My boy Dave passed away today suddenly at age 4 years 3 months. He was a very beautiful beige weighng 771 g. I am broken hearted because he died so suddenly. This morning he was his normal self - looking for his breakfast (mini wheat). I came home early from work to find him in a semi-letharigic state. Not his normal chipper self. He was our watchdog and he loved his cagemate Rocki. (They had 2 babies together in 2002). Anyway I went over to see him and he really wasn;t interested. I offered him a dust bath he never budged. I instantly called the vet and was there in 20 minutes. His temp was fine but he was still letharigic. The Vet heard a mumor which I told him he had since childbirth (he was a rescue from a pet store). Everything else was fine. The vet did some x-rays and wanted to take some blood but could not get any. He was getting worse. His x-rays came back clean. He started having tremors and the vet told me to say my goodbyes. I went in and petted him for a minute and then he just stopped - I guess he waited to say goodbye to me? My heart was crushed instantly. He died within 1 1/2 from the time I rushed him to the vet. My wife is at a nursing conference and was not home - and Dave is her #1 man. I had to call her and tell her he died - excruciating pain.
Anyway I asked the doctor to perform an autopsy because I want to make he didn;t die from a genetic deficiency because Rocki is from the same family and they had babies. The doctor called tonight around 10 to inform me that Dave's left kidney ruptured but he could not figure out why. He thinks Dave may have had some trauma today that did this although I can;t figure out what would have caused it. His cage is pretty safe but you just never know? They will be studying the orgams to let us know if there was a genetic problem.
Rocki is totally depressed, more than me if you can believe it. I wish I could do something for her. They were a very happy couple and the were always next to, on top off or within reach of each other. She looks lost. It is just after midnight and I can not sleep - I will stay up with her tonight and keep her company.
Pet store animals don't deserve what happens to them and their owners don't deserve to watch them die so young. I was happy to give him 4 solid spoiled years of total love. I will miss Dave terribly because he was the sweetest chin who just loved his girl Rocki!
Keep Dave and more importantly Rocki in your thoughts. Any suggestions about getting her (& me and my wife Trish) through the depression would be greatly appreciated.
Paul
Author
Topic: Our Dave (Read 5953 times)