Coping with the loss of my furry friends

[LilyGreen]

Hi; my name is lily and today I lost 3 of my 4 guinea pigs. I'm so heart broken- I'd had them for at least 2 years and miss them dearly. Our last baby is ill but okay- the vet says they all had chest infections and the sudden heat in the uk killed them. Does anyone have any advice for advancing forwards from this point- I have been left with one sickly guinea pig and my two dogs. My family is also heartbroken- but I want to get through this.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi; my name is lily and today I lost 3 of my 4 guinea pigs. I'm so heart broken- I'd had them for at least 2 years and miss them dearly. Our last baby is ill but okay- the vet says they all had chest infections and the sudden heat in the uk killed them. Does anyone have any advice for advancing forwards from this point- I have been left with one sickly guinea pig and my two dogs. My family is also heartbroken- but I want to get through this.

Hi and welcome, Lily!

BIG HUGS

I am very sorry! A heatwave is always a bad time for the ill, frail, old, the pregnant and very young. I have lost several of mine due to the added stress of a heatwave over the years and have currently a frail old lady that has done a dive due to the heat myself.

Please concentrate on your last one. Bring her indoors into the coolest room of the house, but safely away from the dogs. the more you can keep her in stable temperatures below 25 C the better for her recovery.
Hot Weather Management And Heat Strokes

Make sure that you monitor her weight daily at the same time (kitchen scales are fine) instead of the weekly weigh-in that we recommend for all guinea pigs and if necessary top her up with syringe feed. The need to breathe comes before the need to drink and only thirdly the need to eat. Add to that an appetite dampener like an antibiotic, the shock of the loss of her mates and the heat, and you have perfect storm!
Right now, you need to concentrate on getting her through her illness, first and foremost. She is in quarantine until at least 3 weeks after the end of the treatment before she is safe to meet other piggies. Give her extra vitamin C in order to boost her immune system for 2-3 weeks (information on that in the syringe feeding guide). You may also want to add a pinch of probiotics to any syringe feed to help her guts.
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig

See your vet asap and step in with syringe feeding and watering in case she is going into acute pining or losing the battle against her chest infection because her immune system is additionally lowered.
Here is more information on what you can do for her now and in the coming time:
Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

Please deep clean the cage/hutch with a vet grade disinfectant like F10 (widely available online) now and again at the end of the treatment to prevent any bugs from being carried onward. Wash any fabrics at least at 60 C.
Importance Of Quarantine

The best and safest place to find a new mate of her own choice is a good standard rescue, but she needs to be fully healthy and quarantine for that because of the infection risk she poses otherwise. You can consider both neutered boar or sows, depending what the rescues you can reach have available for adoption. I would recommend that you contact all rescues you can get to once your girl is in her quarantine. It usually takes a bit of time to set up an adoption and a rescue date.
Here is a list of the rescues we can guarantee that you are in good hands: Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues

You are welcome to post a tribute to the girls you have lost if you would like to leave a tangible memory in our Rainbow Bridge section. It is there for anybody who wants to make use of it at any time they feel it is right for them.
Rainbow Bridge Pets

If you find that you or your children really struggle with coping with the trauma of the loss, please make use of the free Blue Cross pet bereavement line. Any forum members that have done so over their own losses have had a positive experience and found that it had really helped them. Talking is the best cure! You can find the link at the bottom of the bereavement guide.

Sorry, it is a lot for you to read through, but you will hopefully find the information very helpful.

 

[EJMA82]

I’m so sorry for your loss, I lost 4 pigs a year ago in much similar circumstances and it was heartbreaking. Big hugs to you and your family. Xx

 

[Hoppity.K]

So sorry for your loss, huge hugs x

 

[Merab]

So sorry for your loss.
Please be gentle with yourself as you grieve such a tragic loss. It’s hard losing one, but three is devastating.
Take care of the little one and I hope you all survive this heatwave.

Welcome to the forum

 

[Flutterby]

I'm so sorry for your losses. Sending all my love x