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What happened to my dead guinea?

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Lional

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Hello,

This is my first post on the forum and I was wondering whether anyone has any idea what happened to my guinea pig Lional when he died.

This was about 3 years ago but it still upsets me as it was a horrible way to go.

He was about 4-5 years old. He stopped eating and got quite thin, I took him repeatedly to the vets and he had a range of treatment (I double checked the antibiotics were safe for GPs through research so I don't think it was this that caused his death), he also had a UTI and I syringe fed him for a few days and he started eating again in small quantities. So generally not a well piggy....

I found him one morning laying on his side, still breathing but his open eyes were not responding at all, almost like he was in a trance or coma. I saw an AWFUL lot of internal matter (intestines/organs, not sure) coming out his rear end. No blood but the intestines/organs looked blue and red in colour. He died shortly after.

I did not take him to the vet this time as I felt it would have been more painful for him to be moved with the prolapse and transported all the way to the vets and he was so close to passing on as the prolapse looked so severe. Just in case anyone comments on this, I am very much a pet owner who takes all my animals to the vets when ever it is needed- it was a considered decision I made based on what I was seeing in front of me :0

I'm wondering what on earth could have caused this, and why he was breathing but not responsive- could it have been a coma or shock? Is this sort of horrific prolapse common in guinea pigs?

Any advice would be really appreciated. :0
Thank you very much (in advance)
Sophie xx
 
I don't have any advice or information i can give you hun but i am so sorry for your loss. You did the right thing not taking him to the vets i can't imagine how much pain he would have gone through if you tried to move him he was obviously close to passing.

I hope you get some information soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
Hi,
Thanks for the support :)

I guess a lot of people think "should I have done this or that" after a pet is ill and passes away like I did, and if it ended up being the wrong decision to not move him, I'll take the responsibility but at least I know I made the decision believing it was the kindest thing for Lional at that moment...

Soph x
 
I don't think you could have done anymore and it would have been awful to move him (and probably pointless), he was obviously close to passing and unfortunately nature needed to take it's course.

I'm sorry you lost your piggy and in this way, I haven't experienced anything like this but it sounds like a prolapse of some kind as you say but unfortunately I do not know what may cause it. It sounds out of the ordinary so if its of any comfort I think the likelihood of you experiencing that again is low.
Sorry fo your loss xx
 
Sophie,

So sorry that you are still upset about your guineapig, they are really good at hiding being ill. Have you another guinea now? Silly xx.
 
I'm not a vet but have worked as an assistant in the past and am about to start school to become a vet tech. It sounds like a prolapsed rectum, which when severe, can require surgery and even then sometimes it cannot be helped. From the sound of things, lionel was very very sick and its probable he couldnt be helped :(

For future reference, its thought that rectum prolapse is caused by constipation and the straining the animal does.

I'm so sorry for your loss it sounds terrible :(
 
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