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Unexpected Death in Young Guinea Pig

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Hannah Boo

Hannah Boo

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Hi, hopefully somebody can help.

I had two guinea pigs that were roughly 2.5 - 3 yrs old. One was long haired (Maggie) and one short haired (Muffin).

They had a nice double decker hutch and 6 foot run, I cleaned them out once a week. I provided them with fresh water, fresh hay, fresh vegetables and cereal from a guinea pig breeder everyday.

They both seemed happy. I put them in the garden on the grass whenever the weather was good (not in the rain) and they usually had 2-4 hours a day on the grass.

Last Tuesday morning I went outside to give them their breakfast, they are usually both waiting by the bars for it. Maggie was not waiting. I put the food down and she wasn't bothered, she ignored it and just sat under the ramp in the hutch. Muffin was eating but didn't seem as happy as normal.

I felt there was something wrong, so I picked Maggie up and she didn't run away (she'd normally move if I tried to get her). I checked her underneath as she is long haired and there was a fairly large clump of softish poo stuck to her rear end. I wiped her with one of her wipes and removed it. Her breathing heart rate/ breathing seemed a little more pronounced than normal. I took her and muffin to the vets about half hour later. The vet checked her breathing and said there was no noise, stuck a thermometer up her bottom, checked her ears and nose, then injected her and syringed some emergency food into her mouth. Maggie was handed back to me she seemed to be making a noise (grunting maybe). The vet just said she was stressed. She said she thought she had bacterial problem / upset stomach.

I took both pigs home and syringe fed Maggie through the day and gave her the antibiotics via syringe that the vet gave me. I tried to encourage her to eat a bit of grass and she tried a little bit, after that if I offered her food she just turned her back on me.

I later noticed another clump of softish poo underneath her but this time with mucus in it. I wiped it away again and continued with the treatment the vet advised. In the evening I went to give her the last syringe feed of the day and I noticed her eye was very watery and there was small crusty bits around her eyes and on her nose. During her syringe feed in evening she was resisting and lifting her head up but we managed to get some into her. Ten minutes later she died.

I'd like to know if anyone has had a similar experience and what they believe it might be. Muffin seems ok at the moment (we have got her two new companions). She is eating and I'm keeping a close eye on her. I'm feeling pretty awful right now like I'm to blame or something. I'm just scared the same might happen to her and I'm feeling really anxious about it.
Any advice or stories of similar things would be helpful.
:)
 
I am so sorry to hear your sad story, how awful for you. I am new to piggies but I am sure someone with some more knowledge will be online soon to help you - just wanted to let you know that I am thinking of you.

Claire x
 
Hannah Boo
i haven't got any advice as i'm a fairly new GP mum, but just wanted to say i'm sorry for your loss.
i'm sure one of the forum buddies will be along soon to offer some help
Boozyfruits
 
I am sorry that I can't help you any better; you did the best you could and got her to the vets as soon as possible! I doesn't sound that it has anything to do with lack of care, it looks more like "one of these things" noone can prevent despite the best of care!

Guinea pigs are prey animals, and an obviously sick animal is a dead one. they are very good at hiding even serious illnesses until it is (too) late and don't show many symptoms.

Did you give her plenty of water as well as the syringe food? It sounds like it could be something wrong with her guts; could have been another organ.
Unfortunately, they can go downhill very quickly when they are seriously ill. I have just lost one of mine not long ago; it was very gutting, because I felt so helpless!

I don't think it is something that is going to repeat; your other girls should be fine!

I am very sorry about Maggie!
 
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Hi, really sorry that you have lost your little piggie, was there any blood in the poo or the wee? Did the vet ask for a wee sample or poo sample as they should of done. Did the vet check the teeth, length or absesses?
If the piggie was gurgling that sounds like fluid in the lungs possibly?
Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than me maybe able to put their finger on the cause. If your other piggie is ok then I doubt it would be a virus induced problem, she may just of been one of those poorly piggies, did you get her from a pet shop? or breeder?
 
It doesn't sound to me like tooth trouble or an abscess. More like heart failure.
 
i cant offer any advice sadly but I'm really sorry for your lose :( sounds like it was unpreventable tho :( such a shame
 
Hi love i'm so so sorry to hear about sweet Maggie 8...8...8...
It does sound like heart problems.....but it is so hard when you can't actually see the piggie :{
Vickyt (aka Wiebke) has given you some great advice and friendly help.....i really agree with her, it could have been so many things :{
Wishing you all the best with Muffin and her new friends xxxxxxxxx
And a lovely welcome to our forum, i'm sorry your first post was such a sad one, i hope we've been able to help you :)

Glynis, Velvet and Onyx x
 
There is always the need to wonder what a pig died from however, in cases like this, the only answer is that these things happen and her time had come to an end.

I used to believe that guinea pigs "hid" any illness but not any more.
The saying has been handed down over the years but no-one ever seems to question it. Some conditions do not show themselves until it is to late to do anything. Other illnesses do show but the owner doesn't notice. Yet other problems do show and are noticeable to any-one, for example a hunched up gunea pig sat in the corner of the enclosure.
I am tending to think that the saying originated out of ignorance of animal behaviour and also as an excuse/reason for failing to treat pigs when they could have been cured.
Hannah Boo
None of the above implies any criticism of you, it is a general observation. Maybe I should have put it on a new thread.
 
Maybe it would be better to say that in these cases there are simply no clear symtpoms that can tell the vet or us exactly where to look and what to treat - if it is still treatable whenever we notice it and despite our best care.

It's absolutely gutting every time it happens; and it never gets any easier! :(
 
No the vet didnt take a sample. No blood that I could see. She checked teeth which were fine.
I had her for 2.5 years originally she came from 'pets at home' pet store (normally I'd buy from breeder but these were unwanted and I took them on from a family member). I would be doubtful that her illness is due to that as she has been in good health the 2.5 yrs I had her.

The only thing that was wrong was she had a lump towards the bottom half of her body, which was under the skin. I visited the vets about this about 5/6 months ago and they said it was nothing to worry about and no need to operate. I don't know if this had anything to do with her illness, but I doubt it.

No I didn't feed her water, as the emergency feed I was told had fluid in it.

thanks for your kind messages
x
 
Welcome to the forum, Hannah. I am very sorry to hear of the loss of Maggie.
Was the lump on her underside, around her nipples/teats? Mammary gland tumours are relatively common, they can grow to large sizes and although uncomfortable, they tend not to be life threatening.
 
The problem with an unexplained death, no matter what the age of the pig, is always the thought that there must have been a treatable cause and that the diagnosis was not made. If the pig is old then the cause of death can be attributed to "old age", whatever that is, and hence the thought that there was nothing that could have done in any case.
In many cases the cause of death can only be discovered by an autopsy.
 
Sorry for your loss Hannah, but you did everything you could. I don't have enough knowledge to offer an explanation. Just sympathy having lost my pig today. (((HUGS))))
 
Hi, the lump wasn't around a nipple as such. Was just on her underside, to the right of her leg. I kept an eye on it and it didn't seem to get bigger.
I'm guessing that was unrelated anyhow as guinea pigs often get lumps.

I'm just wondering how she would get a stomach upset/ bacterial problem if I only give her fresh fruit / veggies, and Muffin ate the same as her and she seems ok at the moment (it is a week since Maggie went and Muffin is eating and seems happy with the baby pigs). The thing that confused me most is that nearing her time of death (early evening I noticed little dry bits/ scabs around her nose / eyes that weren't there in the morning when she went to the vets). I thought this was a sign of a respiratory problem / cold, however she showed none of these symptoms in the morning (just a big clump of poos stuck to her rear end and refusal to eat).

The only reason I'm asking these questions is because I want to know if anyone has experienced anything similar and I want to feel confident that it wasn't contagious.
x
 
What you have described is very common.
The "little dry bits" were more than likely as a result of fluid build-up in the respiratory system, which can be as a result of heart and/or kidney failure when a pig is starting to "shut down"
Why one pig gets a "stomach upset" and another doesn't is one of those things, rather like in a group of people, for example, some will get the 'flu and others will not.
 
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