Strange Death Of Guinea Pig

[navidson]

Hello all - First time posting on here so hopefully doing this correctly!

My girlfriend has just contacted me in a frantic state because she has found her female guinea pig dead in her cage. She says that her head is covered in blood and it looks like she has been bitten - plus her ear has been removed.

Is it possible that a wild animal could have done this? She was in a standard A-frame hutch in the garden - The hutch appears to be undisturbed and there is no sign of another animal?

Any help would be much appreciated!

 

[Merrypigs Sanctuary]

How awful for you and your girlfriend Did your piggy live alone? A cage mate may sometimes be so frantic in trying to wake a deceased pal that they nibble at the face and legs.
If not, it could well have been rats sadly, they can squeeze through pretty tight spaces and it seems relatively common after a death outdoors
I hope you and your girlfriend are ok

 

[navidson]

How awful for you and your girlfriend Did your piggy live alone? A cage mate may sometimes be so frantic in trying to wake a deceased pal that they nibble at the face and legs.
If not, it could well have been rats sadly, they can squeeze through pretty tight spaces and it seems relatively common after a death outdoors
I hope you and your girlfriend are ok

Hi Merrypigs - Thanks for the reply - Yep, she lived on her own in the hutch

 

[helen105281]

I am so sorry for your loss, what a horrible shock. It is hard to say whether she was attacked or if her death attracted rats into her hutch as Merrypigs has said.

 

[Merrypigs Sanctuary]

This is what I don't like outside piggies. The poor little thing must have been petrified.

She might have already passed hopefully, before any rats arrived.

 

[Wheekallweek]

Aw poor you and poor piggy. I’m sure she passed away peacefully before anything else happened.
Don’t feel bad!

 

[Tiamolly123]

Yes I hope so, the people who have heated sheds are fine. Mind you no-one sees the advantage of TVs. They would love Peppa pig. Lol

 

[Tiamolly123]

I you get anymore you really need 2 so they've got company. You can get a C&C cage, the advantages of having piggies indoors. Is awesome, I've got mine in the living room, & someone is always stroking or talking to them. Just a thought for you. Or maybe a purpose built heated shed.

Hi & Welcome to our friendly forum.

 

[Lady Kelly]

I'm really sorry for your loss, it's obviously very traumatic for you and your girlfriend. Predator s can be very determined once they know prey are around and you need to ensure any housing or runs are predator proof. I have piggies outdoors and there is nothing wrong with that, in fact I have seen benefits to the animals for them being outdoors. It's about personal circumstances and doing what's right for you and your piggies.

I avoided any hutches that sit on the ground. 1 they can be burrowed under and 2 the ground level tends to stay too cold in the winter. With hutches pay a bit more for a well built one that's sturdy enough to keep them protected and dry, cheaper hutches might look the same but will wear out quickly costing you more in the long run. I also only ever use a run in the garden when I am with them so I can keep watch and ensure there is no danger to then.

 

[Wiebke]

Hello all - First time posting on here so hopefully doing this correctly!

My girlfriend has just contacted me in a frantic state because she has found her female guinea pig dead in her cage. She says that her head is covered in blood and it looks like she has been bitten - plus her ear has been removed.

Is it possible that a wild animal could have done this? She was in a standard A-frame hutch in the garden - The hutch appears to be undisturbed and there is no sign of another animal?

Any help would be much appreciated!

I am very sorry for the nasty shock!

Something could have got into the frame; they are unfortunately not exactly sturdy.
Rats and mice for instant can get through amazingly small holes.

The other possibility is that a distraught and increasingly frantic companion can nudge and then bite a suddenly deceased piggy in a desperate attempt to wake it up again.

Please bring any remaining guinea pigs safely indoors!

 

[Freela]

It is possible that she was attacked and bitten by an animal that entered the cage (rats, for instance, can sneak into small areas and are more aggressive than a guinea pig.) It's also possible that she passed away naturally and this attracted another animal to the hutch. If she is housed with a companion pig, it's possible that the other pig chewed on her ear after death in an attempt to wake her up or due to stress. If you have another pig living in the hutch, I would try to bring it inside until you can secure the outdoor hutch to make it predator-proof.

I'm really sorry for your loss. That sounds really traumatic for your girlfriend to find.