Are Guinea Pigs Meant To Live Longer?

[pet1234]

Just had our last Guinean pig just passed away at about 4 and a half years. We hear of guinea living over 5 years easily, any guesses as to why she died so early?

 

[Wiebke]

Just had our last Guinean pig just passed away at about 4 and a half years. We hear of guinea living over 5 years easily, any guesses as to why she died so early?

Hi and welcome!

The average life expectancy is around 5-7 years but they can live longer. The oldest documented guinea pig has lived to a whopping 17 years.
Guinea Pig Facts - A Short Overview

The current indiscriminate mass breeding especially for pet shops and free-ads breeders has unfortunately consequences for longevity.

As you have not added any background whatsoever, I cannot say what has contributed to or caused your piggy to live for as long as it did. If your guinea pigs develops serious or chronic medical issues, its life span is often shortened; that is the same potluck that we human have.

Good care, a good hay based balanced diet and regular exercise as well as weekly health checks can contribute to extending the life span.

It is a however respectable life span.

 

[pet1234]

Thanks for the reply, and the lack of background information comes from death being so sudden. We hadn't noticed any problem since and found her dead this morning. The only thing that we noticed was the lack of whistling, but there was nothing else that was symptomatic of a URI.

We recently took in a dog, could the bog has passed on to her something bad? We know the dog didn't frighten her or anything like that that could've caused her passing away

 

[pet1234]

Just looking for a bit of an answer really... four and a half years doesn't seem right :'(

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks for the reply, and the lack of background information comes from death being so sudden. We hadn't noticed any problem since and found her dead this morning. The only thing that we noticed was the lack of whistling, but there was nothing else that was symptomatic of a URI.

We recently took in a dog, could the bog has passed on to her something bad? We know the dog didn't frighten her or anything like that that could've caused her passing away

I am very sory for your loss. You are welcome to post a tribute in our Rainbow Bridge section if or whenever it feels right to you if you'd like to leave a little memorial at some point.

Heart attacks, acute heart failure or strokes can happen out of the blue in healthy guinea pig of all ages, even young ones. Once a major organ fails, guinea pigs can also go downhill very quickly. It sounds like there may have been a preceding mild discomfort/pain issue in your case, but your guess is as good as ours as to what could have caused it. Unfortunately, only a rather expensive post mortem examination by a vet may have a chance at giving you real answers.

It always comes as a nasty shock and leaves any caring owner with the need to make sense of it and wondering whether it was something they have caused or overlooked.

If your piggy has a companion, here our tips of what you can do for it: Rainbow Bridge Pets

 

[Freela]

I am really sorry for your loss. It's always sad to lose a pet, especially suddenly and without warning and with no clear explanation as to why.

I have always read that the 'average' lifespan of a guinea pig is 5 to 7 years. But it's important to realize this is an average- to put it in human terms, it's possible to live to be 100 or more, but it's also possible to die of a heart attack at 45. When we average all those people out, we get an average lifespan in the mid-seventies, but that doesn't mean we are 'guaranteed' that span. Same with pigs, they don't all reach the 5 to 7 year point.

Our of my own pigs, one died of sepsis before the age of 2 (very sad!) One lived to be slightly over 6 before dying of what I now think was probably lymphoma, though never had a formal diagnosis. One is currently closing in on 7, the other is doing well at 2 years of age. So we've had a discrepancy in life expectancy, from some living into old age and one passing away quite young due to illness.

Small animals tend to hide symptoms and get sick very quickly, so sometimes by the time we see signs, the animal is already very ill. And, just like humans, some health issues like heart attack, stroke, or organ failure can crop up very suddenly with very little in the way of prodromal symptoms.

At any rate, I'm really sorry for your loss. ((HUGS)) to you!

 

[Wiebke]

PS: If it is any consolation to you, I have lost two guina pigs aged 1 and 2 years to sudden acute heart failure, three 3 year old ones in or after emergency operations (mostly in the olden days), but I also have had piggies that lived to 8 and in one case nearly 10 years old. Most of my RIP guinea pigs have lived 4-7 years, though.

 

[pet1234]

Thanks Freela and Wiebka if anything it helps to quell the guilt to understand that pigs can simply be burdened with these unfortunate health problems. Do you think the loss of the whistle was my warning sign to send her to the vet? We aren't financially well off and if there's anything I know it's that vet bills can be stupidly high, but I know this isn't a good reason

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks Freela and Wiebka if anything it helps to quell the guilt to understand that pigs can simply be burdened with these unfortunate health problems. Do you think the loss of the whistle was my warning sign to send her to the vet? We aren't financially well off and if there's anything I know it's that vet bills can be stupidly high, but I know this isn't a good reason

To be honest, it is impossible to say. There often comes the point where you just have to leave things as an unsolved issue with guinea pigs.

I doubt that you could have done anything to prevent what has happened; take consolation from that.

Some things really happen very sudden. Guinea pigs are also very good at hiding illnesses until it is virtually to late. And they can go downhill with frightening speed.

Please try not to feel guilty; if there really was a noticeable sign, you would have noticed. You sound like a caring owner. You are simply doing what every one of us does when faced with a sudden and inexplicable death. If anything, it speaks louder than anything just as what good and caring piggy mum you are.

 

[pet1234]

Thanks, that really is a huge consolation for someone who feels like they've hit rockbottom. Its only too frustrating that pigs have been taught to hide their illnesses when all we want to do is help.

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks, that really is a huge consolation for someone who feels like they've hit rockbottom. Its only too frustrating that pigs have been taught to hide their illnesses when all we want to do is help.

Guinea pigs are prey animals. A visibly ill piggy is a doomed piggy, one way or other. So they hide anything and try to keep up with their group for as long as possible.

 

[pet1234]

Looking into it a bit more I'm pretty certain it was a URI now. Just come across the symptom of wheezing and seen a few examples and YouTube and it's exactly what she was doing before she died. Ah how stupid not to take her to the vet at that point and not even to bother checking out what it could mean.

 

[VickiA]

I'm so sorry for your loss. Please don't blame yourself. We have all of us (even the most experienced piggy keepers) missed some illnesses or ailments. As Wiebke has said they are prey animals and it is inbuilt into them to hide their illnesses. I've had one very grumpy piggy live to well over 8 and lost others at any age from a few months to 4- 5 years. We can't always save them even if we spot their symptoms. Some just simply choose to "give up" for whatever reason. Please don't torment yourself. Just remind yourself what a good home she had with you while she was with you.

 

[sindydoll]

so sorry for your loss. hugs to you