Extremely Ill Piggie

[CarolHeister]

I apologise ahead for the long post, appreciate those who read it through.
Hi everyone, I had two piggies, my little babies. One, my eldest, was Stanley(whose actual name was Porquito) a Peruvian piggie, who was only 16 months old, and my youngest one Sultan(white crested) who is 8 months now. Yesterday, for my deepest grief, my poor Stanley passed away, and the circumstances of his passing is what made me come here today.
When I first got Stanley, he was 3 months old, very skittish, and very malnourished, so badly I could feel his hip bones. So I fed him well, gave him vitamins and he grew strong and chubby. A few months later I got him a buddy, Sultan.
So early morning yesterday, I heard Stanley making some weird noises, which I never heard him do before, and were the kind of sound that makes you know that there's something wrong, so I googled an 'exotic animals' vet in my city and took him to the vet that same morning. By the time I got there I noticed my piggie was sooo weak, and pale around his mouth, and so so skinny, more than when I took him and thats saying a lot. So at the vet, I had to be lectured on how poorly I must've been treating my piggie because he was extremely malnourished, and dehydrated and with a temperature of 32C. I explained to this horrid vet that I have two piggies and the other one was healthy as ever, and that on sunday my piggie seemed normal. He thought I was just trying to get mine out of the line, and gave Stanley several shot of vitamins, glucose, saline solution and antibiotics, and very rudely told me that I should not keep my hopes up because he might just die, he even told me not to buy any meds because he would most likely die. He wouldn't do any tests or anything and just sent me home, crying my heart out. I bought at the vet pharmacy, a bunch of vitamins, all the stuff he gave him at the clinic and I was planning on giving him these shots until I found another vet. By this point, Stanley was not ingesting any food at all, nor water, so I syringe 'fed' him water. A few hours later he passed away.
I am posting this to ask if any of you have ever heard anything about a piggie being so sick that he fell under within days. I cleaned their cage a few days ago (again yesterday, thoroughly) and when I picked him up he was not that skinny, (he was never on the fat side, he was always lean, and healthy). I am at my wits end here because I now feel extremely guilty as to not noticing what was happening to him, and for not knowing what did happen.
My other piggie seems normal, just seems to be missing his buddy though.
I appreciate all those who give an opinion on this.
Thank you.

 

[Wiebke]

I apologise ahead for the long post, appreciate those who read it through.
Hi everyone, I had two piggies, my little babies. One, my eldest, was Stanley(whose actual name was Porquito) a Peruvian piggie, who was only 16 months old, and my youngest one Sultan(white crested) who is 8 months now. Yesterday, for my deepest grief, my poor Stanley passed away, and the circumstances of his passing is what made me come here today.
When I first got Stanley, he was 3 months old, very skittish, and very malnourished, so badly I could feel his hip bones. So I fed him well, gave him vitamins and he grew strong and chubby. A few months later I got him a buddy, Sultan.
So early morning yesterday, I heard Stanley making some weird noises, which I never heard him do before, and were the kind of sound that makes you know that there's something wrong, so I googled an 'exotic animals' vet in my city and took him to the vet that same morning. By the time I got there I noticed my piggie was sooo weak, and pale around his mouth, and so so skinny, more than when I took him and thats saying a lot. So at the vet, I had to be lectured on how poorly I must've been treating my piggie because he was extremely malnourished, and dehydrated and with a temperature of 32C. I explained to this horrid vet that I have two piggies and the other one was healthy as ever, and that on sunday my piggie seemed normal. He thought I was just trying to get mine out of the line, and gave Stanley several shot of vitamins, glucose, saline solution and antibiotics, and very rudely told me that I should not keep my hopes up because he might just die, he even told me not to buy any meds because he would most likely die. He wouldn't do any tests or anything and just sent me home, crying my heart out. I bought at the vet pharmacy, a bunch of vitamins, all the stuff he gave him at the clinic and I was planning on giving him these shots until I found another vet. By this point, Stanley was not ingesting any food at all, nor water, so I syringe 'fed' him water. A few hours later he passed away.
I am posting this to ask if any of you have ever heard anything about a piggie being so sick that he fell under within days. I cleaned their cage a few days ago (again yesterday, thoroughly) and when I picked him up he was not that skinny, (he was never on the fat side, he was always lean, and healthy). I am at my wits end here because I now feel extremely guilty as to not noticing what was happening to him, and for not knowing what did happen.
My other piggie seems normal, just seems to be missing his buddy though.
I appreciate all those who give an opinion on this.
Thank you.

I am extremely sorry about your experience - that is definitely one vet not to see ever again!

Guinea pigs can go downhill very quickly; some of mine have died within hours or a couple of days of me noticing that something was wrong and despite an immediate emergency vet visit.

By the sound of it, Stanley had been unable to eat and drink for at least one day or two, and the body had started to already close down by the time he got seen by a vet (the fact that he was no longer able to process food).
This is not necessarily your fault; a guinea pig that is not eating and drinking at all for whatever reason can lose 100g in just 24 hours - and yes, I have experienced this with guinea pigs of mine! I have also lost piggies of my own within hours of noticing that something was wrong, despite taking them to my local vets as an emergency straight away and despite immediate syringe feeding.

You must be very shaken, but please do not blame yourself! You have quite obviously given Stanley a great and loving home. It can well be that his sudden illness has resulted from his earlier neglect. But without an expensive post mortem, you will unfortunately never know.

What I would recommend is to weigh your guinea pigs at least once weekly, so you can catch any issues brewing as early as possible. You won't catch any sudden problems like acute organ failure or infections that come on very suddenly (and which are most likely at the bottom of what happened to Stanley), but it is an important tool in monitoring any slowly developing problems, especially loss of appetite.
It is also always useful to keep a daily eye on the poos - any that are smaller/thinner than usual (not eating enough), dry or mucus covered (dehydration) or mushy to runny (digestive issues/diarrhea). Scooping up the poos daily will alert you to any sudden changes in the food/water intake; watching your piggies while they have their dinner can also help with noticing any sudden illnesses although chewing can be deceptive (hance the weighing).
I would also have stuff for syringe feeding at home, so you can step in asap as soon as you notice that something is not quite right, even before you see a vet. Please see a vet asap as soon as you notice anything is wrong; it has saved more guinea pigs of mine than have died over the years. A decent general vet can be perfectly adequate in an emergency. Depending on where you are, we may be able to provide vet recommendations.
The Importance Of Weighing - Ideal Weight / Overweight / Underweight
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

It is very normal to feel guilty and feeling like you have failed a guinea pig that has just passed away; it is actually part of the onset of the grieving process. In your case, this has been compounded by the vet's totally unprofessional manner.
You are most welcome to post a tribute to Stanley in our Rainbow Bridge section if and whenever it feels right for you.
Here are tips on what you can do for Sultan: Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

As we have members from all over the world, we find it very helpful if you please added your country, state/province or UK county to your details, so we can always tailor any advice to what is available and doable where you are. Click on your username on the top bar, then go to personal details and scroll down to location. Thank you!

 

[helen105281]

I'm so so sorry for you loss and also for the way you were spoken to. It is possible for a pig to become ill very quickly, it sounds to me either like he had a respiratory infection or that he was in end stage hear or renal failure. It is also possible that due to the neglect that he suffered before he came to you that maybe he had some illness that was not visible until now.

Here is our guide for helping little Sultan after losing his friend:

Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

 

[biscandmatt]

i'm very sorry for your loss and for the way the vet spoke to you as others have said, guinea pigs can go downhill very quickly. it sounds like something was very wrong and happened very quickly with your boy. massive hugs x

 

[Freela]

That vet sounds really insensitive- I'm sorry you had to deal with that at such a hard time! It's not uncommon for guinea pigs to get ill very quickly and go downhill very quickly- and yes, I've had a pet appear fine the night before, seems lethargic in the morning, and pass away in the evening in spite of a vet visit. It can and does happen. A lot of guinea pigs will not eat or drink if they feel unwell, and when this happens, they can lose weight very quickly and their organs can shut down very quickly. Unfortunately, you may never know exactly what happened. It's possible that his early upbringing before you got him had caused an underlying issue that caught up with him. He could have had an infection of some kind, which can get serious in a hurry. The fact that his temperature was so low at the time of the vet visits makes it sound like he was in the process of shutting down even then. I've been present when a couple of my guinea pigs passed, and they do lose body heat as their bodies start to shut down. It does sound as though you picked up on his illness and did everything you could to get him help- sometimes it does happen in a hurry. It's normal to feel some guilt when a pet passes away, and I'm sure the vet didn't help, but try not to be too hard on yourself. It sounds as though you did everything you could as soon as you saw that he was unwell. Sometimes it does happen fast when they pass away.

 

[CarolHeister]

I am extremely sorry about your experience - that is definitely one vet not to see ever again!

Guinea pigs can go downhill very quickly; some of mine have died within hours or a couple of days of me noticing that something was wrong and despite an immediate emergency vet visit.

By the sound of it, Stanley had been unable to eat and drink for at least one day or two, and the body had started to already close down by the time he got seen by a vet (the fact that he was no longer able to process food).
This is not necessarily your fault; a guinea pig that is not eating and drinking at all for whatever reason can lose 100g in just 24 hours - and yes, I have experienced this with guinea pigs of mine! I have also lost piggies of my own within hours of noticing that something was wrong, despite taking them to my local vets as an emergency straight away and despite immediate syringe feeding.

You must be very shaken, but please do not blame yourself! You have quite obviously given Stanley a great and loving home. It can well be that his sudden illness has resulted from his earlier neglect. But without an expensive post mortem, you will unfortunately never know.

What I would recommend is to weigh your guinea pigs at least once weekly, so you can catch any issues brewing as early as possible. You won't catch any sudden problems like acute organ failure or infections that come on very suddenly (and which are most likely at the bottom of what happened to Stanley), but it is an important tool in monitoring any slowly developing problems, especially loss of appetite.
It is also always useful to keep a daily eye on the poos - any that are smaller/thinner than usual (not eating enough), dry or mucus covered (dehydration) or mushy to runny (digestive issues/diarrhea). Scooping up the poos daily will alert you to any sudden changes in the food/water intake; watching your piggies while they have their dinner can also help with noticing any sudden illnesses although chewing can be deceptive (hance the weighing).
I would also have stuff for syringe feeding at home, so you can step in asap as soon as you notice that something is not quite right, even before you see a vet. Please see a vet asap as soon as you notice anything is wrong; it has saved more guinea pigs of mine than have died over the years. A decent general vet can be perfectly adequate in an emergency. Depending on where you are, we may be able to provide vet recommendations.
The Importance Of Weighing - Ideal Weight / Overweight / Underweight
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

It is very normal to feel guilty and feeling like you have failed a guinea pig that has just passed away; it is actually part of the onset of the grieving process. In your case, this has been compounded by the vet's totally unprofessional manner.
You are most welcome to post a tribute to Stanley in our Rainbow Bridge section if and whenever it feels right for you.
Here are tips on what you can do for Sultan: Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

As we have members from all over the world, we find it very helpful if you please added your country, state/province or UK county to your details, so we can always tailor any advice to what is available and doable where you are. Click on your username on the top bar, then go to personal details and scroll down to location. Thank you!

I'm so so sorry for you loss and also for the way you were spoken to. It is possible for a pig to become ill very quickly, it sounds to me either like he had a respiratory infection or that he was in end stage hear or renal failure. It is also possible that due to the neglect that he suffered before he came to you that maybe he had some illness that was not visible until now.

Here is our guide for helping little Sultan after losing his friend:

Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

i'm very sorry for your loss and for the way the vet spoke to you as others have said, guinea pigs can go downhill very quickly. it sounds like something was very wrong and happened very quickly with your boy. massive hugs x

That vet sounds really insensitive- I'm sorry you had to deal with that at such a hard time! It's not uncommon for guinea pigs to get ill very quickly and go downhill very quickly- and yes, I've had a pet appear fine the night before, seems lethargic in the morning, and pass away in the evening in spite of a vet visit. It can and does happen. A lot of guinea pigs will not eat or drink if they feel unwell, and when this happens, they can lose weight very quickly and their organs can shut down very quickly. Unfortunately, you may never know exactly what happened. It's possible that his early upbringing before you got him had caused an underlying issue that caught up with him. He could have had an infection of some kind, which can get serious in a hurry. The fact that his temperature was so low at the time of the vet visits makes it sound like he was in the process of shutting down even then. I've been present when a couple of my guinea pigs passed, and they do lose body heat as their bodies start to shut down. It does sound as though you picked up on his illness and did everything you could to get him help- sometimes it does happen in a hurry. It's normal to feel some guilt when a pet passes away, and I'm sure the vet didn't help, but try not to be too hard on yourself. It sounds as though you did everything you could as soon as you saw that he was unwell. Sometimes it does happen fast when they pass away.

Thank you all for such kind words in such a hard time. I was indeed feeling extremely guilty, as if I had completely failed my poor piggie. I later found out that the vet clinic I took him to was actually quite known for its rude treatment of pet owners and pets.
I have read the article on how to take care of Sultan, and he does seem to be sad these past days, he keeps squeaking very loudly sometimes, I read that they do this as a way to call out for their buddy. I am giving him a little time to adjust and I plan to get another companion for him, he is very playful and it's sad to see him alone in his cage.
Oh, and I did add my location, I live in Russia actually. I had an account here before but I could not get my password back as much as I tried.
I will post a little something for Stanley on the Rainbow bridge thread later. Thank you for the suggestion, I really appreciate it.
Again, thank you all for the kind words, it really helped me.
Merry Christmas =)

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you all for such kind words in such a hard time. I was indeed feeling extremely guilty, as if I had completely failed my poor piggie. I later found out that the vet clinic I took him to was actually quite known for its rude treatment of pet owners and pets.
I have read the article on how to take care of Sultan, and he does seem to be sad these past days, he keeps squeaking very loudly sometimes, I read that they do this as a way to call out for their buddy. I am giving him a little time to adjust and I plan to get another companion for him, he is very playful and it's sad to see him alone in his cage.
Oh, and I did add my location, I live in Russia actually. I had an account here before but I could not get my password back as much as I tried.
I will post a little something for Stanley on the Rainbow bridge thread later. Thank you for the suggestion, I really appreciate it.
Again, thank you all for the kind words, it really helped me.
Merry Christmas =)

Please do not feel like you have failed Stanley. You did your very best with the limited knowledge and information that you had and could access in an emergency situation, and that is what counts! It is always so easy to judge a path from hindsight - when it actually happens, it is more like having to wind your way through a maze with your eyes blind-folded!

You can't undo the past, but you can take what you have learned forward and put it to use for the benefit of other pets. A good owner is one who does their best, but a good owner does not need to be perfect. We all become better through mistakes and things going wrong; it is called experience and it often comes at a cost...

Your feelings of failure are a credit to you; all they prove to me is just what a caring and loving piggy mummy you are and that Stanley and Sultan couldn't have a better home.

And may I just repeat it again, as you need to hear it again: Even with the best and promptest vet care available, it is highly doubtful that you would have been able to save Stanley, considering how quickly he went downhill. It was simply his time; sadly there is only so much we can do at times. Please do not beat yourself up about something that is not in your control. Concentrate on what you can control - and you are not doing badly in that respect!