedgy, whiny, grey and white pig.  

Wedgwood was entertaining to photograph and great at waving her nose around for the camera.  She was an outgoing guinea pig, especially if you stopped by with veggies.  I had forgotten what an absolute loaf she was.  She and Boadicea were both very round in their heyday.  Reading back over Wedg's posts have made me laugh. She was such a pee-face when introduced to Boadicea.  So much trouble! and always had something to say.  She rarely wheeked; she whined and grumbled and burbled.

I loved how she'd stick her nose under my chin and push.  It was a little game we'd play:  she'd push me, I'd push back.  Then she'd get kisses.  (oh!  ick!)

Wedgwood started to lose weight late in 2017, then lost Boadicea.  Although Wedg was supposed to be my last pig, she acted bored and unhappy.  I didn't want her to be solo for possibly years.  Had I known she was so sick, would have I adopted Mabel?  It turned out to be a great match.  Wedgwood again proved what a pee-face she was, to the point I threatened to bring her back to the shelter and keep Mabel.  Wedgwood perked up having a companion.  It was a mix of having someone to pick on, someone to watch over and simply having a buddy to hang out with.

Wedg continued to lose weight; adopting Mabel didn't help.  Then came two episodes of bloat.  Last summer she was diagnosed with a large tumor in her pancreas.  She went through surgery, but it couldn't be removed.  The vet gave her six months to live.

I had envisioned months of bloat and pain like she had prior to the surgery.  Nope.  She had happy days of hassling Mabel, stuffing her face and whining at me for treats.  There were a few days here and there she wasn't her best but it was a reprieve from an awful diagnosis.

Then, exactly eight months after her surgery, she crashed.  Breakfast as usual, by dinner she was clearly failing.  Wedgwood passed quietly some time in the wee hours of April 29th, 2019.

I'll miss her chin bumps and kissing her ears.  Oh, that constant whining.  No more complaining that Mabel is eating her food, sleeping in her spot, encroaching on her space.  No more bar chewing for attention or her pee-faced badness. 

It's a quiet house without her.