• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Please, Please Help! I Fell Down The Stairs With Godfrey!

Status
Not open for further replies.
TheCavySlave

TheCavySlave

Adult Guinea Pig
Joined
Sep 30, 2016
Messages
1,371
Reaction score
1,280
Points
695
Location
Plutonian living in Surrey.
I was taking him downstairs to have his grease gland washed and I slipped the last few stairs and fell and he went flying out my arms and tumbled through the air! Help! He seemed to land on his feet and immediately ran off, but I saw him fall half a metre maybe? And tumbled through the air and landed on the hall rug (carpet with rug on top, fairly soft landing) I feel so awful, I could have killed him! He seems okay, walking is fine and we've wrapped him up with a grape, he seems no worse for wear. I'm terrfified, my tailbone is quite painful but I could have killed him! I'm such a bad owner! He could have broken his neck! He was vibrating on my back just now, I'm so, so sorry for being so irresponsible, I'll keep a close eye on him. He's squeaking and seems totally fine, his usual mischevious, he pulled down the parsley plant while we were rubbing on coconut oil, and had a munch, as well as scoffing half a grape. Should he be rehomed? He's had a few falls, being a bouncy piggy, and I'm terrified I'm a bad owner. He's pooped in his little box lined with a towel and is munching hay while squeaking indignantly at us (nothing unusual) I'm going to tag in @Adelle and @furryfriends (TEAS). Please don't be angry at me, I just suddenly slipped and slid down on my coccyx.
 
Last edited:
Don't blame yourself, it was a freak accident. In future is there anyway you could clean his grease gland upstairs? maybe in the bathroom?

Eating is a good sign and so is pooing. I would monitor him overnight and make sure he carries on eating and pooing and that he is walking ok. If any of that changes I would call the vet. He is probably in shock more than anything so keep him warm and comfortable. Bruising can appear hours after though so you may find he stiffens up as the hours pass and if so I would speak to the vet about some pain relief.
 
It was an accident, they happen. I know from experience it makes the guilty feeling no less. But you aren't a bad owner or a horrible person. As Helen said, eating and pooping and talking are all really good signs. Makes sure that continues with good movement. Keep him warm just incase he does get a little bit of shock, but I'm sure he will be OK.

Two nights ago one of my girls fell out of her hutch. It's about 1.5 meters from the ground (I have three hutches built into a shed) I saw that she was going to fall but my brain just couldn't engage and I didn't react in time. In fact my attempt to catch her resulted in me thumping the poor mite into the hutch door of the cage below before she landed. She was fine though, a little bit quiet initially but she got back to herself very swiftly. It isn't the first time I've dropped a piglet or seen it fall but it doesn't remove that initial horror and guilt, but I didn't beat myself up about it once I realised she was fine.I guess my point is, accidents happen to us all.
 
As others have said,accidents do happen.He doesn't need rehoming and you certainly are not a bad owner.He will forget about it before you do!I was lugging a big hay bag about in my rabbits enclosure yesterday and accidentally bumped it into him.I picked him up apologising profusely to him and feeling awful and he just wriggled until I put him down and carried on eating his hay.I felt bad but he certainly didn't!
 
Thank you so much guys, he seems fine but my tailbone has yet to recover. Standing up? Ow. Sitting down? Ow. Moving a millimetre? Ow.
It's awful blaming yourself for an injured piggy, though Godfrey doesn't seem bothered, his first instinct was to run into a room he isn't allowed in, I'm just glad he seems fine:)
 
Look after yourself too!You may end up with a bruise and be abit stiff tomorrow.Hope youre ok.
 
accidents happen ! just keep an eye on him as stated above... and please don't blame yourself x
 
Awww... i'm sure Godfrey would be far more distressed if you suddenly re-homed him! :yikes:

I'm sure he loves and forgives you and very much wants to stay living where he is :luv:

Of course you would feel dreadful that he was dropped, but it was an accident and thankfully you have not broken your own bones either!

Great advice above, big hugs to Godfrey & yourself :hug:
 
You don't need to rehome, lol
One of mine gave me a deep defensive bite, I was in horrendous pain. I acted on instinct & pulled her off & pushed her away. She ended up on the floor & was knocked out for a few seconds. If it wasn't for Wiebke I would have had them rehomed. I felt terrible too. So don't worry, although if your stairs are slippery, I'd clean the grease gland upstairs.
:oops:
 
Thecavyslave a bad owner? You?

If you are a bad owner then so is everyone. The people on this forum are the best owners around. Accidents happen and we feel guilty. Actually I feel guilty when things don't happen...like IV forgotten something...
 
Tiamolly123 said:
You don't need to rehome, lol
One of mine gave me a deep defensive bite, I was in horrendous pain. I acted on instinct & pulled her off & pushed her away. She ended up on the floor & was knocked out for a few seconds. If it wasn't for Wiebke I would have had them rehomed. I felt terrible too. So don't worry, although if your stairs are slippery, I'd clean the grease gland upstairs.
:oops:
Click to expand...
That's why I'm embarrassed, they're carpeted:doh:
Flamestriker said:
Thecavyslave a bad owner? You?

If you are a bad owner then so is everyone. The people on this forum are the best owners around. Accidents happen and we feel guilty. Actually I feel guilty when things don't happen...like IV forgotten something...
Click to expand...
Ugh me too, worrying sucks!
 
:agr: with everyone else - don't blame yourself. I have done exactly the same thing myself and the piggies didn't come to any harm. It gives you such a shock and you can't help feeling guilty, but you are absolutely NOT a bad owner!

They can knock their teeth together if they fall and this can lead to the top ones being damaged. Just check his. Sometimes they are loose at first before they fall out. They grow back really quickly if they are knocked out.
 
Posyrose said:
:agr: with everyone else - don't blame yourself. I have done exactly the same thing myself and the piggies didn't come to any harm. It gives you such a shock and you can't help feeling guilty, but you are absolutely NOT a bad owner!

They can knock their teeth together if they fall and this can lead to the top ones being damaged. Just check his. Sometimes they are loose at first before they fall out. They grow back really quickly if they are knocked out.
Click to expand...
That's a good idea, what worries me is there were tiny bits of broken tile close to where he landed that I didn't notice, he seems totally okay though. Forgiving little piggy.
 
Flamestriker said:
Piggies have a GREAT way of making us feel guilty. I wish I knew how they did it...
Click to expand...
I have a sneaky suspicion that they set up situations for their own amusement, if my two are anything to go by...

Willow: *Hmm, slave is relaxing, hasn't given us food for all of ten minute*
"Ah-choo!"

Me: *Leaps off sofa, scrabbles over expecting to see an expired piggy*
*Checks both pigs from top to toe*
*Is that a snotty nose? Can I see mucus?*
*Cross-checks other pig. And vice versa*
*Searches TGPF for 'URI symptoms'*
*Offers extra greens as I'm obviously a negligent owner and have caused some sort of piggy scurvy*

Willow: "MWAHAHAHAAAA!"
 
Tiny said:
I have a sneaky suspicion that they set up situations for their own amusement, if my two are anything to go by...

Willow: *Hmm, slave is relaxing, hasn't given us food for all of ten minute*
"Ah-choo!"

Me: *Leaps off sofa, scrabbles over expecting to see an expired piggy*
*Checks both pigs from top to toe*
*Is that a snotty nose? Can I see mucus?*
*Cross-checks other pig. And vice versa*
*Searches TGPF for 'URI symptoms'*
*Offers extra greens as I'm obviously a negligent owner and have caused some sort of piggy scurvy*

Willow: "MWAHAHAHAAAA!"
Click to expand...
*Godfrey in loft, me quietly sweeping cage*
*Godfrey decides he needs some attention, so mini sneezing fit*
Me: SWEETIE are you okay? Stop sneezing honey, it's okay, mwah. Who's a good piggy? We'll take you to the vet if you sneeze more, alright honeysweetiedarlingmuffinsugarplumtiddlywinks?
Godfrey: "Ah, sweet humans. And stop with the pet names, I'm a BOAR!"
 
I felt horrible the other day when i was trying to remove a matte from phillips leg and he was falling asleep and slipped off the coffee table i had him sat on (he sits here all the time on a towel or in a snuggle bed watching tv with us - supervised of course) accidents happen and as long as you are both ok then thats all that matters!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top