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I blame myself for my guinea pig's death :(

Ungaros

New Born Pup
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I just went through the most traumatic, stressful and emotional weekend - and I blame myself for it.

It all started on Friday when I noticed that my two 6month old girls -Rosie and Daisy were being awfully quiet and just weren't being themselves. My boyfriend and I noticed that they didn't eat their tomatoes, which is very unlikely of them because they LOVE them! We continued to observe them and I kept a good eye on them during the night to see what their movement was like. In the morning I decided to take them to the only vet which was open at 7am on a Saturday. Vets over here open later on Saturdays - ranging between 9 and 10am. I didn't want to risk them getting worse, so I took them to this very well known vet. The doctor saw them, and checked everything for them - teeth, tummy, bum.. everything. She noticed that they had tears in their eyes, especially Daisy. But said that this is because they are in pain and only gave me pain killers. After I returned home I wasn't convinced with this diagnosis and carried out further further research. That afternoon I decided to take them to a vet up the road from my house, which we just started to use for my new kitten and found her to be very good. She told me that they are fine and it is probably just the heat which is causing them to act funny. After two vets told me it's nothing I started to think that perhaps I am over reacting. This vet did give me recovery food to feed them and I did that throughout the night and the next morning. I still wasn't convinced about this, so I contacted an exotic vet. (This was Sunday morning) he told me that he is away until Friday, and told me to contact this other exotic vet who works with him. I messaged her and she told me she's away camping and won't be back until Monday, so she gave me a contact number of another vet, but who doesn't deal with exotic animals. I spoke to her and she was quite rude and seemed like she didn't really understand guinea pigs. She also couldn't fit me in on that day (Sunday). So I decided to check out another vet who happens to open on Sunday. This time I went in knowing what they have, demanding I get antibiotics for their upper respiratory infection. Unless the other two vets, she was honest with me straight away and said she's not used to guinea pigs, but she researched and gave me antibiotics. At this point Daisy was getting much worse and started wheezing. Monday I called in sick for work so I can nurse them back to health. I contacted it this other vet who also specializes in exotic animals, who told me that the antibiotics I got were good, but I would need for more days ( as she only gave me for 4). However, he told me that he cannot see me before monday! (Literally a week away!).
So I decided to call my regular vet whom I trust so much with my dog. She assured me that she will be fine. That evening my boyfriend and sister took her once I couldn't leave the house because I had called in sick. While they were there the vet called me to speak to me on the phone once my boyfriend didn't really know what was going on. She told me she's dehydrated and will give her the drip. We agreed. As few mins later, my boyfriend calls and tells me she died! :'( apparently when she gave her the drip she screamed her lungs out and just died.

I can't help but feel guilty that I killed her. I kept on pushing her to get better help. If I hadnt sent my boyfriend with her to the last vet, maybe she would still be here.. or maybe she would have died, but perhaps it would have been peaceful :(

I am totally gutted and cried my eyes out.

Luckily Rosie is doing a little better eat day, and I'm hoping she pulls through!

Sorry for the long post, I'm just feeling so sad and guilty :( they would be 6 months tomorrow 😭😭
 
I'm so sorry for your loss, guilt and blaming yourself is a very natural part of the grieving process, i've been there myself and it's so hard to deal with. Ultimately however, you did your absolute best for your piggies, and the right thing, 4 days of antibiotics wouldn't have been enough to cure her respiratory infection. You did what every one of us here would have done ❤ Sadly, no matter what we do sometimes, it doesn't work.

Again, I'm sorry little Daisy has passed away, I hope Rosie continues to improve and get better. We have a rainbow bridge section where you can post a tribute to Daisy, share pictures and stories about their life etc if you feel it would help you.
 
I’m so sorry for your loss.

You did a great thing, and strived to seek better help. You did what you could. Sometimes things just happen that we can’t prevent. Give yourself some time. We are here to talk to you and help you if you need it. I hope your other pig does well.
Sending hugs.
 
I'm so sorry for your loss, guilt and blaming yourself is a very natural part of the grieving process, i've been there myself and it's so hard to deal with. Ultimately however, you did your absolute best for your piggies, and the right thing, 4 days of antibiotics wouldn't have been enough to cure her respiratory infection. You did what every one of us here would have done ❤ Sadly, no matter what we do sometimes, it doesn't work.

Again, I'm sorry little Daisy has passed away, I hope Rosie continues to improve and get better. We have a rainbow bridge section where you can post a tribute to Daisy, share pictures and stories about their life etc if you feel it would help you.
Thank you for replying xx makes me feel like I am not alone. The vet only gave me 6 days of antibiotics for Rosie, and even though she seems to be getting stronger, I researched that they need it for around a month. Do you know if this is true? I've never had a sick guinea pig before, and I really don't trust the vets over here :(
 
I’m so sorry for your loss.

You did a great thing, and strived to seek better help. You did what you could. Sometimes things just happen that we can’t prevent. Give yourself some time. We are here to talk to you and help you if you need it. I hope your other pig does well.
Sending hugs.
😔😔 X
 
Thank you for replying xx makes me feel like I am not alone. The vet only gave me 6 days of antibiotics for Rosie, and even though she seems to be getting stronger, I researched that they need it for around a month. Do you know if this is true? I've never had a sick guinea pig before, and I really don't trust the vets over here :(

You're definitely not alone, don't worry. When i've had respiratory infections to deal with, 7 days worth has been enough, but some can be very stubborn and need 2+ weeks worth.
 
You're definitely not alone, don't worry. When i've had respiratory infections to deal with, 7 days worth has been enough, but some can be very stubborn and need 2+ weeks worth.
Okay good to know, thanks!
Hers doesn't seem that bad.. she didn't have many symptoms. Just wasn't eating and drinking, but loved the recovery food haha
Now I feel like she's starting to hate it, but at least she's starting to eat a bit alone :) and eating her own poo 🤦😂
 
Please don't feel guilty, from reading your post i can see you did your absolute best to get help for your piggie.I'm so sorry things turned out the way they did xx
 
Guilt is a normal part of grieving but you have no need to feel guilty.
You did everything you possibly could for Daisy - she couldn’t have asked for a more caring owner.

Grief is painful and it takes time to work through.
There is a very helpful bereavement thread on the forum if you want to read that.
We are also here to listen if you want to talk.
You will find kindness and support here as you grieve
 
I just went through the most traumatic, stressful and emotional weekend - and I blame myself for it.

It all started on Friday when I noticed that my two 6month old girls -Rosie and Daisy were being awfully quiet and just weren't being themselves. My boyfriend and I noticed that they didn't eat their tomatoes, which is very unlikely of them because they LOVE them! We continued to observe them and I kept a good eye on them during the night to see what their movement was like. In the morning I decided to take them to the only vet which was open at 7am on a Saturday. Vets over here open later on Saturdays - ranging between 9 and 10am. I didn't want to risk them getting worse, so I took them to this very well known vet. The doctor saw them, and checked everything for them - teeth, tummy, bum.. everything. She noticed that they had tears in their eyes, especially Daisy. But said that this is because they are in pain and only gave me pain killers. After I returned home I wasn't convinced with this diagnosis and carried out further further research. That afternoon I decided to take them to a vet up the road from my house, which we just started to use for my new kitten and found her to be very good. She told me that they are fine and it is probably just the heat which is causing them to act funny. After two vets told me it's nothing I started to think that perhaps I am over reacting. This vet did give me recovery food to feed them and I did that throughout the night and the next morning. I still wasn't convinced about this, so I contacted an exotic vet. (This was Sunday morning) he told me that he is away until Friday, and told me to contact this other exotic vet who works with him. I messaged her and she told me she's away camping and won't be back until Monday, so she gave me a contact number of another vet, but who doesn't deal with exotic animals. I spoke to her and she was quite rude and seemed like she didn't really understand guinea pigs. She also couldn't fit me in on that day (Sunday). So I decided to check out another vet who happens to open on Sunday. This time I went in knowing what they have, demanding I get antibiotics for their upper respiratory infection. Unless the other two vets, she was honest with me straight away and said she's not used to guinea pigs, but she researched and gave me antibiotics. At this point Daisy was getting much worse and started wheezing. Monday I called in sick for work so I can nurse them back to health. I contacted it this other vet who also specializes in exotic animals, who told me that the antibiotics I got were good, but I would need for more days ( as she only gave me for 4). However, he told me that he cannot see me before monday! (Literally a week away!).
So I decided to call my regular vet whom I trust so much with my dog. She assured me that she will be fine. That evening my boyfriend and sister took her once I couldn't leave the house because I had called in sick. While they were there the vet called me to speak to me on the phone once my boyfriend didn't really know what was going on. She told me she's dehydrated and will give her the drip. We agreed. As few mins later, my boyfriend calls and tells me she died! :'( apparently when she gave her the drip she screamed her lungs out and just died.

I can't help but feel guilty that I killed her. I kept on pushing her to get better help. If I hadnt sent my boyfriend with her to the last vet, maybe she would still be here.. or maybe she would have died, but perhaps it would have been peaceful :(

I am totally gutted and cried my eyes out.

Luckily Rosie is doing a little better eat day, and I'm hoping she pulls through!

Sorry for the long post, I'm just feeling so sad and guilty :( they would be 6 months tomorrow 😭😭

Hi!

BIG HUGS

Feelings of guilt or failure are an integral part of the onset of our grieving process. What they speak of is the depth of our love and highly developed sense of responsilibity; you wouldn't have them if you didn't care deeply. Unfortunately we are very much wired to reflect everything back on ourselves and to seek any fault with ourselves and ourselves alone!

You have not killed Daisy; you have done your very best and well beyond to save her in very difficult circumstances! She couldn't have had a better or more caring owner. You haven't killed Daisy; you were simply up against it too much at entirely the wrong time. Blame cosmic bad luck for the really unfortunate timing that couldn't have been any worse!

I've lost a piggy over Christmas once with the emergency services so overloaded that even euthanasia for a guinea pig in severe pain would meant having to wait for several hours in the waiting room - needless to say Myfina died before she got to be seen. It wasn't my fault, it wasn't the vets' fault who were working flat out and then some to save as many animal lives as they could against the odds. It was just really bad luck that she developed a blockage in her guts at the worst possible time... when the chips are down, guinea pigs are only small animals with a comparatively frail body; they can go downhill with truly frightening speed sometimes. :(
Sadly we can never choose when or what from our piggies die. They are a loan whose contract can be cancelled any time. What counts is how you care for your pets every day. Guinea pigs don't have an expectation of a long life but they have very much a concept for a good life and being loved. It is never the quantity but the quality of our daily care that counts because that is fully in our own control!

Please take the time to read these two links below; they will hopefully guide you through the next days while your pain is ever so raw and overwhelming:
Here is some information that will hopefully help you make sense of what you are currently experiencing and where to find help and support: Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children

Since Daisy has passed away from a potentially infectious issue, please observe a quarantine unless Rosie is acutely pining (not eating/drinking without being ill herself) to make sure that she cannot pass anything onto a new companion.
Here is what you can do for her during this time in the immediate and the longer term: Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig
 
I'm so sorry for your loss, please don't blame yourself xx
 
I am so sorry for your loss.... please dont blame yourself... you did all you could and sought help as soon as you noticed a problem.. xx
 
Sending you big hugs, you did everything you could have possibly have done for little Daisy, please don’t blame yourself. Try and remember all the wonderful times you all had together, she had a good life with lots of love and care x
 
I'm really sorry for your loss. It sounds like you did everything possible for them. It can be so hard to find vets that know guinea pigs, particularly over the weekends, and sick pigs can go downhill extremely quickly, no matter what you do it's not always a situation that can be salvaged.

((HUGS)) to you and hope your remaining pig makes a full recovery.
 
l've never known such a perfect piggy mum, you did everything possible, for your piggies. Guilt is part of grieving, it wasn't your fault. Sleep tight little Daisy.
 
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