A question about guinea pigs and when they die.

Status
Not open for further replies.
L

loveisdivine

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Oct 22, 2009
Messages
187
Reaction score
4
Points
0
Location
Dublin
So recently a stray cat got knocked over in our estate and the OH and I ended up disposing of the body (we buried it) as no one else seemed bothered and I just couldnt leave the poor thing there. Every animal deserves dignity in death.

Well this got me to thinking. What should I expect when one of my piggies dies? My encounter with this cat was my first ever encounter with a dead animal. I had no idea what to expect, I was nervous about how it would feel picking it up and what it would look like when I got up close. Thankfully it was no way near as gruesome as I imagined. Simply a cat with its eyes closed, that felt like it was frozen.

Will it be the same for the piggies? I often worry that if I come down one day and one of them has passed during the night, I wont know what to do. What if I'm too scared/upset to pick her up? Or I am just over reacting?

Sorry if anyone finds this a hard topic, but I am genuinely curious as its something I'm going to have to deal with one day and I want to be prepared.
 
I've only ever lost one at home, the others passed away whilst receiving treatment :(

All I can say is she looked like she was asleep, the body will only stiffen after rigor mortis sets in so we try to bury ours as soon as possible. I can't look at them really so we wrap them in a blanket & bury them with a nice pile of grass on top. I have had ones having little fits shortly before the end & I think that it is quite common & very distressing to watch so I am glad I haven't really witnessed that.
 
I think you will be fine, i have lost three pigs so far and all of them i have sat and cuddled until i was ready to let them go to their new place in the garden, they just look peaceful to me much like they are asleep x
 
Your question is not a strange one! Death is one of the big taboos in our society, but that also means that you do not automatically acquire strategies and rituals that help you to cope while you grow up.

In short: a piggy will feel the same. It is not something horrible, just what is left after the personality that has inhabited has left.

How you react depends on your actual emotional state; there is no right or wrong. The first time is always the most difficult; and the act of dying itself can be sometimes not as straight forward as you would like as the body does not always shut down smoothly. A sudden, unexpected death can leave you literally shaking. If you have to pts at a vets, you can choose whether you want to be present or not. It is not cowardice if you don't.

It never gets any less hurtful to lose a pet, but you learn to deal with it a bit better over time. How much you grieve depends on how tight a bond you have had, not on the species (and that includes humans). There are no shortcuts to grieving. You will also never completely stop missing any pet or person that you have loved; but you will also always retain the capacity to love another pet or person, as they will create a new, different and unique bond with you over their own time.

I have found that the deeper understanding of emotions and the resulting empathy has made me a richer and more mature person, so grieving is not necessarily just a negative process. We often grow not through the good times, but by dealing with the challenges and hurts that life thows at us in a meaningful way. Having lost a pet makes you appreciate all the little joys they bring to your life on a daily basis more.

PS: There are pet bereavement phone lines available to help you, if ever you need one.
 
Last edited:
Very true Wiebke. I once lost a piggy at 13 weeks and felt bad that I didn't cry much but what you said makes sense, I had yet to bond with him as I had him since he was 8 weeks.

It's not nice of course but not horrible or distressing. Peaceful and relieving if they have been ill as no one wants their pet to go on if they are suffering :)
 
They do go rigid very quickly but this passes off so if you wait until the next day to bury them they will be floppy again.
I too wrap up their little bodies, and also try to plant something nice over their grave so that every time it flowers I will think of that piggy.
 
I have had deaths at home. Usually rigamortis sets in and they will feel like they are frozen. They will also might bloat up slightly from the decomposing gas. They were buried in our gardens. We wrapped them in tissue paper and put them in shoe boxes
sigh :(
 
Sadly I lost two of my piggies today, one died overnight and the other I had to take to the vets to be pts. As others have said, as their body cools they become stiffer and heavier, and after 24-48hrs this wears off, so that the body becomes pliable again. It is best to bury them immediately, or as soon as possible, as you don't particularly want a dead animal lying around, and also you don't know if a dog/cat may get to it.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone.

I have a fairly healthy (I think) stance on death itself, human or animal. Death itself doesnt scare me because its something that happens to everything. I believe that a body should be buried so that it can decompose and become vital nutrients for nature. Looking at it that way always makes me feel better, because death is important as it gives something back to nature.

Its more the physical part of it that concerns me. As I said that cat was my first ever exprience with a dead animal. Ive never been present for any other pets dying. Your responses have helped though.
I want to make sure I'm prepared enough that I wont freak out and not be able to touch her. I want to be able to pick her up and give her a cuddle.

My oldest are only 3, so hopefully it wont be soon. But I still think about it.
 
I absolutely dread losing one of ours and cry when I see other members on here who have lost - they're like our children and know I will go totally to pieces at the time 8...
It's going to be horrible as my OH is as besotted with them so both of us will be devastated.
When Harley was really poorly last year and thought we'd lose him, I took time off work to nurse him and after a week or so actually began to accept the fact that he may not pull through. I sat for hours cuddling him and even found myself at one time willing him to go as I thought he was suffering and told him it was ok 8...I couldn't speak to anyone or function normally, know that sounds a bit OTT but my world was wrapped around the little fur ball 24/7 x)
Luckily though, he pulled through and still gives me evils...:x
Sorry this doesn't really answer your question, I've dealt with pets previously who have left us for whatever reason but somehow, the piggies have made so much more of an impact on my life and love them more than any animal I've ever owned :{
 
My Patrick was put to sleep at the vets, I later went to collect his body to take him to the crematorium as I didn't have anywhere to bury him. We laid him on a little blanket he was lying in his forever sleep, just as I'd always remembered him it brought great comfort getting to say one last good bye.

I still miss him horribly, they say time is a great healer but my heart still ache's.
 
I have lost many piggies but that is because I've had so many, i used to be scared to hold their lifeless bodies but now even when they've past I snuggle them for hours still.
 
We've lost many pets-because we've had so many.

We had a lone pig called Barney many years ago who lived until he was 8. I found him one morning looking like he had peacefully passed away in his sleep-a lovely end to having lived healthily for 8yrs.

During a particularly unusually hot spell many years ago I found one of our Piggys Mopsey dead in her hutch. I had to go out that afternoon and didn't realise just how hot it was. It was awful, her eyes were open and her tongue was hanging out. I ran inside with her floppy body and covered her with cold flannels thinking I could bring her round but it was useless. I had her on my lap stroking her beautiful fur-she was a Peruvian. It felt like such a waste and I carry the guilt everyday.

I think after seeing many pets passed away you do kind of cope with it better.
 
I lost my Freddie last month, he went in the night so when I went in in the morning he was lay there as if he was sleeping. I popped him in a baby fleece blanket and as he was so special to me we arranged for the animal ambulance to collect him and take him to the crematorium, he's now on top of the food cupboard in the piggy room! :)
 
Hi I lost my male piggie percy after weeks of syring feeding him .He was only 2 years 1/2 .It was very upsetting to see.I felt like I could of done more.
He passed away in my arms .I still think about him everyday but I know he is out of pain now x8...
I got my favourite little case make up laid his favourite blanket in there and covered him over.
As I rent I had him cremated .
He now sits on my window seal in the sun .
My family think I'm barmy but I could not put his ashes in my garden that I could move from.x
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top