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Help please - dying guinea pigs!

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piggie-power

piggie-power

Adult Guinea Pig
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Hi everyone i lost Bruce on the 30th November to no known cause - he was perfectly fine the day before.

Sometime last night we lost Humphrey - he was 4 years old and was fine last night when i checked on him at around 8pm.

I've now moved my remaining 4 guinea pigs out of the shed and into the house, i have a vets appointment booked for tomorrow for all 4 of them to be checked over.

My husband thinks i'm over reacting and that it was probably due to their ages but i know guinea pigs can and do live longer!

Anyone any ideas?

Am i over reacting?

Other than the vets what else can i do?

Just to add, neither bruce or humphrey have had any weight loss in the past few weeks, if anything they have put weight on but that has always been normal for this time of year.
 
I think you have done the right thing in moving them indoors a) you can keep a closer eye on them, and B) it will be warmer.

It could just be co-incidence, or it could be the cold maybe? Is there any form of heating or insulation in the shed?

How do the other 4 seem right now?

I am really sorry to hear you have lost both Bruce and Humphrey xx
 
The shed was insulated in August to protect them from the cold, i've been monitoring the temps and the shed is staying around 10 degrees on a night - its not once dropped below zero.

The other 4 seem absolutely fine, digging into their veg and hay as normal - i just don't understand what is going on!
 
Aww no, I am so sorry that you have lost Humphrey too :(

It probably is just coincidence but you are definitely doing the right thing getting your remaining four checked over.

Yes, guinea pigs can live a lot longer than 4 but unfortunately many guinea pigs do just die with no reason :(

I doubt it was the weather that killed them as you would know if they were too cold. My girls live in the shed and have been perfectly fine over the cold spell with extra hay, cardboard, snugglesafes etc.

xx
 
Aw hun, i am really sorry. I think it would be best to get them all checked over to be on the safe side, but do you think its just a sad co-incidence?

Or has their bedding or what you clean their hutches with changed - anything toxic?

x
 
I haven't changed anything, its all the same things i've been using for years. I just wish i could get to the vets today but with 4 guinea's to take i've had to wait for a longer appointment.
 
I'm so sorry you lost your boys. Sadly, they just die for no reason sometimes. I've lost boys who've seem perfectly healthy one minute and not the next. You are doing everything you can for your babies because you care and love them, that's the main thing. Sending hugs also x
 
I honestly don't know what to do, i've spent the past hour watching the guinea pigs looking for symptoms that aren't even there!

I'm so paranoid its untrue, i keep expecting to wake up in the morning to another one gone :(

Hubby is going to spray the entire shed down with disinfectant tonight and then we'll keep rinsing it for the next week. I can't see it being the shed but it can't hurt just incase.
 
Just be sure to let it dry reallly thouroughly, not easy at this time of year. Disinfectoing is a great idea but sometimes wood harbours fungus which isn't always cleared by disinfectant. i have known this be a problem in birds kept in sheds.

Sorry to hear of your loss and all the best for your vet appointment... x
 
I've had all 4 of my piggies in, they can't find anything that would ring alarm bells, everyone has been weighed, had teeth checked, felt over for lumps and had they're skin checked. I have to try and take urine samples in for 3 of the pigs as they were being stubborn lol.

Rodger has dry skin on his back paw which is something we're under treatment for under a different vet (it only flares up and irritates him in warm weather) and Jessie is still "pregnant" or as i pointed out she's just over weight!

Vet has suggested a vitamin drop in the water to keep they're immune systems up, other than that we have to wait for the urine samples to be tested. Vet couldn't find a reason to take blood tests.

The drive to the vets was quite embarrasing - hubby was working so had to take them in a taxi - "Wheek, Wheek WHEEK" is all we heard all the way there!
 
I'm so sorry to hear about both Bruce and Humphrey. I have sent you a message which may or may not help.
 
I'm so sorry to hear that Bruce and Humphrey have passed. It sounds like you are doing all the right things - bless them all wheeking in the taxi! Much love x
 
What a horrid time you've had...hugs sent.
You've done the right thing by bringing them inside, will put your mind at rest too knowing you can keep a closer eye on them too.
We have an oldish girl around the 4 year mark who was mysteriously ill on and off this year, vets could find nothing wrong and she recently developed pleurisy and trachitis which completely floored me (all of our piggies are in the lounge and spoiled rotten) I felt like a terrible owner and had failed with her care although I am totally obsessed with them. An exotic vet sorted her treatment and I keep her pen scrupulously clean - vet bed changed daily regardless etc. thorough deep clean with F10 as I can never risk her developing an infection due to the scar tissue she now has :( I took time off work to make sure she was ok and thankfully, she is her usual self now bossing Bruce Huspig around !
Sometimes, things that we cannot control or explain happen and it knocks us for six - so sorry this has happened to you and you've lost Humphrey and Bruce so suddenly...it may have been vascular seeing as they showed no signs of illness etc.
Hope your other piggies are ok, they are in good hands with you hun :)
Hugs again x
 
:( So sorry to hear you've suffered yet another loss! No advice I'm afraid but I hope you get to the bottom of things and that all your other piggies stay healthy!
 
Its just one thing after another at the moment, now Rodger and Squeaky are bickering, probably from moving them indoors and then the vets trip, been trying most of the afternoon to settle them but they're not having it. I may consider putting them in separate cages side by side for tonight so at least i can sleep without worrying. Only 2 more to get urine samples from now, going to try get them back to the vets tomorrow afternoon.
 
So sorry for your losses. How awful, I would be worried too, but it sounds like you've done all you can. I hope your other piggies will be ok. Sending big hugs and Hamish & Dougal are sending wheeks x
 
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