It was January 13th and I was going just a little crazy having been cooped up and on enforced rest since having my surgery in Novemeber. Geri, Declan and I decided to take a trip out to the Woodlands Historic Homestead and Gardens Cafe for lunch.
Woodlands Historic Homestead and Gardens
It was a fiendishly hot afternoon but we decided to go for a gentle stroll in the gardens anyway aka I didn't want to go home yet!
As we wandered down one of the pathways into the gardens Declan spotted - you guessed it, a baby HH curled up in the hot sun at the side of the path. Leaving Declan and Geri to keep an eye on it I went back to the car for the small collapsible animal carrier I keep in the boot exactly for a moment like this. I scooped the little one up, popped it in the carrier and off we went home with our precious cargo.
We named him Woody and he weighed in at 159gms. Once again, we were heading up to Auckland a few days later so Narelle asked us to bring Woody up with us and said she would arrange a carer for him. We needed the hogs placed elsewhere as Geri and I had had some terrible allergic reactions to them if they were in the house for more than 24-48 hours.
Woody was a lively wee chap, in fact he was almost hyeractive and seemed to thrive; eating and drinking, pooing and peeing like a trooper. Once up in Auckland he was placed with Lynne, a new fosterer who was very excited to have him in her care. Sadly after a few more days of cheeky busyness Woody suddenly past away. Narelle made the decision to have him autopsied as she had had a few cases very similar to Woody's - presenting with hyperactivity, seeming to thrive and then suddenly dying. Berend; the vet, found that all of Woody's organs were enlarged and there was nothing we could have done that would have saved him. He theorised that Woody had eaten poison - probably slug bait, or that his mother had eaten it and that he had been poisoned via her milk. It was very sad but at least his last days were full of love, warmth, security and good food.
RIP Woody - May your spirit happily roam the gardens over the Rainbow Bridge for ever more.
Woodlands Historic Homestead and Gardens
It was a fiendishly hot afternoon but we decided to go for a gentle stroll in the gardens anyway aka I didn't want to go home yet!
As we wandered down one of the pathways into the gardens Declan spotted - you guessed it, a baby HH curled up in the hot sun at the side of the path. Leaving Declan and Geri to keep an eye on it I went back to the car for the small collapsible animal carrier I keep in the boot exactly for a moment like this. I scooped the little one up, popped it in the carrier and off we went home with our precious cargo.We named him Woody and he weighed in at 159gms. Once again, we were heading up to Auckland a few days later so Narelle asked us to bring Woody up with us and said she would arrange a carer for him. We needed the hogs placed elsewhere as Geri and I had had some terrible allergic reactions to them if they were in the house for more than 24-48 hours.
Woody was a lively wee chap, in fact he was almost hyeractive and seemed to thrive; eating and drinking, pooing and peeing like a trooper. Once up in Auckland he was placed with Lynne, a new fosterer who was very excited to have him in her care. Sadly after a few more days of cheeky busyness Woody suddenly past away. Narelle made the decision to have him autopsied as she had had a few cases very similar to Woody's - presenting with hyperactivity, seeming to thrive and then suddenly dying. Berend; the vet, found that all of Woody's organs were enlarged and there was nothing we could have done that would have saved him. He theorised that Woody had eaten poison - probably slug bait, or that his mother had eaten it and that he had been poisoned via her milk. It was very sad but at least his last days were full of love, warmth, security and good food.RIP Woody - May your spirit happily roam the gardens over the Rainbow Bridge for ever more.
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