Why Did He Die?

[Lianne2010]

Hello all,

I'm new but was hoping someone may shed some light.
We bought 2 guinea pigs a fortnight ago, one is more lively than the other but assumed it's their personalities (the lively one is crazy!).
Anyway, yesterday we noticed that the quieter one was more quiet than usual and looked like he'd lost weight. I checked his teeth which were very long, much more so than the others. I managed to clip them down and then I fed him water via a syringe and he drank a cup full. I then fed him blended vegetables with a view to taking him to the vet today if he hadn't perked up.
I checked this morning and he seemed perkier, I thought if his teeth had been too long, it may take time for him to get rehydrate etc.
I then took him out an hour later and syringe fed him more water, which he took although was making some gurgling noises in between. I went to put him in his hutch and he looked more alert, but when putting him down, he flopped on his side and didn't move. I went into the house to quickly change ready to take him to the vet, I went to get him from his hutch 5 mins later and he was dead.

I feel awful, I don't know why he died and we'd only had him 2 weeks, plus he was only supposed to be 8 weeks old.

 

[Wiebke]

Hello all,

I'm new but was hoping someone may shed some light.
We bought 2 guinea pigs a fortnight ago, one is more lively than the other but assumed it's their personalities (the lively one is crazy!).
Anyway, yesterday we noticed that the quieter one was more quiet than usual and looked like he'd lost weight. I checked his teeth which were very long, much more so than the others. I managed to clip them down and then I fed him water via a syringe and he drank a cup full. I then fed him blended vegetables with a view to taking him to the vet today if he hadn't perked up.
I checked this morning and he seemed perkier, I thought if his teeth had been too long, it may take time for him to get rehydrate etc.
I then took him out an hour later and syringe fed him more water, which he took although was making some gurgling noises in between. I went to put him in his hutch and he looked more alert, but when putting him down, he flopped on his side and didn't move. I went into the house to quickly change ready to take him to the vet, I went to get him from his hutch 5 mins later and he was dead.

I feel awful, I don't know why he died and we'd only had him 2 weeks, plus he was only supposed to be 8 weeks old.

Hi and welcome!

I am very sorry for your experience; it always comes as such a nasty shock when guinea pigs go downhill very quickly or die suddenly without any warning.

Please be aware that long incisors are usually a sign that his back teeth are not right; they are the crucial ones that are usually ground down by eating lots of hay and grass; the front teeth are self-sharpening in a correctly working system and do not need any cliping. Do not clip on spec (which can make matters worse as it further unbalances the dental system) and rather have a piggy savvy vet assess the situation.

See a vet or out-of-hours vet - if you have any available - asap if your piggy is lethargic, off food and has lost a lot of wieght in a short time. That is always a life-and-death emergency; the sooner you act, the greater the chance of recovery if there is any.

It is great that you have stepped in with syringe feeding and watering promptly. That is indeed very important in giving a piggy a chance of survival.
However, when syringe feeding and water youngsters or frail/very ill piggies, you have to be very careful not to give too much in one go, which they can't swallow and which then goes into the airways - hence the gurgling. Sometimes you can only give as little as 0.1-0.3 ml in one go before you have to wait until a piggy has swallowed and is ready for more.
Please also be aware that up to 80% of the diet is hay, so the syringe feed should be ideally mostly fibrous, whether that is mushed pellets, recovery formula or a mix thereof. Weigh your piggies once weekly to make sure that they are OK; it is a very useful habit to being able to some spot health issues early on.

You may find these guides useful for the future, so you do not feel quite as helpless in similar situation:
Should my piggie see a vet? - a quick guide
First Aid Kit For Guinea Pigs
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

It sounds like your boy likely died likely from sudden acute heart failure, have some major misalignment of his teeth that prevented him from eating properly or had a series of strokes in the run up to a big one - it is difficult to tell. But I am pretty sure that it was not something that could have been cured easily or that your administration were the cause that he died - so please don't beat yourself up on that point. You have done the best that you could, and it was better than many others would do.
Some piggies sadly are born and live with a time bomb in their bodies that can go off at any time, often out of the blue.
Was your boy by any chance completely white with fairly small eyes?

Here are tips on what you need to look out for and can do for your bereaved boy: Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

 

[Lianne2010]

Thank you so much for your reply, I didn't realise that I'd probably given too much water. Nor did i realise they have back teeth.
He is mostly white, with longish hair, red eyes and a little patch of orange (tried to upload a pic).

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you so much for your reply, I didn't realise that I'd probably given too much water. Nor did i realise they have back teeth.
He is mostly white, with longish hair, red eyes and a little patch of orange (tried to upload a pic).

View attachment 53722

He was a gorgeous boy, but with his orange patch, he is definitely not a lethal!
The lethal syndrome is a rare inherited disorder linked to the roan breed (a baby needs to inherit the faulty gene from both parents). They alre always true albinos, unlike pink-eyed whites or any guinea pigs with at least one coloured hair in their coat, are blind (often with small eyes), deaf and have dental problems/cleft, hence my question.

Like all rodents, guinea pigs have constantly growing teeth. At the back and often hidden under the crud that most guinea pigs have in their mouths after a gap from the incisors, they have got molars and premolars. If these are not ground down regularly by eating silicon-rich hay and grass, then the premolars can overgrow and either form a bridge, trapping the tongue and preventing the piggy from swallowing or an outwards growing spur can painfully bury itsef into the cheek. As a secondary effect, the incisors at the front develop a slant or a jagged edge and then start overgrowing. However, dental issues are very rare in such young guinea pigs. Incisors, especially the lower ones are always looking much longer than they should; as long as they edge on them is even, the dental system is usually working well.
Thankfully, with a good hay-based diet, you can you minimise the risk of dental problems to a large extent.

You may find the information in our new owners starter kit helpful. " Starter Kit" Of Information Threads For New Owners

PS: His companion looks like he could be a brother of my Helygen (Welsh for "Willow")!

 

[Lianne2010]

Thanks again for your reply. I will definitely get the teeth checked regularly. I just didn't expect them to be the issue as he was so young and we'd only had him a short time. I do get the impression he had so.e sort of teeth/eating problem. I looked at both of their teeth last night and ruby's (yes a boy named ruby- we have the children to thank for that) were much bigger.

Helygen is gorgeous, I love the different colours. Our other guinea is called Spuddles, I'm always telling him he's a beautiful guinea pig!
Are you in Wales? So are we

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks again for your reply. I will definitely get the teeth checked regularly. I just didn't expect them to be the issue as he was so young and we'd only had him a short time. I do get the impression he had so.e sort of teeth/eating problem. I looked at both of their teeth last night and ruby's (yes a boy named ruby- we have the children to thank for that) were much bigger.

Helygen is gorgeous, I love the different colours. Our other guinea is called Spuddles, I'm always telling him he's a beautiful guinea pig!
Are you in Wales? So are we

No, I am Swiss, but married to a Welshman. We live in the West Midlands. But my guinea pigs have all Welsh names after I adopted a guinea pig called Llewelyn that had been rescued in Midwales 9 years ago. As my hub was tickled, I have continued with the name scheme... (see my signature)

Since we have got members from all over the world, we find it helpful if you please added your area to your details (please also whether you are in North, South or Midwales or if you live in one of the cities), so we can always take access to piggy savvy vets and out-of-hours services and rescues into account, especially when advising in an emergency. As you can imagine, climate, vet and rescue access, brands and the way guinea pigs are kept can vary widely across the world. Please click on your username at the top, then go to personal details and scroll down to location. Thank you!

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