It was going well, so well until last weekend when we starting to wean. Winnie was small, yes very small from the beginning but seemed perfectly formed, she was putting weight on and mobile. Last Monday she seem to suffer with constipation .. or colic to be honest I wasn't quite sure. Following a phone consultation with the vet we put her back just on Sammi to feed. All was well again until Wednesday when the symptoms returned followed by what seemed to be sticky diarrhea down her back legs. Bare in mind that then Sammi was still stimulating the pups to go to the toilet and it was hard for us to be sure of what was going on, but Winnie again seem to come right. Yesterday morning we tried again to start weaning her, she loved the food and had to be kept away from the others to stop her over doing it. Again I felt we were on the up, but after their lunch time feed today our world quickly came crashing down. Winnie was trying to go to the toilet and groaning with pain. Sammi tried to help her, we tried but nothing was coming out. It was Steve who turned her over and on palpitating her abdomen realised the waste was coming out of her vulva.
It took 2 hours before we could see the vet on call, I swear if I could have helped her out of the pain myself I would have done. At the vets we had to put her in a basket in the car park, the vet then came to get her and took her in. He examined her and came back out to tell us that she was not correctly formed inside, she had a blockage and her anus was not even open correctly. These were abnormalities that she would have been born with, and though may have only come to light with weaning, he was surprised she had not faded and died sooner.
I was given the opportunity for one last cuddle to say goodbye, I reminded her that I loved her and thank her for sharing her short life with us. I had to return her into the basket so he could take her away to give her sleep. I swear it killed me to not be able to hold her in my arms as she drifted away. I can only try to seek comfort from the fact that it was his hands that brought her into the world and his hands that held her as she drifted away. She only knew love, kindness, warmth, compassion and plenty, but I'm sorry from the bottom of my heart that her last few hours in this world were so painful for her.
Our precious darling little Winnie now rests with her uncle Mikey. I guess she was just too precious for this world ...when the time is right sweetheart we will get purple flowers to adorn your grave. x
