Puddles was found as a stray and brought to Hamilton Animal Services. During her time there, staff noticed blood in her cage, so they reached out to us for help. We got Puddles out of the shelter and straight to the vet. An x-ray revealed that Puddles has bladder stones which are hard, stone-like structures usually composed of calcium carbonate which form in the bladder.
Puddles was at the vet for a couple of days while she waited for surgery, and during that time, staff noticed a lot of blood in her cage. It was clear that the amount of blood was caused by more than just the bladder stones.
When Puddles was under anesthetic for surgery and her abdomen was opened up, the vet was shocked by what she found. Puddles’ uterus and bladder had somehow fused together, and her insides were an infected mess. There was no access to the bladder stones because Puddles’ uterus was attached to her bladder. There was no way to remove her uterus because it would have meant removing her bladder as well. The entire area was full of infection, and must have been causing Puddles a lot of discomfort.
There was no chance of surgical repair, and medication would not help the issue. Puddles would suffer every day, and that was not the life we wanted for her.
After a lengthy discussion with the vet, it was decided that the best thing for Puddles would be to let her go while she was under anesthetic. Certainly not the outcome we were hoping for, but the vet and clinic staff gave Puddles lots of love and kisses as she slipped away peacefully.
We’re so sad we couldn’t help this sweet little pig, but we take comfort knowing she was surrounded by love in her final moments.

Rest in peace, sweet Puddles. We’ll never forget your sweet face.