Can Guinea Pigs Die Suddenly From Fear?

[cvieira43075]

Hello all,

I've been thinking a lot lately after my piggies died, if maybe they died from being scared? I'm not sure if you remember my story about getting two female guinea pigs from a woman that no longer could care for them. I had brought them home (after a 30 min car ride), one cried a lot and the other was a little skittish. I brought them home, settled them into their big enclosure just to find one dead after having her about 10 hours. Then the other died the following day. Could they have been so frightened that maybe that's why they died so suddenly? Has anyone experienced this or had this done before? I want to own guinea pigs again, but I don't want to go through this again. I have a huge fear now of this happening again.

I've disinfected the cage, washed all the bottles and bowls in my dishwasher on high temp, got all new fleece and toys. I have a cage ready for two piggies, but again I'm in fear when I do get a new pair (it's been a few weeks now since I lost my female guinea pigs) that they too will die. Thoughts anyone?

Thanks!

 

[LadyLilly]

I'm so sorry you had to go throught that! I can only imagine how shocked you must have been

I can't help you figure out why it happend, I'm sorry. Maybe they were already sick and the stress of an new enviroment was too much?

Take your time to heal from this experience. I'm sure you'll be a great owner. Maybe take the new piggies for a quick check up at the vets to make sure they are in good health?

 

[RosieMaia]

I believe they could die out of fear, but I don't think that's what happened to you.

Piggies are prey animals, and they've evolved to hide their illnesses very well. It would be too big of a coincidence for both piggies to pass away from fear, and I think an underlying illness is a much more likely explanation.

This sounds like a true nightmare, so sorry for your pigs! It doesn't sound like you did anything wrong, so this wasn't your fault in any way. Whenever you're ready to consider getting piggies, you can always adopt from a good rescue, so you can be sure they are in good health and you don't go through that again.

 

[cvieira43075]

Thank you, I've reached out to a local shelter that has a few guinea pigs for adoption. I explained to them what happened to me and if they can give me some insight of what might have happened. I've also explained to them all the steps I took to cleaning out my enclosure to get ready for new guinea pigs when I'm ready. I'm hoping they can give me some information that could help prevent this from happening again.

 

[Swissgreys]

Although piggies can die of fear I agree wholeheartedly with @RosieMaia
I think this lady gave you two ill guinea pigs, and because they were in a new environment they hid their illness well.
Sudden and unexpected death can happen to even the most dedicated and experienced owners, but thankfully it is quite rare.

I think you sound like a very caring person who has a wonderful home to offer 2 guinea pigs.
I know it is hard but please don't let your first experience put you off trying again.
If at all possible you could offer to take on 2 piggies from a rescue.
This would ensure they were healthy and bonded and hopefully would bring you many years of joy in return for a loving home.
I am sorry you had to go through this, and understand it might take some time before you are ready to try again

 

[Reenie]

I agree - although it's possible, it's highly unlikely in this case. They would probably have passed whether you took them or not. At least their last short hours were with someone who cared for and loved them. You can now give all that love to give some other piggies a lovely home.

 

[cvieira43075]

This is the cage I have that I use fleece as the bedding. I've disinfected this cage so many times and bought all new hideouts, water bottles, hay bin, bowls, etc.

 

[Wiebke]

Hello all,

I've been thinking a lot lately after my piggies died, if maybe they died from being scared? I'm not sure if you remember my story about getting two female guinea pigs from a woman that no longer could care for them. I had brought them home (after a 30 min car ride), one cried a lot and the other was a little skittish. I brought them home, settled them into their big enclosure just to find one dead after having her about 10 hours. Then the other died the following day. Could they have been so frightened that maybe that's why they died so suddenly? Has anyone experienced this or had this done before? I want to own guinea pigs again, but I don't want to go through this again. I have a huge fear now of this happening again.

I've disinfected the cage, washed all the bottles and bowls in my dishwasher on high temp, got all new fleece and toys. I have a cage ready for two piggies, but again I'm in fear when I do get a new pair (it's been a few weeks now since I lost my female guinea pigs) that they too will die. Thoughts anyone?

Thanks!

Guinea pigs can die from sheer fright, like when being acutely threatened by a fox or a rat. And they often die after an attack on an outdoors hutch. Generally, it is not all piggies, only the ones that have a weak heart or are very frail.

In your case, no, yours haven't died from sheer fright because that is either just the heart stopping and the body going into multi-organ failure. There is no pain and it is very quick and immediate. If it had been a concrete trigger, both your girls would have been dead or dying by the time you'd arrived home. They would have been totally lethargic and spaeced out by the time you got them out of your car.

The stress of moving home will have contributed, but what was going on had already started well before you went to pick them up and it was not something you could have foreseen. Please be aware that with any illness, there is some time between infection and outbreak. The original infection must have happened beforehand.

Even your little piggy crying from pain was more likely just from protest of being squashed by the mate sitting on top of her - but she was too scared to move away. it is normal behaviour for a vocal youngster. I have experienced that often enough with our first pair that we used to take with us whenever we visited my elderly mother-on-law several hour's drive away (often). Both piggies did survive just fine and eventually got used to it and made themselves at home very quickly in their home-from-home.

It was not the transport that has killed them. Hundreds of totally frightened guinea pigs are got out of horrible places and are often driven around for several hours to various rescues each year, yet these guinea pigs do not die from fright. Some are so badly freaked out, they are literally trying to climb up walls if a human comes close. But they do NOT die from their fright, and with good care they go on to be happy pets in most cases. I have adopted several of them.

Please be aware that it is a very normal reaction to a traumatic experience to soul search and to minutely examine your actions. The usual feelings or guilt and failure are magnified and can take over. it is always so much easier to see from hindsight what could have gone wrong and where, but there is nothing you could have changed and nothing you have to blame yourself for. You have done everything that you would and should do. Don't try to blame yourself for something you couldn't have known and could never have expected!

If you feel that your feelings are taking over and you struggle to cope, please seek help from a pet bereavement hotline. Just talking it through with somebody who is trained to listen will hopefully help you.
This is a hotline in your state that I have found by googling: Pet Loss Support Hotline

 

[Tiamolly123]

I agree with everyone, that is probably why she gave them to you.
I'm curious why the barrier between the cages. If you go to the housing thread it will tell you how big your cage needs to be for the amount of piggies you have in there. Also they need a hidey each. Put a door in the back too. It means a piggy won't get trapped, if they get a bit argumentative.
Give 2 piggies from the shelter a loving home.
Enjoy them you sound a loving, caring piggy slave.

 

[Reenie]

I agree with everyone, that is probably why she gave them to you.
I'm curious why the barrier between the cages. If you go to the housing thread it will tell you how big your cage needs to be for the amount of piggies you have in there.
Give 2 piggies from the shelter a loving home.
Enjoy them you sound a loving, caring piggy slave.

I thought that about the barrier at first too @Tiamolly123 but I noticed there's a ramp between the two areas - they'll have access to both sides.

 

[cvieira43075]

Thank you everyone, I've been overthinking this I think because I just feel so bad that they passed.

As for the barrier on my cage, it came with the cage, but when I get a new pair I'm going to take it out. I feel there is no need to have it in there, not even sure why the cage came with it. I think it was designed to separate the "play" area with an area for their food and bedding or litter tray.

 

[Tiamolly123]

The more room they have to popcorn & do zoomies the better.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you everyone, I've been overthinking this I think because I just feel so bad that they passed.

As for the barrier on my cage, it came with the cage, but when I get a new pair I'm going to take it out. I feel there is no need to have it in there, not even sure why the cage came with it. I think it was designed to separate the "play" area with an area for their food and bedding or litter tray.

You are suffering from a mild form of post-traumatic stress disorder; it is not uncommon. Please talk it over with somebody who'll understand to get it out of your system. it is very normal to seek the fault without yourself and not with other people, but there is nothing you can fault yourself on; you have been seeking advice and have seen a vet promptly; none of us could foresee the nasty turn of events. If you can, please turn this horrible experience into something that gives you the motivation to go out and make a difference in some way as a legacy to your two poor girls.

I still strongly think that your girls were put up for another home to avoid vet cost. It is a tragedy that this has happened too late to save them, and it is a tragedy that you have been set up to carry the bucket and are now left to pick up the pieces!

 

[Melephant]

My friend is traveling for the next month and I took her Guinea pig while she is gone. I got her 2 days before she left in case I had any issues so she would still be around to help. Her Guinea Pig was great in the car and eating when I got her home. i kept her in a quiet room while I was at work. When I got home I took her out to cuddle and explore and noticed her fur around her bum was extremely soiled with urine so I called her owner and asked about bathing her. In the time it took for me to fill the tub a few inches and go to get her she had died. It was awful. Now I'm worried I gave her a heart attack or scared her to death. Her owner luckily handled it extremely well. She had previously had a stroke (The guinea pig, not her owner) now I feel awful thinking I may have scared her to death.

 

[TheLottiediarys]

My friend is traveling for the next month and I took her Guinea pig while she is gone. I got her 2 days before she left in case I had any issues so she would still be around to help. Her Guinea Pig was great in the car and eating when I got her home. i kept her in a quiet room while I was at work. When I got home I took her out to cuddle and explore and noticed her fur around her bum was extremely soiled with urine so I called her owner and asked about bathing her. In the time it took for me to fill the tub a few inches and go to get her she had died. It was awful. Now I'm worried I gave her a heart attack or scared her to death. Her owner luckily handled it extremely well. She had previously had a stroke (The guinea pig, not her owner) now I feel awful thinking I may have scared her to death.

Okay I'm very sorry this had happened again but I think you need to think about whether something in your house is causing this
Have you checked that you don't have a gas leak of some sort?
That's the first thing that springs to mind
Sometimes when you have a gas leak or carbon monoxide in the house the little animals die first

Again I'm very sorry this has happened again but it's worth getting it checked out for your safety too