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Mar. 6th, 2009 01:05 pmOne of the more glum things that happened this week was that Snowy the gerbil had a bad accident. Not totally sure what happened - probably a fall - but she fractured her spine and her back legs are paralysed. I was up in the north-west when it happened and had to field various phone reports of the trip to the vet and the prognosis. I was quite surprised to find Snowy still with us when I got back, but (a) she is not in any pain whatsoever and (b) apparently nothing could happen until I got back and Told Them What To Do.
Anyway. Yes. I had a frank discussion with the vet yesterday and Snowy is booked in to the vet's later today. :(
She can't be with her little gerbil cagemate any more, she can't be in a traditional cage and she has started to chew her feet. She is still mobile and eating and basically she might live for 2 days or 2 months but the quality of life would be pretty rubbish, so in my official role as Grim Reaper, I have made the decision, and counselled the smaller members of the family. The vet didn't know whether we were the type of people to go for silence and subterfuge or in-your-face emotion. You can probably guess that one.
Snowy meanwhile is distressingly perky. I just gave her a little run around (she can still move pretty fast), and now she's back in her carrier, nestled on my best towel (er) with her water bottle and a bowl of gerbil muesli. Sigh. I'm doing the right thing, I know.
Little E. (who is Snowy's owner) seemed quite sanguine about it to begin with, but then last night dissolved into absolute floods of tears. Snowy was her first pet, and is a very sweet, tame little gerbil who likes sitting on Little E's lap and nibbling her clothing.
It's weird, really. It's like life and death in miniature. The vet was really excellent and takes both the gerbil and the family feelings all very seriously. Little E. at the school gates is announcing 'My gerbil will die today!' (we had to hack through the euphemisms earlier in the week)(ulp) and then, attempting to be sooting and euphemistic, I say that well er the vet will put her to sleep; and little E's friends all went, 'Sleep? Oh, that's OK, we thought you said something about death!'
*headdesk*
I think their teacher is going to have a challenging day.
Anyway. Snowy. You're a great gerbil, and I'll miss you.
I feel like I've been through a very small emotional wringer, and we're not finished yet. :(
Anyway. Yes. I had a frank discussion with the vet yesterday and Snowy is booked in to the vet's later today. :(
She can't be with her little gerbil cagemate any more, she can't be in a traditional cage and she has started to chew her feet. She is still mobile and eating and basically she might live for 2 days or 2 months but the quality of life would be pretty rubbish, so in my official role as Grim Reaper, I have made the decision, and counselled the smaller members of the family. The vet didn't know whether we were the type of people to go for silence and subterfuge or in-your-face emotion. You can probably guess that one.
Snowy meanwhile is distressingly perky. I just gave her a little run around (she can still move pretty fast), and now she's back in her carrier, nestled on my best towel (er) with her water bottle and a bowl of gerbil muesli. Sigh. I'm doing the right thing, I know.
Little E. (who is Snowy's owner) seemed quite sanguine about it to begin with, but then last night dissolved into absolute floods of tears. Snowy was her first pet, and is a very sweet, tame little gerbil who likes sitting on Little E's lap and nibbling her clothing.
It's weird, really. It's like life and death in miniature. The vet was really excellent and takes both the gerbil and the family feelings all very seriously. Little E. at the school gates is announcing 'My gerbil will die today!' (we had to hack through the euphemisms earlier in the week)(ulp) and then, attempting to be sooting and euphemistic, I say that well er the vet will put her to sleep; and little E's friends all went, 'Sleep? Oh, that's OK, we thought you said something about death!'
*headdesk*
I think their teacher is going to have a challenging day.
Anyway. Snowy. You're a great gerbil, and I'll miss you.
I feel like I've been through a very small emotional wringer, and we're not finished yet. :(
