Darwin Guillerman

The following is a story from one of our wonderful clients....

I got Darwin the guinea pig three years ago. He was given to me by an employee in a pet store, since his original owners did not take care of him and sent him back. I accepted him, and immediately formed a bond with him. I told my new pet in the car, that I promise to be a good owner to him.  He was very overweight and his cage was a bit too small with no hiding places.  

We took him to see Dr. Ramsey at Claws and Paws for a check up and she confirmed that he definitely needed to lose weight. He was nearly 4 lbs. I gave him his name, after Charles Darwin, (long before the movie G-Force about another Guinea pig named Darwin). I started taking him for walks, hand feeding him timothy hay, and even gave him a bigger cage for his birthday and a large Igloo for a sanctuary. He is a wonderful pet, and he always makes his guinea pig sounds every morning when he sees me. Since I have had him, he has lost weight, though it's difficult because he loves to eat. He is always very happy and very energetic. 

One year ago, he jumped from my hands and hurt his back.  The emergency veterinarian told us that he might stay crippled from then on. Despite losing his two front teeth and being unable to move his rear legs, he remained a sweet and surprisingly active guinea pig.  

After feeding him soft food with a spoon, moving his joints to maintain flexibility and carefully maintaining a clean area under him with easy access to water, he miraculously recovered all of his strength after about 6 weeks.  His teeth had been badly broken but grew back in, perfectly straight and healthy.  He is now in excellent health and can run and jump like a baby cavy. 

He is always happy and playful, just as many Labrador dogs are, and he always looks forward to seeing me every morning. I let him walk around the house to give him exercise and satisfy his curiosity. I am very proud of my guinea pig, who is now 6 1/2 yrs old and still very active, healthy and happy.  Thanks to the Doctors and staff of Claws and Paws for helping to keep Darwin healthy!