daughter hurt guinnea pig..nightmare!!!!!!!!

[harmony]

Not having a good day!!!!

We are looking after someones guinnea pigs while they are on Hols, DD age 12 AS and ADHD, adores animals and insisted taking responsibility for them. They have a outdoor run in the day, and a hutch at night.

I can see both from kitchen window. Her job was to feed them day and night, and take them out of hutch and in to run in the morning, and put them to bed at night. She has been doing really well. only had to remind her twice. They are very sweet, and we have got quite fond of them. DISASTER this am, DD rushes in to say somthing was wrong, one of the guinnea pigs seemed paralized from waist down, couldn't move it's legs... very distressing for all.... Took it to vet. He has just phoned to say he has xrayed Guinnea, and found lots of spinal bruising. He said it looks like it's been squeezed too hard! I was absoloutly horrified! The vet is going to keep it in, and see if it regains mobility, in any case he said he couldn't let us have it back (He must think we are animal beaters!!!) and would prefer to wait and discuss matters with the owners who are back in aday or two!

I can't belive what DD has done, she has admitted she could have hugged it a bit too much! she does hug us, and everyone else a bit hard. I don't think she realised her own strength. We have cats, and if she is all over them, they will claw and hiss a bit, but this!!!! What in God's name are the owners going to say. They don't know DD has AS, even if they did it is no excuse, I should never have let her handle them unsupervised.

I thought we knew her well enough, obviously not. The poor little Guinnea pig!

Have any of your kids ever done anything like this? will I ever be able to trust her with animals again!!

feeling rubbish

 

Harmony x

[NickyB]

Oh, poor you - I don't really know what to say, just wanted to reply

 

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[bid]

I am sorry, Harmony

 

I think wishing we'd done things differently is part and parcel of being a parent...don't be too hard on yourself <'>

 

Bid

[Flora]

oh my goodness you must feel absolutely dreadful <'>

 

It sounds like over zealous cuddling rather than anything else... either that or it's jumped out of her arms and landed on it's back maybe?

 

Hope the owners are understanding and don't give you a hard time over it. Hope the guinea pig makes a full recovery

 

Flo' X

Edited August 28, 2008 by Flora

[Suze]

Big hugs for you, what an awful thing to happen, sometimes when I,m handling the rabbits they can wriggle alot and you do have to hold them quite tightly, perhaps your daughter has done this.I,m sure your daughter has,nt done this deliberately you must remember that.This is a dreadful situation to be in, hope you get some good news from the vet, the little fella may make a full recovery, best wishes suzex.

[bikemad]

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[Kathryn]

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Hope the news from the vet is good.

 

 

K x

[Zosmum]

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Hope the guinea pig gets better soon

 

Don't be too hard on yourself or your DD, it sounds like she was just hugging it a little to tight

[pookie170]

Oh dear, Harmony.....

 

I bet both you and your DD are feeling rather over this right now, what a rotten thing to happen.

 

I doubt very much that even realised such a thing could happen, we had a similar situation with our pet rats when we had them- neither of my boys realised you could damage an animal with "beeg 'ugs" as we used to call them (think bone-crackingly tight!)......

 

I truly don't think I'd go mental if it were my guinea pig- these things happen, and while I feel for the wee GP, it wasn't a conscious act of cruelty.....

Have you managed to talk about this with your DD more about it? She must be feeling dreadful about it, poor lass........

 

Wish I had a magic wand I could wave for the guinea pig, but I'll send you all a <'> instead.

 

Let us know how it goes, hey?

 

Esther x

[Flora]

I doubt very much that even realised such a thing could happen, we had a similar situation with our pet rats when we had them- neither of my boys realised you could damage an animal with "beeg 'ugs" as we used to call them (think bone-crackingly tight!)......

 

Reminds me of a few years ago at my friend's house, we were amazed at how compliant the pet rat was to her 7 yo pretending it was driving a Barbie car.... but on closer inspection we discovered the rat was actually in a coma

 

Harmony..... any news on the guinea pig? Really hope he's ok

 

Flora X

[adamsmum]

We had to re home bearded dragons as adam kept taking them out to pay in the garden and my eldest hurt his much loved rats with to much love. He killed his snails by bathing them he was so upet

[juggleswithkatia]

Hi saw this and thought if nothing else you might at least feel a little better . son 18 autism /son 9 as -We have had a few (accidents)

 

firstly the pet fish which were caught and put in a tiny crayon bucket to take to show and tell minus their eyes

 

then the tropical fish which managed to survive a whole two days after being introduced to the matey colour change bubble bath

 

next came the Guinea pig which we thought as we went to bed that night was acting a little strange but then so would you if someone had gassed you with fly spray !

 

Then Daisy our last pet which was a rabbit whom in my sons attempt to make sure she didnt get into neighbours garden dropped a wooden pallet on to her breaking her leg . don't think you would be surprised to learn she didnt survive !

would also like to say she was most certainly our last pet as the garden is ending up more and more like pet cemetary . If your friends are friends they will understand might not let you look after their pets again but they should understand . my heart goes out to you but if nothing else makes you feel better, i think our house is now at the top of the league for unintantional animal cruelty ! xk

[harmony]

Thanks so much for all your support. Friends came back from hols, and were fine about the Guinnea pig. Sadly though the little thing had to be put down, as it had stopped eating, and drinking, and was going downhill fast.

DD so upset, but as with most things she bounces back quickly (unlike the GP) Will not pet sit again! ever! ever!

 

Harmony x

[bid]

So sorry, Harmony <'>

 

Bid <'>

[Zosmum]

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Hugs for both you and your DD

 

So sorry to hear bout the guinea pig

[Flora]

Really sorry to hear about the piggy

 

Good to hear that the owners were understanding about it though.

 

Flora <'>

[NickyB]

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