Lifespan: October, 2002(?) - September 1, 2006.
Breed: Dutch Self
Style: Two-color
Sex: Male (neutered)
Weight: 2.2 lbs.
Did someone call me?
portrait by Judy Lainer
Diego was adopted in the early summer of 2003, as a companion for Brownie. He is the third cavy I've adopted from the Metropolitan Guinea Pig rescue in Northern Virginia. Given her shy disposition, I wanted a boar with a similar outlook and personality. However, it took a little while to find one. Several different boars were introduced to Brownie, and Diego turned out to be the most suitable candidate. It took a little time, but he and Brownie settled their initial differences and did just fine.
Diego was originally rescued from an animal shelter in Fairfax, Virginia, where he was constantly being picked on by the other guinea pigs. Even after coming the to the guinea pig rescue program, he was frequently picked on. As a result, he was always quite shy, even timid, and wasn't always sure of what he could and couldn't do. Even so, he was a true gentleman, and was very curious. When sitting in your lap, he tended to perriscope his head around to see what he could see (just because he could), and would periodically sniff samples of the air. When on the floor, he usually opted for sauntering about and sniffing things, rather than running wild. But at the same time, he tended to hide when in the cage, and wouldn't always come out for treats, even if they were put right in front of his nose. At other times, he would watch you very intently, and popcorn when you came to visit him. Diego was quite an enigma.
Of all the cavys I've had, he was certainly the quietest. At the same time, he had the most expressive eyes of any cavy I've ever seen. So while he didn't make much noise, he never had a problem making himself understood.
His name came about in a rather obtuse way. He wore a mask, like Zorro. But, he certainly didn't have Zorro's swashbuckling personality. Zorro's real name (in the books) was Don Diego Della Vega. Considering what a gentlemen he was, Zorro's regular name seemed more fitting. Hence, Diego.
Diego's coat was atypical. Like most Selfs he had two colors. But, where most Selfs have matching bands of color around the front and hind quarters (usually of their darker color), Diego only had one dark band, around his head. This black portion of his coat ended very abruptly, just behind the shoulder. It's almost like someone took a totally white guinea pig and dipped his head in chocolate syrup. Or, as one friend put it, whoever was painting him forgot to finish!
Whatever the case, Diego didn't seem to care. So long as there was hay to chew on, a brick to perch on, a shelter to hide under, and Aspen pine chips to lay in, he was a happy little guy.
During his last year, Diego suffered some health problems. He had two large tumors removed from just under his skin. The vet said they weren't related to one another, but after the second one showed up he ran some tests. He still didn't find a connection, but the whole thing seemed suspicious. Diego recovered from both surguries with flying colors, so Lisa and I never became overly worried.
On the morning of September 1st, however, something was clearly very wrong. He was cold, he wasn't interested in foot, and his hutch mate, Carmella, was very upset with this lack of response. We brought him to the Kindness Animal Hospital in Wheaton, since our regular vet was away. They immediately took steps to bring his temperature back up, and to get him stabalized. Once those two things were achieved, they could start examining him to see what was the matter. As the day wore on, his temperature did increase, and he seemed to be recovering. The vet was confident that he would be strong enough for an exam by late afternoon.
Instead, Diego decided to take a nap, and he never woke up.
The post mortum blood scans were inconclusive, but the attending vet suspected an internal cancer or tumor. Whatever the real culprit was, at the very least, Diego's last few hours were spent in relative comfort. And most importantly, he died peacefully.
Lisa and I burried Diego a few yards from his late hutch mate, Brownie, and his predecessor, Twix.
Follow the Patuxtant River to Rainbow Valley, my little friend. You will be missed.