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Sudden Death Of Guinea Pig

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GuineaGuy

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi all,

I know this isn't really going to be able to give me a definitive answer but I wouldn't mind some thoughts.

This morning I was having breakfast and watching TV when Oliver came out of his house and started eating from his food bowl, which he often did when we sat down to eat with the TV on.

I was looking across at him and he was eating as normal, everything was completely normal. I turned back to watch TV. No more than 30 seconds after last looking at him - I heard him scurry. He often had a little sprint when he got excited, but this sounded 'lop sided', he then bumped into the side of the cage (which he's never done) and ended up under his bed with laboured breathing and his head down - he was very floppy.

I threw on some clothes and got him in the car but within a couple of minutes I could see he was gone.

From the time I last saw him eating to seeing him at that point in the car no more than 3.5 minutes could have passed.

He had gone from completely healthy to the other side of the bridge and I'm completely shocked.

I'm just wondering if anyone has any ideas as to what this could be? He has never had a visit to the vet (I carried on to the vet this morning just in case). I think he was around 4 years old - he was a rescue that we'd had for 3 years so I can't guarantee it.

About 6 weeks ago, he had a spate of 'soft clumpy poos' but cutting back on veggies along with probiotic sorted this. He had veggies as normal about 12 hours prior to this morning and after inspecting when I got back from the vet, he had been producing normal poops. The vet mentioned she thought his stomach felt 'fluidy' which is why I was unsure if they were linked. He had a few sprigs of parsley and half a red pepper last night.

I cleared an outside drain a few days ago and had mucky smelly hands but had a thorough bath afterwards, but I'm still concerned I may have had a drop left on my hands that transferred when I gave him hay.

He was very much a little friend and had been doted on for the past few weeks as he was on his own following Reggies death a month ago. We were due to bring him home a new cage mate in the next couple of weeks :/

All day I have felt shocked, upset and guilty, and I know a diagnosis is impossible but can anyone offer any thoughts from what I've described?

Thanks,
GG
 
Oh I'm so sorry for your loss and how hard it must be to have lost him so suddenly. Guinea pigs are excellent at concealing illnesses until it's just too late and it is possible he was ill but hid it. I'll tag @Wiebke @Flutterby
 
Firstly, I am so sorry for your loss. It's especially hard when you loose them unexpectedly and don't know the cause. I recently lost 3 pigs in one day so I know how you are feeling right now. Secondly, please don't blame yourself. It took a lot of kind words from others on this forum for me to realize that I hadn't done anything to cause the death of my pigs. Things happen that we cannot in any way predict or stop from happening.Guinea pigs are VERY good at hiding their illnesses too. Given your information to me it sounds very much like it's been something sudden such as a stroke which you couldn't have stopped. You did the right things by trying to get him straight to the vets, it's just a shame he didn't make it. In a way it does sound like he has suffered.

Again I am so sorry for your loss, I'm sending huge hugs your way. Please don't feel that you have done anything wrong, its clear you are an attentive pig owner.

Rest in peace little one xx
 
I can only offer my condolences really, and say how sorry I am to hear Oliver past away. I think when you have an ill piggy and you are nursing one through you are also kind of preparing yourself for the worse, but with something so sudden, it's obviously a shock to the system - he was loved and he loved you back.

xx
 
I'm so sorry you've lost little Oliver
Sleep tight.

I honestly don't think you've done anything wrong, so please don't blame yourself.
 
I'm so sorry. My Teddy passed from something similiar sounding, an aneurysm in which I found her shaking and lopped over in her cage. It's a horrible feeling isn't it. Sleep tight Oliver xx
 
I am so sorry for your loss :( It sounds like a possible stroke or more likely a sudden heart attack, the previous fluid could have been a sign of heart failure. Unfortunately sometimes the symptoms aren't text book.
 
GuineaGuy said:
Hi all,

I know this isn't really going to be able to give me a definitive answer but I wouldn't mind some thoughts.

This morning I was having breakfast and watching TV when Oliver came out of his house and started eating from his food bowl, which he often did when we sat down to eat with the TV on.

I was looking across at him and he was eating as normal, everything was completely normal. I turned back to watch TV. No more than 30 seconds after last looking at him - I heard him scurry. He often had a little sprint when he got excited, but this sounded 'lop sided', he then bumped into the side of the cage (which he's never done) and ended up under his bed with laboured breathing and his head down - he was very floppy.

I threw on some clothes and got him in the car but within a couple of minutes I could see he was gone.

From the time I last saw him eating to seeing him at that point in the car no more than 3.5 minutes could have passed.

He had gone from completely healthy to the other side of the bridge and I'm completely shocked.

I'm just wondering if anyone has any ideas as to what this could be? He has never had a visit to the vet (I carried on to the vet this morning just in case). I think he was around 4 years old - he was a rescue that we'd had for 3 years so I can't guarantee it.

About 6 weeks ago, he had a spate of 'soft clumpy poos' but cutting back on veggies along with probiotic sorted this. He had veggies as normal about 12 hours prior to this morning and after inspecting when I got back from the vet, he had been producing normal poops. The vet mentioned she thought his stomach felt 'fluidy' which is why I was unsure if they were linked. He had a few sprigs of parsley and half a red pepper last night.

I cleared an outside drain a few days ago and had mucky smelly hands but had a thorough bath afterwards, but I'm still concerned I may have had a drop left on my hands that transferred when I gave him hay.

He was very much a little friend and had been doted on for the past few weeks as he was on his own following Reggies death a month ago. We were due to bring him home a new cage mate in the next couple of weeks :/

All day I have felt shocked, upset and guilty, and I know a diagnosis is impossible but can anyone offer any thoughts from what I've described?

Thanks,
GG]

HUGS

I am very sorry for you; what a traumatic experience. It sounds like he had a stroke, especially if it was lop sided. There is sadly nothing you can do; they can hit right out of the blue. The loss of his companion may have just been the match that set the fuse in his body off.

Please try to take comfort that your boys are reunited at the Rainbow Bridge again. While acute pining is rare, it is not that uncommon that a companion passes not long afterwards, as the loss has impacted on their immune system and has brought on underlying issues.

You are welcome to post a tribute to both your boys in our Rainbow Bridge if or whenever it feels right for you.

A sudden death always shakes you and upsets you as you have not been able to brace for it. You have to deal with both the shock and the grieving process at the same time. You are going to feel rather jittery from all the sudden adrenaline coursing through your body, and then, when it runs out, you get the hangover blues on top of everything else.
Having lost my Angharad very unexpectedly 10 days ago not long after losing two more piggies, I have just been through that myself. You can't hurry on the grieving process. But please don't feel like you have missed anything or could have prevented anything. You haven't and you can't!
Click to expand...

HUGS

I am very sorry for you; what a traumatic experience. It sounds like he had a stroke, especially if it was lop sided. There is sadly nothing you can do; they can hit right out of the blue. The loss of his companion may have just been the match that set the fuse in his body off.

Please try to take comfort that your boys are reunited at the Rainbow Bridge again. While acute pining is rare, it is not that uncommon that a companion passes not long afterwards, as the loss has impacted on their immune system and has brought on underlying issues.

You are welcome to post a tribute to both your boys in our Rainbow Bridge if or whenever it feels right for you.

A sudden death always shakes you and upsets you as you have not been able to brace for it. You have to deal with both the shock and the grieving process at the same time. You are going to feel rather jittery from all the sudden adrenaline coursing through your body, and then, when it runs out, you get the hangover blues on top of everything else.
Having lost my Angharad very unexpectedly 10 days ago not long after losing two more piggies, I have just been through that myself. You can't hurry on the grieving process. But please don't feel like you have missed anything or could have prevented anything. You haven't and you can't!
 
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Thank you all very much for your kind words, it's been a big help this evening.

Flutterby - I'm so sorry that you lost 3 in one day, that must have been devestating for you. They are such delicate creatures - Oliver was the 8th I have lost over the years, but the first to go so suddenly.

I'm desperately trying not to blame myself - from what you've said, and from what I've googled, it does sound like a heart attack or stroke was most likely.

I'm lucky to have had the 3 years with him that I did - he was quite a character - I had great fun taking a series of photos with him when a Santa Pikachu dropped in on Pokemon go as I knew he would be inquisitive about what I was doing! This is one of my favourites:IMG_0924.webp
 
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