Welll I first made this post because my guinea pig was really limp and twitching and wouldn’t jump around like usual but she passed 5 hours later an hour ago. I came to ask questions because I didn’t know what was happening but I didn’t know what to do. It was 11pm nothing was open. It was sad
. My little sister and me kept crying. So I guess all I can ask is do I bury him or how? I don’t want to do anything I so feel bad and I think he didn’t want to let go till I started stroking him and cuddling them he let go and I just hate it a lot. I don’t know if I want any more pets. Most I had to bury were old age dogs but never a really small guinea pig that was a live then breathed its last breathe in my arms. I’m going vegetarian
Hi and welcome!
I am very sorry for your sudden loss. The first death you witness is always hard; especially if you haven't adult support.
It is very likely that you piggy has suffered from a sudden stroke or heart attack. There is nothing you can do; even rushing to the vets for euthanasia/pts would not have changed anything. These things can happen at any age right out of the blue unfortunately.
Please take the time to read the green guide links below. They will hopefully help you make sense of your experience of the dying process (which is much more physical than we generally assume when the body is gradully closing down) and of your currently raw emotions as you are going through the grieving process in the coming days or weeks where you can experience some strong and sometimes conflicting feelings.
You can bury your guinea pig whenever you want to; personally I would wait until the body is cold and stiff so it does no longer feel like he is still lingering in there. If you find wrapping him up in some compostable material too upsetting, please ask a parent to do it for you.
I would recommend a larger flower pot that you can board up at first or plant up to prevent digging up by cats, foxes or dogs coming into your garden; which can be a very upsetting experience. The grieving guide has got examples and pictures of how you can take your leave. Perhaps there is something personal that appeals to you and sister specially?
Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children
A Practical and Sensitive Guide to Dying, Terminal Illness and Euthanasia in Guinea Pigs
Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig
Of course you will find the dying process very traumatic when you don't know what to expect and cannot brace for it - but death and loss are an integral part of any life cycle; including the human one.
Your first instinctive reaction is generally to run away from it but it means that you will be hit even harder when it catches up with you in its human form sooner or later as you go through life. Or you can learn to face it and accept it as the other side of the same coin of being utterly free to love a pet or a human unreservedly, and the richness and ultimately emotional maturity that brings. That unreserved love is a very special gift, but it is only ever temporary and can be revoked at any moment without warning.
I would however recommend to do your research into any pet species beforehand so you can keep them to a good welfare standard and cater to their own species needs, like companionship of their own kind, saving up for vet care etc. The first loss you witness is always one of the worst.
There are confidential pet bereavement lines or online groups where you can talk about your feelings and experiences; that is the best way of learning to cope with your loss and with the shock of witnessing a death firsthand. More information and links on that are in the grieving guide. Talking is by far the best thing you can do.
I always bury my own guinea pigs wrapped in kitchen paper with a little bouquet of whatever is in bloom at the time; but because I have so many and have piggies for a long time, I have very large flower pots that I plant over when they are full; first with shallow rooted bedding plants and later with permanent roses or small shrubs.
Here is a picture of the send off I have given the little baby in my avatar last summer when she died in my arms after suffering a sudden devastating stroke only weeks from her 8th birthday.
PS: When you go vegetarian, please make sure that you don't just stop eating meat or fish but that you research into a healthy balanced long term diet to have the full benefit of your decision and that you respect any food you eat. It all comes ultimately from living beings, whether that is plant or animal. We are all part of a huge cycle of life; welfare is about what kind of footprint we leave and what we give back, whether that is caring for unwanted pets (rescue adoption) or what we consume in terms of food or otherwise and how much in terms of resourses anything uses up.
Sorry you lost him, sleep tight little man x
