Goodbye, Broccoli

Yesterday, we had to say goodbye to Broccoli. At nearly 8 years old, Broccoli was the oldest guinea pig the humans ever had. He was rescued by a friend of the humans who found him wandering outside. It seemed that somebody had abandoned him, because the friend knocked on doors looking for his owner, but couldn't find one. She lured him into a box with a piece of broccoli, and the rest is history.

The humans are so glad that they got a chance to adopt him and ensure he lived a long and healthy life. He got to have many cage mates over the years, go on pignics, try dozens of different fruits and vegetables, meet other pigs and people, and see the humans go through many life transitions over the years.

Broccoli recently got to try wild strawberries that they humans found growing in their backyard.

Broccoli started out as a very friendly pig, often rumble-strutting in front of his lady cage mates and burring seductively, despite having been neutered. He never once tried to bite anyone or any pig, and was always more of a lover than a fighter. As he grew into adulthood, he settled down and enjoyed being held and fed his favorite treats: Belgian endives, vitamin C, and carrots.

We nearly lost him 2 years ago when he started to have dental issues, and almost underwent a risky surgery. He somehow managed to get well enough that he didn't need the surgery, which earned him his nickname, "the miracle pig."

He recently began having more than just dental issues, and we given a "comfort care" treatment plan in April 2019, which consisted of pain medication and 3-4 daily feedings of Critical Care. He enjoyed this bonding time with his humans, and seemed relaxed and peaceful.

In the last few weeks, he started having mobility issues and eating became harder. The humans were unsure at first if it was finally his time, because he was maintaining his weight and still eating, despite everything. But the vet, who cared for him over these past seven and a half years, almost immediately knew it was his time as soon as she saw him after he was brought in. He was in pain, and we had run out of treatment options. He was still eating, but it seemed he was doing so more for us than for himself.

Poor Broccoli...

And so the humans made the painful but merciful decision to help him pass over the rainbow bridge. Broccoli would have been 8 years old this fall, which is an extraordinarily long life for a guinea pig.

We hope that through this blog, he and his cage mates have brought happiness to his many readers over the years, and that these posts have been educational. With Lola as the last remaining pig who, due to health problems, must be an only pig at this point, we're not sure how frequently we will update this blog moving forward. We can be reached at cavysavvyaguineapigblog@gmail.com and are always happy to answer any questions, either in the comments or via email.

Thank you readers, for going on this journey with us over these past seven and a half years. You have meant the world to us, and have made guinea pig ownership even more of a joy.