Hi guys.. Sunday just passed I came home from work to find my usually very energetic, demanding and noisy Guinea pig, Jebus, out of sorts. He wasn't eating as much as he normally does and normally as soon as he hears the key in the door he's shouting at me to be fed. That evening he hid away very still and would make a strange squeak every now and then. Totally out of character. His brother, Horus, who normally can't get far enough away from him was sat all night outside his hidey. We hand fed him and he was taking small sips of water. Monday when I went to feed him in the morning he hadn't moved and was not taking any water. I took him to the vet at 10am who checked him over and discovered his kidneys were swollen. He decided to keep him in to give him fluids and X-rays to find out what the problem was. At 2pm the vet called me to say they had X rayed him and discovered he has several little stones that had one blocked the urethra and secondary to that his stomach had now swollen up as there was a backlog of urine which was beginning to break down his intestines. At that moment I thought he was going to say he needed an operation but instead which I was not prepared for, he told me that there was nothing he could do for him and the only option was to put him to sleep. We were and still are devastated. Jebus was a Guinea pig so full of life and mischief. I can't get my head around how quickly everything happened. Has anyone's had anything similar happen?
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Kidney Stones
- Thread starter Sazallou
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HUGS
I am very sorry for your loss; it leaves you reeling and sometimes literally shaking. Guinea pigs are prey animals, they wired to hide any symptoms for as long as possible. Symptoms are often very subtle and indistinct. Sometimes death happens out of the blue or a piggy can die within hours of showing the first clear symptoms. Sometimes, the only loving gift left is to pts. Guinea pigs have so much personality that we often forget how small and comparatively frail they are.
Sadly a blockage of the urinary tract at any point can kill, and can kill very quickly - in this case, the same goes for humans, too.
It has happened a few times to me that the bad news I have been braced for have turned out to be the worst news. I am rather braced these days that this can and does happen...
If it is any consolation for you, I have just lost two younger piggies in March and April within hours of them showing the first symptoms of being very ill; the only thing I could do was to pts to spare them any suffering as they were both unable to swallow. A third passed away during an after dinner nap at the start of this month without any indication that something major was wrong. It throws you.
Because you cannot brace for it, you have to deal with both the shock and the onset of the grieving process all at once. That takes some time to work through. You grieve to the same extent you have love, irrespective of the species.
You are welcome to post a tribute to Jebus in our Rainbow Bridge section if or whenever it feels right for you.
Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig
I am very sorry for your loss; it leaves you reeling and sometimes literally shaking. Guinea pigs are prey animals, they wired to hide any symptoms for as long as possible. Symptoms are often very subtle and indistinct. Sometimes death happens out of the blue or a piggy can die within hours of showing the first clear symptoms. Sometimes, the only loving gift left is to pts. Guinea pigs have so much personality that we often forget how small and comparatively frail they are.
Sadly a blockage of the urinary tract at any point can kill, and can kill very quickly - in this case, the same goes for humans, too.
It has happened a few times to me that the bad news I have been braced for have turned out to be the worst news. I am rather braced these days that this can and does happen...
If it is any consolation for you, I have just lost two younger piggies in March and April within hours of them showing the first symptoms of being very ill; the only thing I could do was to pts to spare them any suffering as they were both unable to swallow. A third passed away during an after dinner nap at the start of this month without any indication that something major was wrong. It throws you.
Because you cannot brace for it, you have to deal with both the shock and the onset of the grieving process all at once. That takes some time to work through. You grieve to the same extent you have love, irrespective of the species.
You are welcome to post a tribute to Jebus in our Rainbow Bridge section if or whenever it feels right for you.
Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig
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