• PLEASE NOTE - the TEAS facebook page has been hacked, take extreme care when visiting the page, for further information visit here

Lost and confused

Agashe

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Oct 12, 2020
Messages
140
Reaction score
33
Points
245
Location
Georgia,USA
Hello,I am new to this forum but I have a pretty bad situation. I would like to start that this was a total accident and I do not need anyone to tell me this was my fault as I feel it is even though my friends and family say it is not. Me and my S/O woke up Wednesday and went to work. After work we decided to stay at her house just randomly,I told my roommate not to worry about my GPS because I had given them water,food and hay which was true. The next day we came home to my home and my S/O rushed to the kitchen to tell me my room was hot,I went inside and I could feel the heat before the door was opened,the heater had somehow been left on. Neither me nor my S/O remembered doing it,we are not sure if we bumped it or what even happened but I lifted the hut to my guniea pigs home and my beloved boy Big Wig has died,there are no words to match how I feel and I am devastated by all of this. Big Wig was a fluffy boy with cowlicks and that is probably why he passed and his brother did not. My main concern is now for Hazel,he’s been sitting in the corner of his cage...he ate a bit of hay and had some water this morning but he isn’t making much noise and I am scared for him,he just lost his brother. I have gone and gotten 2 new GP and I am hoping for a bond between one if not both of them. I am aware males do not bond super well but I have the room,I have the cages and I am willing to get one more if one or the other doesn’t bond well. I know some of you are probably thinking that I shouldn’t have more because of my neglect but it was a complete accident and I have never had any of this happen to them,I am honestly just worried about caring for Hazel as the other 2 PG are litter mates. I want to do right by my Hazel. Thank you
 
He is currently eating and drinking but I’m just so worried for him,if they do not bond are seperate cages but close acceptable? I am again willing to provide another guinea as I have the cages already.
 
I’m sorry for your loss. It was a tragic accident.

First you need to immediately step in and syringe feed hazel. If he isn’t eating hay then he needs help. You just also weigh him daily so you can monitor his weight and If he loses weight then you need to syringe feed more. Most importantly though you must get him to a vet straight away.

I'm assuming all your three piggies are male. If so, you cannot bond your new guinea pigs with hazel. You can not keep three male piggies together as it will cause fights. Boars must be kept in pairs. you will need to keep your new piggies together (if the two new ones are already bonded and you got them together, then there is no benefit in separating them from each other) in a separate cage next to hazel so he can communicate with them through the bars so he won’t get lonely.
it’s not true that boars don’t bond, it simply all comes down to character compatibility - but this is why you can’t just get a new piggy to be a companion with another piggy, two piggies have to like each other to form a successful relationship. However, trying to keep three boars in the same cage almost never works as you can’t get the match of characters right very easily.

Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
 
Last edited:
Hazel is eating hay tonight,he also had some apples and water. He still seems to be comfortable in the corner of the cage,by corner I mean he’s KINDA in the corner,his butt and face are not m pressed up against the cage

I got the two GP because I kept reading differing things on if guinea pigs would be lonely or not by having “roommates” some said that would be social enough for a single male and some said it really needed a cagemate. I unfortunately do not have any GP rescues near me so I cannot do a testing of compatibility. The two males are litter mates and are very tiny compared to Hazel but I think the noises of them alone has gotten Hazel to eat his hay. I again would be more than willing to result to getting Hazel an actual cagemate but then I run the risk of getting one he doesn’t care too much for and I’m not sure if the store would take it back after being near mine because of diseases and what not (Hazel has none but it’s probably store policy)

Are there long term effects to being in the heat? He seems okay physically,eyes and nose are clear and when I give him food he runs off (probably scared and unsure the poor guy)
 
Hazel is eating hay tonight,he also had some apples and water. He still seems to be comfortable in the corner of the cage,by corner I mean he’s KINDA in the corner,his butt and face are not m pressed up against the cage

I got the two GP because I kept reading differing things on if guinea pigs would be lonely or not by having “roommates” some said that would be social enough for a single male and some said it really needed a cagemate. I unfortunately do not have any GP rescues near me so I cannot do a testing of compatibility. The two males are litter mates and are very tiny compared to Hazel but I think the noises of them alone has gotten Hazel to eat his hay. I again would be more than willing to result to getting Hazel an actual cagemate but then I run the risk of getting one he doesn’t care too much for and I’m not sure if the store would take it back after being near mine because of diseases and what not (Hazel has none but it’s probably store policy)

Are there long term effects to being in the heat? He seems okay physically,eyes and nose are clear and when I give him food he runs off (probably scared and unsure the poor guy)

it will do him good to have the other two piggies as neighbours as he will have the ability to communicate with them. They cannot be bonded with him and all live in the same cage though.

Eating enough hay to maintain his weight (which Is why you need to weigh him) is essential. Apples are merely a very occasional treat and even veg only counts as a snack - it is hay that is the main part of his diet. Given everything he has been through I would syringe feed him. You cannot gauge hay intake by eye and everything that he has been through then weighing him is so important. He must see a vet. Yes, there are effects from being exposed to such heat So this is why getting him to a vet is so important
 
I’m so sorry for your loss :( It was a tragic accident and there is no proof that it was the heat that killed him. It could have just been his time.

I can’t add to the advise that has already been given but be kind to yourself as you grieve x
 
I will buy a kitchen scale tomorrow and I will also see if the local exotic pet vet will take him for an appointment preferably an emergency one. Thank you for your time and resources,I appreciate them.
 
Unfortunately my boys are only 2 and he was a long haired one so I do believe it was the heat. He was perfectly fine the day before all of that happened. Thank you for your kind words though,they do mean a lot to me as some people don’t understand how I can be so upset about all of this. It’s nice to have people understand where my heart is coming from.
 
It’s a good idea to routinely weigh your guinea pigs each week as part of their weekly health checks, as weight loss can often be the first sign of a brewing illness. If you spot any weight loss beyond normal fluctuations, then you switch to daily weighing and step in with syringe feeding while waiting to get to the vet appointment.

This guide below will help you
Weight - Monitoring and Management
 
will the syringe feedings stress him out? I'm scared to do it but if I have to I will,he’s never been a lap GP so he isn’t often handled in that way and I’m worried it will scare him even more. I will do that though I’m just not sure how he’ll take it
 
will the syringe feedings stress him out? I'm scared to do it but if I have to I will,he’s never been a lap GP so he isn’t often handled in that way and I’m worried it will scare him even more. I will do that though I’m just not sure how he’ll take it

You need to know if he is well so you need to get him to a vet. If he isn’t eating enough hay due to the heat and has lost weight, then he will need to be syringe fed. It may stress him, but without eating enough then he will become very poorly. You need to have a vet check the effects of being exposed to the heat though. The thing will be if that you haven’t been weighing him before now then you won’t know if he has lost any weight in the immediate time so won’t know whether he does need syringe feeding. All you can do now is get him to a vet for a check up, weigh him daily until you are sure he is eating enough and take it from there.
 
I’m going to take him tomorrow as soon as the vet opens if they will allow it
 
Oh my. Poor you and your situation.
As said heating may not have resulted in piggies death.
I once lost a piggie on way home for vets and he was given a full health check and was ok. So his time could have been.
Great suggestions given and help other piggie. Tlc and vet trip will help you guys.
 
Hi!

I agree re. keeping him separated. I am very sorry for what has happened.

However, syringe feeding fibre to any guinea pig that is not eating fully or not at all is crucial in keeping them alive and in their recovery. Your good home care can make all the difference. Syringe feeding is a matter of practice. Make use of our piggy whispering tips with a lot of cajoling and praise but stay firm - when the chips are down, you'd rather he survive a rough spot than not, wouldn't you?
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Syringe Training Before The Need For Medicating
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips

Our one-stop emergency guide with all the necessary information and practical tips; worth bookmarking: Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

Here is our comprehensive diet guide, which looks at all food groups in detail and at diet as a whole, including treats and filtering water.
80% of it should be hay or fresh grass (i.e. what we humans eat as breakfast, lunch and dinner), ca. 15% preferably green veg and herbs (i.e. about an afternoon snack) and the last 5% will come from 1 tablespoon or 1/8 cup of pellets (they are both 15 ml) - that is your dessert.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

You may also find our very extensive practical New Owners information collection very useful. In it we are addressing all the areas that we get the most questions and cries for help from; help to learn what is normal and not and how you can anticipate, avoid or minimise some problems. All of the links in this thread are actually listed in there. Again worth bookmarking and using as a great resource. The guide format allows us to update and extend our information at need: Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides

Please be aware that strong feelings of guilt in the wake of a freak accident are very common. If you really struggle, please seek help. Talking is the best healer and finding a way to turn your bad experience into something constructive for the long term is the best way to get over the hurdle. Please don't make the mistake of letting it fester and spoil your memory for all time.
I am sure that you will never repeat that mistake again, but for instance, could you ask a mate to check on your piggies while you are away and make sure that they are OK, and also make sure that they have your contacts if something is not as it should be, for your own peace of mind? It is often very simple measures that can make a big difference, but they are the kind that you wouldn't hit on without having bumped into the problem the hard way.
Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children

All the best!
 
Thank you for telling me your story,I am sorry you lost your PG so suddenly and after literally coming home from the vet,I have set up an appointment for him to be seen today and hopefully he gets a clean bill of health and makes it through all of this just fine. I’m at the store now looking for a kitchen scale for him
 
Thank you for telling me your story,I am sorry you lost your PG so suddenly and after literally coming home from the vet,I have set up an appointment for him to be seen today and hopefully he gets a clean bill of health and makes it through all of this just fine. I’m at the store now looking for a kitchen scale for him

I have found piggies dead after a short holiday who passed away unexpectedly in the hours between the carer coming last and us coming home. One of my piggies died very unexpectedly from sudden acute heart failure while I was away seeing a specialist in another town with another piggy for an urgent problem on the first day I could leave my very ill husband safely for several hours...
I have also found some piggies dead coming down in the morning. One I lost over Christmas to a blockage; she died while there was a several hours wait at the out-of-hours vet to have her euthanised.
The heat may have contributed to an underlying or genetic problem, but the powder keg must have already been sitting there waiting to go off sooner or later. :(

I hope that this helps you make peace with what has happened. It is just one of these cosmic bad luck things that we all experience sooner or later in life. Stuff happens. You can be sad and will always remain sad, but it is important how you get up and how you learn to deal with these situations.
Take responsibility for the aspects that were under your control but don't make the mistake of blaming yourself for everything because you are blocking yourself and prevent yourself from learning and growing. Life is a series of stumbles and challenges. Some sadly hurt more than others - but they are also a great incentive to make a big step foreward once you have digested them. We mature more as an adult by learning to get up after a bed experience than by expecting from ourselves to never put a foot wrong.

If you have given your piggies the best of lives you could, then you have done nothing wrong. We can never choose when and what from they die. Pets are a gift on loan from God, but the loan can be cancelled at any time without warning. We can only ever concentrate on making every day a happy one to make it count, as far as they are concerned.

Here is what you can do for your surviving boy: Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

If you struggle too badly, you can find resources for pet bereavement support in several countries in our grieving guide.
 
You might find that he welcomes the syringe feed, especially if it's something novel. Recently I had to syringe one of a pair to try and keep her weight up - it turns out she had a swallowing issue. At night I put a little plate of sloppy gruel and a little bowl of soaked, soft pellets near her in case she wanted to try on her own. It was less that a minute before my big male sniffed these out and (despite having eaten his fill at 'dinner time' and settled for the night) hoovered up all the pellets and licked up half the gruel. It reassured me that this stuff is actually tasty for guinea-pigs.

I'm really sorry for your loss x
 
Back
Top