A Very Sad Degupdate


Our sweet Katja didn’t make it. After I was ever so carefully hopeful last night, she died this morning. Apparently her intestine had been too damaged already and she died this morning in the little one’s hands. Yesterday the vet said that there was probably something wrong with her apart from the infection, because she was the runt of the litter and the difference between her and her litter mate Estelle had become ever more apparent.

In the end it was probably double bad luck: Having a birth defect and a very inexperienced Degu owner who didn’t notice her problems soon enough. We did our best. I don’t know if somebody else’s best would have been good enough, ours wasn’t.

Farewell, my sweet girl.

©Giliell, all rights reserved

I also have the sweetest kid in the world. When she cried in my arms this morning she asked me why I wasn’t crying. I told her it was because I was comforting her. She went back to cry, but stopped after a minute or so to tell me “it’s ok, mummy, you can cry now and I’ll comfort you”, at which point all floodgates were opened.

Comments

  1. voyager says

    I’m so sorry, Giliell. I’m sure you weren’t negligent in any way. A birth defect can’t be overcome sometimes. You gave her comfort and love and she died surrounded by both.
    Loving another creature opens us up to loss. I wish comfort to you and. your daughters. I send you all hugs.

  2. Bruce Fuentes says

    We out our dog of 13 years to sleep last week. Picked up the ashes today. It has been an emotional week. I know how you feel. It sucks. Max had been experiencing some rear leg issues, probably either spinal, disc issues or a relapse of his cancer. He fell down the stairs a week and half ago and never recovered. He was in intense pain and needed help to even lie down. It was time, but it still sucks. He was my closest friend, we spent every day together. Miss him, a lot. I need to go cry some more.

  3. voyager says

    @Bruce Fuentes,
    I’m sorry your Max is gone. Sometimes doing the right thing feels wrong when it causes us such pain, but Max is no longer suffering. I hope your days will get easier soon.

  4. says

    Bruce Fuentes
    I’m sorry you had to let Max go.
    +++
    Thank y’all. I’m really having such a hard time right now with seemingly all parts of my life somehow descending into chaos. The degus are such a great stress relief, usually.

  5. springa73 says

    I am sorry to hear that Katja is gone, losing a pet is hard. I still remember losing our family’s guinea pig when I was in high school, and then our beagle when I was in my 20s.

  6. StevoR says

    My condolences. So sorry to read this and sure you did everything you could and its not your fault. Sure Katja knew she was loved.

    Also your daughter is an awesome human being.

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