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Engel

Engel

Adult Guinea Pig
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I feel so guilty although I know there's nothing I can do. This morning Autumn was up and eating pooping and popcorning. It didn't seem like anything was wrong.

This evening I went to do hay top up and instantly I knew there was something wrong. Hunched, squinty eyed, scruffy coat and cold ears and feet. I've checked her over and there's no obvious cause. I've placed her on a heat pad in a snuggle sack. I've tried syringe feeding recovery food but she just keeps spitting it out. She's refusing grass and favourite veg. She doesn't appear bloated, her tummy is squishy. However I have found a huge lump in her abdomen that wasn't there 2 weeks ago.

I can't believe I have missed it. I can't believe how much difference a few hours can make.

I don't think there's anything a vet can do, she's lay very still and got a almost vacant gaze. My head is telling me that she's making her way over the rainbow bridge but my heart says no.

I'm a bit of a mess at the moment.
 
Engel said:
I feel so guilty although I know there's nothing I can do. This morning Autumn was up and eating pooping and popcorning. It didn't seem like anything was wrong.

This evening I went to do hay top up and instantly I knew there was something wrong. Hunched, squinty eyed, scruffy coat and cold ears and feet. I've checked her over and there's no obvious cause. I've placed her on a heat pad in a snuggle sack. I've tried syringe feeding recovery food but she just keeps spitting it out. She's refusing grass and favourite veg. She doesn't appear bloated, her tummy is squishy. However I have found a huge lump in her abdomen that wasn't there 2 weeks ago.

I can't believe I have missed it. I can't believe how much difference a few hours can make.

I don't think there's anything a vet can do, she's lay very still and got a almost vacant gaze. My head is telling me that she's making her way over the rainbow bridge but my heart says no.

I'm a bit of a mess at the moment.
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BIG HUGS

Please take a deep breath and be strong for Autumn as she is making her way to the bridge. It's nothing you have done wrong; it is simply her time to go into multiple organ failure (i.e. her body is closing down). Sometimes it happens without warning that a major organ like the heart simply stops working and is packing in (acute heart failure).

The cold feet and body are a sign that the blood circulation is no longer working properly. Brace for some fitting or running and falling over in the last stages of oxygen deprivation in the limbs (we call that 'running to the Rainbow Bridge') and take consolation that she is no longer fully with it by then. You can hold her safely in a snuggle bag or wrapped up in fleece at that stage so she can leave carried by the wings of your love.

Try to take consolation that - while it is much tougher on you when it happens without warning - Autumn is having a comparatively easier and quick time of it as these things go and that she has been able to enjoy her life right up to the last few hours. Should she still be there by tomorrow morning, please contact your vets for pts to spare her a protracted journey. The first sudden death is always the worst with its speed and sheer physicality. ;)

Been there myself with my Cerian just two weeks ago. :(

This guide here talks you through a natural death at home: A Practical and Sensitive Guide to Dying, Terminal Illness and Euthanasia in Guinea Pigs

Please be kind with yourself afterwards and give yourself time to digest the double whammy of shock and loss; it can feel overwhelming at first. If needed, seek help with the free Blue Cross pet bereavement services (UK animal charity).
Pet bereavement and pet loss

My thoughts are with Autumn and you.
 
Wiebke said:
BIG HUGS

Please take a deep breath and be strong for Autumn as she is making her way to the bridge. It's nothing you have done wrong; it is simply her time to go into multiple organ failure (i.e. her body is closing down). Sometimes it happens without warning that a major organ like the heart simply stops working and is packing in (acute heart failure).

The cold feet and body are a sign that the blood circulation is no longer working properly. Brace for some fitting or running and falling over in the last stages of oxygen deprivation in the limbs (we call that 'running to the Rainbow Bridge') and take consolation that she is no longer fully with it by then. You can hold her safely in a snuggle bag or wrapped up in fleece at that stage so she can leave carried by the wings of your love.

Try to take consolation that - while it is much tougher on you when it happens without warning - Autumn is having a comparatively easier and quick time of it as these things go and that she has been able to enjoy her life right up to the last few hours. Should she still be there by tomorrow morning, please contact your vets for pts to spare her a protracted journey. The first sudden death is always the worst with its speed and sheer physicality. ;)

Been there myself with my Cerian just two weeks ago. :(

This guide here talks you through a natural death at home: A Practical and Sensitive Guide to Dying, Terminal Illness and Euthanasia in Guinea Pigs

Please be kind with yourself afterwards and give yourself time to digest the double whammy of shock and loss; it can feel overwhelming at first. If needed, seek help with the free Blue Cross pet bereavement services (UK animal charity).
Pet bereavement and pet loss

My thoughts are with Autumn and you.
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Thanks @Wiebke . Is it fair to say this is the end for her? She has a few moments where she perks up and then nothing.
Do I leave her with her companions outside in the shed or bring her in with me? I wants what's best for her. There's blood now but I don't know where it's coming from. It's like she's going to the loo but it's bloody. I've had to change my hoodie and t-shirt because there's so much. I don't understand what's happening.
 
Engel said:
Thanks @Wiebke . Is it fair to say this is the end for her? She has a few moments where she perks up and then nothing.
Do I leave her with her companions outside in the shed or bring her in with me? I wants what's best for her. There's blood now but I don't know where it's coming from. It's like she's going to the loo but it's bloody. I've had to change my hoodie and t-shirt because there's so much. I don't understand what's happening.
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HUGS

This is unfortunately the end; it is rarely neat and straight forward.

Bring her inside. Her companions know better than you that she is dying and that she would normally have removed herself from the denning area.

It sounds like something in her body has just burst (internal abscess? tumour?). Hopefully the end will come quickly now.

Please speak to an out-of-hours vet for advice if it doesn't happen within the next half an hour or so and if she seems to be in pain.
 
So sorry to read this, poor baby and poor you. Don’t feel guilty, sometimes these things happen so suddenly. Take heart that she knew she was loved and had company of her friends. Take care x
 
Thank you all. Sadly within an hour of my last post Autumn went over the rainbow bridge leaving behind Blossom and husboar Cyril. I will keep a close eye on them over the next week or so. Thank you for all your support through this difficult time. I'll post a tribute to the rainbow bridge section in the coming days.
 
Engel said:
Thank you all. Sadly within an hour of my last post Autumn went over the rainbow bridge leaving behind Blossom and husboar Cyril. I will keep a close eye on them over the next week or so. Thank you for all your support through this difficult time. I'll post a tribute to the rainbow bridge section in the coming days.
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BIG HUGS

Please try to take consolation that while it was horrible for you watching Autumn's body breaking down, it was actually pretty quick as natural deaths go and over in a matter of hours. When I wrote my last post just after midnight I was fervently hoping that she was coming to the end of her journey and to making her last big leap onto the Bridge itself. Thankfully, that has happened.

There is nothing you can do to stop the process once a piggy's body has started to close down. All you can do is sit up with them and seeing a vet asap if a piggy is in sheer agony (which Autumn was NOT) or if the irreversable process is slow and drawn out over several days and your piggy is in obvious distress.
Drifting gently away in one's sleep is actually rare and more in the way of a sanitised social human myth; the reality is generally a lot more messy and upsetting.


I am very sorry for you that you have had to face a full-on version without any warning. It can be traumatic and can cause PTSD symptoms, especially in people with already exisiting mental health issues. Please seek help for yourself to talk it out of you promptly so it cannot fester and take root.
Pet bereavement and pet loss

Be gentle with yourself. It's not anything you have done wrong, it is simply you smashing head first against the hard side of nature. As humans we tend to think in average life spans and 'how things ought to be' but when the chips are down, guinea pigs are just small rodents with a huge personality but a much faster metabolism than us which can suddenly turn against them at any time. We also reflect everything back onto ourselves and tend to automatically seek fault with ourselves. You haven't done anything wrong. Autumn would have most likely not survived the stress of a journey to the out-of-hours vets; it was much better for her to stay in her familiar surroundings and being kept as comfortable and warm as you could - which you have done.

Try to focus beyond that onto all the happy years with Autumn and try not to define your bond with her by the few hours at the very end that are out of the control of any owner. We can never choose what, when, in which way and under which circumstances the end comes; we can only ever choose to give our piggies plenty of happy todays - which is what they measure a good life by. You are doing that and have not failed Autumn in any way.


Blossom and Cyril thankfully have each other so while they will grieve they should not pine (stop eating and drinking). It will be hard for you to see them quiet and withdrawn for a few days while they do their own grieving. If one of them doesn't eat in the wake of a sudden death, often a single syringe feed can rejig the appetite; especially when they have other piggy company - even that doesn't happen often.
Full-on acute pining is thankfully very, very rare. We have seen less than two handfuls over the years on here. So please try not to hover and stress them out.

Take care and take the time to digest it all; but please seek support if you find it hard to cope and look after yourself just as much as after your beloved piggies.
 
Wiebke said:
BIG HUGS

Please try to take consolation that while it was horrible for you watching Autumn's body breaking down, it was actually pretty quick as natural deaths go and over in a matter of hours. When I wrote my last post just after midnight I was fervently hoping that she was coming to the end of her journey and to making her last big leap onto the Bridge itself. Thankfully, that has happened.

There is nothing you can do to stop the process once a piggy's body has started to close down. All you can do is sit up with them and seeing a vet asap if a piggy is in sheer agony (which Autumn was NOT) or if the irreversable process is slow and drawn out over several days and your piggy is in obvious distress.
Drifting gently away in one's sleep is actually rare and more in the way of a sanitised social human myth; the reality is generally a lot more messy and upsetting.


I am very sorry for you that you have had to face a full-on version without any warning. It can be traumatic and can cause PTSD symptoms, especially in people with already exisiting mental health issues. Please seek help for yourself to talk it out of you promptly so it cannot fester and take root.
Pet bereavement and pet loss

Be gentle with yourself. It's not anything you have done wrong, it is simply you smashing head first against the hard side of nature. As humans we tend to think in average life spans and 'how things ought to be' but when the chips are down, guinea pigs are just small rodents with a huge personality but a much faster metabolism than us which can suddenly turn against them at any time. We also reflect everything back onto ourselves and tend to automatically seek fault with ourselves. You haven't done anything wrong. Autumn would have most likely not survived the stress of a journey to the out-of-hours vets; it was much better for her to stay in her familiar surroundings and being kept as comfortable and warm as you could - which you have done.

Try to focus beyond that onto all the happy years with Autumn and try not to define your bond with her by the few hours at the very end that are out of the control of any owner. We can never choose what, when, in which way and under which circumstances the end comes; we can only ever choose to give our piggies plenty of happy todays - which is what they measure a good life by. You are doing that and have not failed Autumn in any way.


Blossom and Cyril thankfully have each other so while they will grieve but they should not pine (stop eating and drinking). It will be hard for you to see them quiet and withdrawn for a few days while they do their own grieving. If one of them doesn't eat in the wake of a sudden death, often a single syringe feed can rejig the appetite; especially when they have other piggy company - even that doesn't happen often.
Full-on acute pining is thankfully very, very rare. We have seen less than two handfuls over the years on here. So please try not to hover and stress them out.

Take care and take the time to digest it all; but please seek support if you find it hard to cope and look after yourself just as much as after your beloved piggies.
Click to expand...
I always had a feeling that Autumn would be the first to go as she had a squashed face and she was more sensitive to environment changes respiratory wise. However I always assumed it'd be that which would take her, so finding the large lump deeply embedded with all the other things happening was a shock.

Given her struggles in the 2+ years I've had her it's almost like I have done my grieving before her departure, and taken everyday as a bonus. It's mostly shock I think. Shock that it happened, shock of what's happened.

I've been out to the pigs and Blossom and Cyril seem ok, out munching on hay. I'll stick to my usual routine with them especially as Blossom is a very stressy skittish pig.

I've managed to bury Autumn in her snuggle sack under some forget-me-nots.
 
I'm so sorry, it's such a hard thing to go through. If it's any consolation, only one of my pigs passed after an illness where we could see it coming in advance. My other pigs were all seemingly fine up until a few hours before their deaths. This seems to be the guinea pig way a lot of the time. It's probably best for them, as they are just living their best lives right up until the end, but it comes as a terrible shock to the humans. ((HUGS)) to you and I'm so sorry for your loss.
 
Engel said:
I always had a feeling that Autumn would be the first to go as she had a squashed face and she was more sensitive to environment changes respiratory wise. However I always assumed it'd be that which would take her, so finding the large lump deeply embedded with all the other things happening was a shock.

Given her struggles in the 2+ years I've had her it's almost like I have done my grieving before her departure, and taken everyday as a bonus. It's mostly shock I think. Shock that it happened, shock of what's happened.

I've been out to the pigs and Blossom and Cyril seem ok, out munching on hay. I'll stick to my usual routine with them especially as Blossom is a very stressy skittish pig.

I've managed to bury Autumn in her snuggle sack under some forget-me-nots.
Click to expand...

HUGS

Even when we know that the end is coming and are prepared/waiting for it, it still comes as a shock. But the shock can be rather devastating when we haven't had time to brace ourselves.
Give yourself the time to work through the shock and your helplessness to reverse or direct the sudden dying process.

You have given Autumn roughly the equivalent of 20 extra piggy 'years' of a happy life with your good care that she wouldn't necessarily have had in another place; that is a very, very precious gift.

Glad that Blossom and Cyril are hanging in there so you do not have to worry about them.

I also try to use forget-me-nots when they are in season and of a sprig of rosemary for remembrance for my own piggies' goodbyes. They may be gone but they are not forgotten, nevermind how many other come after them...
 
So very sorry to read of Autumn’s loss.
You didn’t miss anything, as prey animals piggies hide illness very well, but I know it’s devastating for you.
What’s important is that you gave Autumn a wonderful life.
Be kind to yourself now and allow yourself time to grieve.
 
I am so very sorry to hear your sad news 😞 The lump came on very suddenly and guinea pigs hide their illnesses so well that by the time we realise there’s something wrong, it’s often sadly too late. You didn’t miss anything and have given Autumn an amazing life filled with love and that’s what matters (((hugs)))

Sleep tight Autumn x
 
I am so sorry for Autumn's passing, Sudden passings are hard, but you loved her and she knew this. She was not in pain was passing slowly on her own with her mom near her side. Be thankful for this. hugs my dear we are here for you.
 
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