Little Piggie Lost To Bloat :(

[Treacle]

Sorry to hear about your piggy. I have always had guinea pigs, but I have also had rabbits too. I have lost rabbits to every illness they can ever have. I would learn, prevent it happening again, only to be given a rabbit, and it to be ill with something else. Guinea pigs, I have never had a problem with! They are quite robust compared to rabbits. The only thing is feeding, hay, hay and more hay is my motto! Veg and pellets are supplementary. Your piggy must have had something wrong with it before you got it, or not been fed properly prior. It is the luck of the draw. Chances are your next will be just fine and have a long a happy life with you.

 

[Wiebke]

I am very for your loss; it can just have been a new veg and the stress of moving house. Severe bloat can kill very quickly and seemingly out of the blue. I lost one of my piggies in February despite seeing the vet promptly and doing everything right. Many of our experienced members have come up against it at some point. It is still a killer. of course, it comes as an even worse shock when it happens with a new piggy.

If I were you, I'd thoroughly clean and disinfect the cage before you get new piggies. Please make it two!
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/faq-companionship.37654/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/boars-sows-or-mixed-pairs-babies-or-adults.108944/

The safest place to get piggies from is a good standard rescue with a mandatory quarantine/health check before rehoming, a pregnancy watch and a careful bonding policy - it may be an extra effort to get to one, but it is well worth it in order to avoid all the usual pitfalls that can await the unwary. You are lucky to have three rescues listed for North Carolina (contacts courtesy and in cooperation with Guinea Lynx medical website).

All Creatures Rescue and Sanctuary (ACR&S)
PO Box 1231
Apex, NC 27502
[email protected]
Susan or Jenn

Greener Side Rescue
778 Pinewood Drive
Jacksonville, NC 28546
(910) 346-6201
[email protected]
Contact: Tia Lilly

Carolina Pet Rescue
Durham, North Carolina
[email protected]
Contact: Kay or Tina

 

[biscandmatt]

thanks again everyone. we didnt give a lot of lettuce. a small piece. I am thinking it was the green pepper that did it. maybe she never had it before. still feeling badly, one day at a time.

you would have had to introduce new foods at some point though. this couldn't have been avoided if you wanted her to have a varied diet. i honestly don't think it would have been this. the other thing i thought was that they hide illness really well, so by the time we notice, sometimes it has been going on for a while. so definitely possible she could have already been ill. and in that case, any type of stress could have just been that bit too much. i know how hard guilt is. but please don't be too hard on yourself. hugs x

 

[NASH]

We had a little girl called Ino, she was bought for my son along with a little one called Lucy for my daughter, they lived together, ate together and were treated the same ie lots of love and cuddles, however after a month she seemed uncomfortable so we took her to the vet, diagnosed with bloat and giving usual meds, we did everything we were supposed to yet later that evening she passed away on my husbands chest. Sometimes it just happens and it is no ones fault, i often think some piggies fight harder than others when i think what some go through. So absolutely do not think that you did anything wrong as you did absolutely right in taking her to the vets.

 

[Molzak]

Wow Nash....how old was she when she passed away? You are right it just happens. I am being too hard on myself. We got her from another family that was downsizing and I wonder if it would have still happened if she was still with them. But I cant concentrate on that. These piggies are very delicate creatures and they pull my heart strings. I get so attached to my pets. Thanks for your kinds words......reading everyone's posts is wonderful therapy for me!

 

[Gizi]

One day they all have to leave us
Sorry for your loss

 

[NASH]

Ino was only about 4 months old, no age at all poor little girl. We were all devastated at how young she was and the sheer speed of what happened. There was no rhyme nor reason to it.

 

[Molzak]

So I guess it wasn't so unusual as to what happened to my girl. Thanks for sharing and I am sorry for your little Ino. I hope Flower and Ino and all the others are hopping around together at the bridge! These little creatures are so delicate.