A couple of weeks ago I noticed that our new pet guinea pig, Molly, had a little lump on her neck.

It almost looked like she had a beard, because the lump was making her fur stick out in all directions.

I mentioned it to Adam a day or two after I noticed it and he looked it up on 'Dr. Google' and found out that apparently guinea pigs are susceptible to getting abscesses on their neck/throat.

We were both worried about her...and said as much to each other, yet you could feel the tension in the air; we were both more worried than we let on.

The next day, a Saturday, Adam called two vets in the area and made apointments for them to see what was going on with this lump. Molly herself was acting normally. Eating, drinking, sqeaking, running around doing her 'zoomies', as if nothing was the matter. I was thankful that she was acting normal and not lethargic, but we both felt like she needed to see a vet, sooner rather than later.

After Adam made the two vet appointments (Just to have them) he called the pet store where we had bought her. They said that if was within the 30 day return policy we could take her back to the store where we bought her and they would cover the vet visit. Effectually they would buy her back so she was in their custody, they would give us a gift card for her, and they would take care of any vet bill. We still had the receipt. We were on day 28.

So off we went to the pet store. We gave Molly a few peppers before we left, her little treat for the car ride. I sat in the back with her in her habitat, Adam drove.

The pet store thankfully honored their 30 day policy and took Molly back into their care. The manager said that it would probably be a week or two that they would have her, to figure out what was going on and then make sure she was stable and healthy before giving her back to us.

It was hard letting her go; really not knowing if we'd see her again. I had to work on really trusting the pet store, do they know what they're doing?? I had to trust they did, even if it was hard, and ultimately trust God with the whole situation.

It was discouraging. The poor thing had some hard lump on her neck, and she's such a sweet thing! I felt bad for her. And it was discouraging because we had talked about getting a pet for a number of months before getting her and then less than four weeks in to owning her we had to take her back, even if only temporarily.

The house seemed quiet and kind of dull without her. I know guinea pigs are small creatures, but she took up a lot of our hearts and there was a fullness we missed when she was gone.

Molly was gone for over two weeks, before we finally got her back yesterday. I was afraid we might not get her back; the two weeks seemed a very long time without her.

But Adam picked her up yesterday from the pet store and I picked her up from Adam's office after my volunteer job and brought her home.

Funny story; Adam said when he got to the pet store they were having a sale on guinea pigs...so he bought Molly back at the sale price. 🙂 He used the rest of the gift card for more bedding for her. I had to laugh.

Plus since we bought her back the 30 day policy goes into effect again. I hope we don't have to use it. I prayed over her when we got home; that she would be a healthy guinea pig, no more skin infections. Amen.

I thought maybe Molly wouldn't remember me or have to get used to her habitat at our house again, but those fears were unfounded. She was right at home again; as if she had never left. Eating hay, squeaking, running around her cage. I gave her a treat and some peppers. I knew she had ben through a lot the last couple of weeks. The lump on her neck was, thankfully, gone, but there is an indentation where it had been. A little reminder of her abscence.

It got me thinking about vets and so thankful that there are people in the world who work on caring for small animals. I have no interest in doing surgery on a guinea pig, but there are people out there who do and I am so grateful for their knowledge and expertise.

This situation also reminds me about what I was posting about last year around this time, in this post here.

Someone actually likes doing surgery on guinea pigs? To the it's what they are called to do? They enjoy it?

It seems odd, but I'm sure it's true. And I am grateful for the gift and talent vets have that is so much different than mine. The world needs all sorts. The world needs you.

If you are a small animal vet, thank you.

Molly thanks you too.