Dealing with the loss of our first guinea pig

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Davide

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Hello everyone,
It's my first post here, and unfortunately it's a very sad moment to make one.
Me and my wife lost our first ever pig, Nocciola, last Friday. She was 4. We have been crying solidly since then. Nocciola was really special, our relationship with her was incredible and Nocciola really was a member of the family. My wife is 28, I'm 34. I'll let you imagine how hard it is to explain to our friends/families/co-workers what we're going through. We are completely in shock now, and I felt the need to share this with people who we know can understand.
Other than dealing with the big pain, I'm trying to think about what to do next, and I'm confused. As much as I know that we love having pigs and we can be great pig parents, what concerns me is that Nocciola was absolutely outstanding. She was friendly, she was around us all the time, she was more like a very small dog, in many ways. Nocciola left behind a little companion, who is clearly grieving now, and who is always been very shy and not very interactive with us.
Part of us wants a new pig, but I'm afraid we won't enjoy the experience because of how special the relationship with Nocciola was.0_.facebook_1534550646116.webp
We think some of you here may have already gone through the same, I feel that it would be so helpful for us if you could share your stories of getting a new pig after such a tragic loss, especially if you had similar fears at that time.
I'll leave a picture of Nocciola here, so you all can see how gorgeous she was.
Sorry for the very long post, me and my wife will greatly appreciate your help in this tough moment.
 
Davide said:
Hello everyone,
It's my first post here, and unfortunately it's a very sad moment to make one.
Me and my wife lost our first ever pig, Nocciola, last Friday. She was 4. We have been crying solidly since then. Nocciola was really special, our relationship with her was incredible and Nocciola really was a member of the family. My wife is 28, I'm 34. I'll let you imagine how hard it is to explain to our friends/families/co-workers what we're going through. We are completely in shock now, and I felt the need to share this with people who we know can understand.
Other than dealing with the big pain, I'm trying to think about what to do next, and I'm confused. As much as I know that we love having pigs and we can be great pig parents, what concerns me is that Nocciola was absolutely outstanding. She was friendly, she was around us all the time, she was more like a very small dog, in many ways. Nocciola left behind a little companion, who is clearly grieving now, and who is always been very shy and not very interactive with us.
Part of us wants a new pig, but I'm afraid we won't enjoy the experience because of how special the relationship with Nocciola was.View attachment 93349
We think some of you here may have already gone through the same, I feel that it would be so helpful for us if you could share your stories of getting a new pig after such a tragic loss, especially if you had similar fears at that time.
I'll leave a picture of Nocciola here, so you all can see how gorgeous she was.
Sorry for the very long post, me and my wife will greatly appreciate your help in this tough moment.
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I’m so very sorry for your loss.Most of us here know what you’re both going through.When I lost my Sam I was absolutely devastated, the vet rang me at work and told me they couldn’t remove his bladder stone and because of the pain he was in it was better to put him to sleep.I was crying my eyes out and my co workers were supportive but I could see they didn’t really understand.My remaining pig georgie was very subdued which made me sadder but I decided I had to do what was best for him so when only a few days later someone on this forum was having to rehome their guinea pig, I traveled with Georgie for the 60 miles and luckily they got on great.I didn’t really want another pig as I felt like i was replacing Sam but seeing georgie so much happier made me realise it was the right decision.Big hugs xx
 
aw, i’m so so sorry for your loss. nocciola seemed so loved. i recently lost my piggie bonnie and i was so upset for weeks. i found having a little memorial place for her ( in my case her grave) so i can go out ana remember her and think of the good times. remember that grieving time has no limit. i also made a collage with lots of pictures of bonnie and framed it. big hugs- think of the good times.
sleep tight little piggy 🐷 xxxxxx
 
Hi and welcome to the forum I am just so sorry it is under your current circumstances. I don't get why other people can't understand that a pet is a part of the family which means any small animal is as much the part of the family as a cat or a dog. Definitely people don't realise how much character they have, a number of my colleagues said they thought they were boring pets until they heard about the antics of my lot.

There are two other members of this forum who joined in very much the same circumstances as you after losing a very, very special piggy and after taking time to grieve they took on a group of three lovely sows. I'm hoping they will be able to chat to you about what they went through as it is important that any piggies you take on are not taken in to replace your beautiful Nocciola but are taken in because you have a lot of love to give and you are ready to give other piggies a home. The members I speak of are @Hoppity.K and @David Pet Lover
 
I read the lovely tribute your wife posted earlier.
I’m glad you have found the forum.
There are many of us here who know just how devastating the loss of a piggy can be.
No pig will ever replace Nocciola but they can be her successors.
Every pig holds a unique and special place in our hearts but our hearts have a limitless capacity for love.
You both obviously loved Nocciola and her sister Lenticchia and I am certain that you will love any future piggies, however you decide to go forward.
Remember that grief takes its own time to work through so be gentle with yourselves and take time to grieve
 
Thanks so much for all the kind words, it's really helping reading them. Part of the problem is how alone we feel right now, and some words from someone who understands can make a big difference. Lady Kelly, thanks for mentioning the 2 forum members that went through a similar situation, it would be great if they could share their story with us.
We are thinking of visiting a few local rescues over the next weekends, to see how we react to that. I think it's a necessary step. For now, 3 days after the loss we're still completely heartbroken and in shock.
 
Hi everyone,
Sorry if I keep posting here, but me and my wife are facing really hard days. Happy memories are starting to surface more often today, but still accompanied by massive pain and bursting into tears. We are missing her immensely, and we feel the need to share some of this. I hope this is ok.
This is a picture of Nocciola when she had been with us for just 6 months old. Saying that she was comfortable around us would be an understatement. We have 1000+ pictures of her, and we could talk for hours about each one of them. She really was a star.

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Davide said:
Hi everyone,
Sorry if I keep posting here, but me and my wife are facing really hard days. Happy memories are starting to surface more often today, but still accompanied by massive pain and bursting into tears. We are missing her immensely, and we feel the need to share some of this. I hope this is ok.
This is a picture of Nocciola when she had been with us for just 6 months old. Saying that she was comfortable around us would be an understatement. We have 1000+ pictures of her, and we could talk for hours about each one of them. She really was a star.

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Click to expand...
your set up there for your piggies is incredible! nocciola was obviously loved enormously. feel free to post as much as you like, the forum is here to help!
getting over rainbow bridge piggies is hard, but time is a great healer. hope your feeling a bit better xxxxxxx
 
Thanks,
We moved 200 miles since that picture was taken. Nocciola was a hero and handled the moving 3 years ago with no problem, despite us being really concerned about it of course. This is her checking the grocery delivery with us. She would stay close to us all the time :)
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Please keep posting - this is a place where people really understand how devastating it is to lose a beloved piggy.
Posting pictures and talking about Nocciola is part of the healing as is crying.
She was a beautiful girl
 
Most of us on here have been through what you are feeling and it's desperately sad and continues to be for a long time. Big hugs to you both :hug:. It is absolutely ok for you to share your grieving process and love of Nocciola with us - that's an important part of the forum's purpose.

I joined the forum after losing a very special piggie after neutering - which meant I felt partly responsible and guilty. It took ages to get over losing Pip; he has been followed by some other lovely piggies but he remains extra special in some ways.
 
To answer your question above, which I haven't really - giving extra love to Nocciola's friend (I call it cuddle therapy!) and, at the right time, getting a new piggy is the best way to move forward, in my experience.
 
Thanks everyone, I'll keep posting a few pictures and anecdotes of Nocciola in the next days, it will definitely help ease the pain. Posyrose, me and Martina are really sorry about Pip. We understand that we'll move on eventually, but Nocciola will stay forever special for us. The little Lenticchia is doing better today. We're giving her all the attentions we can, but she's always been shy with us. We need to be patient with her.
 
I am so sorry for your loss. As you say so many people just don't understand. It broke my heart when my Molly died.
We were set to bury her but in the end we couldn't do it. So we had her cremated, we put her in a little taffeta envelope over my piggies cage, then she could see them play. Although I still cried I felt better that she was with us & the others piggies.
 
We are so sorry about Molly. We're starting to realize that, when they leave a mark like this, it's because they were loved so much. And they knew it, I'm sure. We could tell Nocciola knew she was loved. She was the happiest, most curious piggy since the first months with us. Some pictures for you here, as a evidence :). We went to a Pets at home today after work. We wanted to buy the guinea pig magazine (they didn't have it though), and see how we reacted to see the baby pigs they had there. Not too well, I must say. We switched the focus immediately on the memory of Nocciola and on little Lenticchia, who's still with us.
Ps: we'll be looking at rescues when the time comes, the visit to the store was just to see our reaction ;)
Have a lovely evening everyone and stay close to your piggies. Thanks again for letting us share.

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Oh my, what wonderful gorgeous little girls, you must be heartbroken ☹️ We recently lost one of our permanent residents Fudgie, she was over 7 but it was still a shock! She was always such a big, boisterous girl and watching her go downhill despite our best efforts was so hard. In the end we had to help her over the rainbow bridge and my goodness, it was so, so difficult! She was much like your Nocciola in that she was also like a little dog! My heart broke a little, so I totally know where you both are coming from ❤️ It never gets any easier but you definitely aren't alone! Most of us on the forum have lost a much lived piggy sadly 😥
 
nocciola reminds me so much of my bonnie, who sadly passed a week ago. here’s a pic- they do look quite alike! hope your other piggy is doing good and that you’ll find a nice companion for her when the time is right. big hugs xx014F6E7A-383D-4EA6-8A34-9C5B87E2A55B.webpEA97CB7C-1B2F-44B7-9C3E-27C83D0F9F7C.webp
 
I have only just seen your thread. My heart aches for you both. Having lost 2 of my beloved piggies within a week of each other I am still very raw and the tears flow very freely.
She was a beautiful girl and had the privilege of living in a home where she was clearly adored. Not many piggies know that kind of wonderful life. The fact that her loss is felt so deeply shows just how much she was loved. Hugs xx
 
Thanks everyone for your support.
@bonnieandpoppy , your lovely Bonnie sure looked a lot like Nocciola. We're so sorry for your recent loss, we can imagine how you feel.
@VickiA , she was indeed adored. The first thing I forced myself to do after that terrible night, was putting together in a safe place all the pictures we had of her, afraid that I would lose them. We've got more than 1000 photos...this alone says everything, I guess.
Today me and my wife are at home with Lenticchia, everything's very sad. Even going out, everything reminds us of her, because she was inside us everywhere we went. We're slowly moving on trying to understand what's best for Lenticchia.
Right now we're very confused, we're not even sure we can welcome another piggy and love it in the same way we did with Nocciola. But we're not trusting our thoughts too much, we're still in shock and we need time.
Here's some Nocciola again. It helps us showing how funny and gorgeous she was :)
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She was gorgeous. I am sorry. I posted this on your wifes thread a short time ago


It is really early days yet. The pain at the moment will be so raw and visceral, but it does lessen in time. Grief is complex and we go through all the stages at varying times, everyone's grief is unique there is no right or wrong way to feel. But you will slowly heal and the pain will ebb away and happy memories will feel the void you are feeling at the moment.
Take time to be kind to yourselves. I can tell your piggies had a wonderful loving home
 
Hi everyone,
so many kind people suggested I could keep posting here, that it would help. It's been 10 days today, we look at ourselves and...well, the pain is still overwhelming. I personally believe in helping myself and asking for help, and we're trying to do everything we can to. So, here's a few more words from me.
Thanks everyone for being so kind and understanding.

Sleeping is a problem. I have dreamed of Nocciola every single time I've slept since it happened. Me and Martina used to dream about her quite often, so this is not new. We used to have similar dreams me and my wife, the piggies would be in some sort of danger and we would rush to save them. I was very protective towards Nocciola. I was with her at the vet the last day. She went in for a surgery op. The vet took her in, after I asked him probably 20 questions, and said "I'll call you when it's done, it will take 2 hours". I laughed and said "I'm not going anywhere". I stayed there until the vet returned 2 hrs later, saying that the surgery was done and she had reacted well to the anesthetics.
He asked if I wanted to see her, she was awake. I said yes, and that was the last time I saw her. I stroked very gently her back, in the way I've always done and how she used to like it. She was weak, wrapped in a towel, her eyes was removed for the surgery, but she was beautiful. I cried so much that day, before during and after the surgery. Called my wife to tell her that I had seen her, that she was gorgeous. We left her in the vets care, we thought it would have been the best for her. I went home in a cab, feeling sick because it was 4pm and I didn't have had any food at all. Me and my wife fell into an exhausted sleep as soon as we got home. All that tension from that day was finally released. We got a call that evening, she didn't make through the night.
I still think about all the choices we had to make in those 3 days, and the thoughts of what could have been done differently are with me all the time. She looked perfectly fine only 5 days before. We took her to the vet 3 times in 3 days. We had more than 600 pounds in vet bills. Hell, I would have paid so much more to have her back.
I rationally know we always did everything to save her, but the head is not in charge now. So yeah, every time I sleep I see her, and every time I wake up I burst into tears for a few minutes.
I'm calling the Bluecross line as soon as I post this, I read from some members here that they're quite good. I'll see if they're there on a BH.

I just wanted to post a few more pictures of gorgeous Nocciola and of our journey with her. Some are more recent, some from the early days. Hope you'll enjoy this wonderful slice of life we've never really shared with anyone, and that we can keep doing this here.

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20 December 2014. 5 months old Nocciola. Perfectly fine being outside the cage, by then. That carpet you see, we spent almost all of our spare time sitting or laying on it. We were 30 and 24, so our backs could totally handle that! By this time, she would already come when called, and she would follow me around the living room. My wife remembers that one day she came back from work, and I was so excited to show her that Nocciola would follow me when called. She says she couldn't believe it when she saw it :)

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March 2015. 8 months old Nocciola. This picture is special to me, not just because of how peaceful she was, but because I was laying down next to her, drawing in my sketchbook, for the entire time. The carpet might have changed, but we still spent most of our spare time on one.

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February 2015. We probably could not believe how cute she was. The little tent was one of the first of a long series of hides she had. She would make sure she'd destroy every single one of them, and we were so happy that we could get her yet another one...

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Christmas 2014. Thank god by then I had started an interest in photography and bought a serious camera. We would not have such beautiful shots as this one, otherwise. Again, we could barely handle how cute she was. And again, most of our life had moved to the carpet, by then!

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October 2015. She was a wonderful grown-up piggie. This is one of her many bad hair days.

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May 2017. We had moved home in early 2016. This must have been a Sunday, when Nocciola and Lenticchia could finally take over the living room with their beds, tunnels, cardboard things and toys, and we pretended to be bothered by that (we weren't obviously, we made sure they had at least 2 hours of free roaming time out of the cage everyday, and on Sunday/holidays it was pretty much open cage all the time) She was a happy and gorgeous 3 years old beauty.

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December 2017. Nocciola and Lenticchia enjoying a snack. Again, it was the holidays so the living room was taken over by them.

I've been meaning to ask, we never really knew what breed Nocciola was, we never looked into that because we didn't care tbh. Do you have any idea what breed she was?
Thanks everyone for participating in this moment of sharing, it's also a way to encourage me to journal my feelings and memories (which is painful to do by myself, right now). I hope you and your piggies are having a great BH :)
 
What lovely stories about Nocciola; she obviously had all the space she needed to explore and a devoted piggie dad to lie next to!

Please feel free to post as much as you like - we adore seeing pigtures of family members, especially ones as cute as Nocciola.

I'm not good with breeds; but she was some kind of smooth haired agouti.
 
Such lovely pictures and memories.
10 days is not long to grieve for a pet who played such an important role in your lives.
Grief can be tough, especially the early days.
What you are feeling is perfectly normal at this stage.
It sounds hard but getting on with life is one of the best ways of dealing with grief.
It doesn’t diminish the love or the loss but it aids the healing.
If you are feeling guilty about the choices you made then one way of handling that is to tell yourself each day, as often as you need to, that you made the best decision at that time and you forgive yourself.
There will come a moment when you realise that you mean it.

I do understand- at the end of June my beloved Keziah went in for surgery on what turned out to be a nasty tumour. She didn’t survive and I still grieve for her 2 months later. I will always miss her but I also believe that one day I will be reunited with her and all the other pets I have loved and lost over the years
 
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