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8 month old died

Billettshell

Billettshell

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Aug 9, 2019
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So I went to my Guniea Pigs last night and found my Bear dead.
I'm so shocked and upset, he showed no sign of illness he was his usual crazy self he was eating and drinking fine, wrestling the food out my hand as I was putting it in.
He was lead at the bottom of his ramp 😭
My only thought is he had a heart attack. It was new years eve and there were ALOT of fireworks very near by could this have killed him.
I know no one can tell me why.
 
your probably right however it's probably best to check his body to check your other pigs didn't get into a fight or he didn't cut himself on something. I hope your ok , and your other pigs are not too upset💜 if your piggies don't seem to bothered then that's a positive. sending my love.
 
LunaOreoPigz said:
your probably right however it's probably best to check his body to check your other pigs didn't get into a fight or he didn't cut himself on something. I hope your ok , and your other pigs are not too upset💜 if your piggies don't seem to bothered then that's a positive. sending my love.
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I couldn't see anything on him obvious. I found it quite hard to check him over 😢.
I only have one other piggy and he is now alone 😔 I've been out to him today and he is very quite and seems very scared.
I'm going to bring him in today in an indoor cage.
Thank you for your reply x
 
Billettshell said:
I couldn't see anything on him obvious. I found it quite hard to check him over 😢.
I only have one other piggy and he is now alone 😔 I've been out to him today and he is very quite and seems very scared.
I'm going to bring him in today in an indoor cage.
Thank you for your reply x
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no problem , however you need to get a new piggie so your current one is not alone. moniter how it's eating and drinking as it could just want to die along with your other one so stop eating and drinking as it misses your other pig. if this is the case introduce syringe feeding and remember to BOND PROPERLY I will tag someone who knows more about it than me @Wiebke
 
LunaOreoPigz said:
no problem , however you need to get a new piggie so your current one is not alone. moniter how it's eating and drinking as it could just want to die along with your other one so stop eating and drinking as it misses your other pig. if this is the case introduce syringe feeding and remember to BOND PROPERLY I will tag someone who knows more about it than me @Wiebke
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Gosh that is so sad.
Thank you
 
I am sorry for your loss.

You and your remaining piggy need time to grieve, but your piggy will probably be ready for a new friend before you are.
Your most immediate concern is ensuring your remaining piggy is eating and remains well but s/he is likely to be more quiet and subdued for a time. Please don’t be concerned that your piggy is going to suddenly just die though, that is not correct. If can sometimes be a good idea to have a vet check over the remaining piggy just to ensure there are no health issues brewing.

The link below explains how to care for a bereaved piggy.
Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

When you and your piggy are ready for a new friend, then it must be done correctly. I will link in some further information below.

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
 
Piggies&buns said:
I am sorry for your loss.

You and your remaining piggy need time to grieve, but your piggy will probably be ready for a new friend before you are.
Your most immediate concern is ensuring your remaining piggy is eating and remains well but s/he is likely to be more quiet and subdued for a time. Please don’t be concerned that your piggy is going to suddenly just die though, that is not correct. If can sometimes be a good idea to have a vet check over the remaining piggy just to ensure there are no health issues brewing.

The link below explains how to care for a bereaved piggy.
Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

When you and your piggy are ready for a new friend, then it must be done correctly. I will link in some further information below.

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
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I feel very anxious about Teddy now 😔
 
Billettshell said:
I feel very anxious about Teddy now 😔
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Please don’t overly worry. Bring him indoors so that you can keep an eye on him, spend some extra time with him and ensure he is eating. Weigh him regularly so that you can ensure he is eating enough during the time he is alone. Hay needs to be the biggest part of their diet and you cannot gauge by eye whether they are eating enough, so regularly weighing will help you monitor that. He will need time to grieve

When you feel the time is right to get a new friend for him, then we can advise you further on how to go about it. Please don’t just go out and buy another piggy and put him in the cage - that is not the correct thing to do and can lead to many problems.
 
Billettshell said:
So I went to my Guniea Pigs last night and found my Bear dead.
I'm so shocked and upset, he showed no sign of illness he was his usual crazy self he was eating and drinking fine, wrestling the food out my hand as I was putting it in.
He was lead at the bottom of his ramp 😭
My only thought is he had a heart attack. It was new years eve and there were ALOT of fireworks very near by could this have killed him.
I know no one can tell me why.
Click to expand...

BIG HUGS

Fright can sadly kill guinea pigs, especially those that have a genetic weakness in their heart or a very nervous disposition, and especially if a bang is happening very close by. It is one of those freak things that you usually cannot anticipate and therefore not prevent. :(

I would however recommend that bring your pets inside during firework nights, close the curtains/place a blanket over the cage and play a radio to create white noise in order to mitigate the flashes and loud bangs. That is something that you can do proactively in the future to minimise the risk of a repeat and as a constructive measure to ease your own mind.

Please bring his mate indoors if possible and follow the tips in the guide below. Allow him to grieve unless he is not eating/drinking and if possible, set up a rescue date in due time to allow him to choose his own mate for a more stable and happy bond.
(Links to recommended rescues are included in the bereaved guide below, as is information on acute pining)

Here is what you can do for the companion now and in the coming days: Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig
And here is helpful information for yourself as you grapple with the sudden loss and your need to make sense of it: Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children
 
LunaOreoPigz said:
your probably right however it's probably best to check his body to check your other pigs didn't get into a fight or he didn't cut himself on something. I hope your ok , and your other pigs are not too upset💜 if your piggies don't seem to bothered then that's a positive. sending my love.
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I don’t think a fight is likely to have escalated that far, it was probably the fireworks that frightened the poor thing 🙁
 
I think your main concern right now (other than grieving) should be making sure that your other guinea pig is keeping his weight steady

If possible you should move him inside for now, monitoring his weight daily and continuing to make sure he’s eating and drinking.
While guinea pigs recover faster from losses than we do remember he is still sad, and also needs time to grieve

Unfortunately as prey animals they can actually die of fright
 
So sorry for your loss. What a shock. Please follow the advice given by other members. Hope your other piggy is ok. Sending you massive hugs.xx
 
Thank you everyone for your kind words. Teddy is indoors now and doing OK eating and drinking which is a good sign 🤞🏻
 
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