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Why did Piggy Die?

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pippinskyblue

pippinskyblue

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi, This morning my guinea pig died in my arms, she was 6 years old and always a very active, vocal and loving guinea pig, 4 months ago her buddy died and she went off her food and was very lonely, we got 2 baby females to go with her and she adored them and picked up instanty and was eating normally and being her usually bossy loud self. However just over a week ago I they were all in the run and when I put her back in her hutch she had a bit of diarroeah, the next day she had really bad diarroeah and I seperatedher to another hutch and gave her just water and hay to eat, the diarroeah stopped but she just sat huddled in her hutch and seemed very doddery on her feet, I took her to the vet and she checked her over and said she couldnt find anything wrong, her heart, lungs,breathing teeth etc were fine but gave her Baytril as a precaution incase she had an infection anywhere. I gave her her medication twice daily and put her back with the other 2 piggies as the vet said she would like the company. She went right off her food and but would attempt to nibble now and again at some carrot, cucumber or hay. I gave her water via a syringe to make sure she was drinking. She didnt look like she was losing weight but she didnt wee or poo at all. She just seemed to go right off her legs and was like a little old lady. Last night she seemed very quiet and I kept her indoors, This morning I attempted to give her her medicationand some water and she was gagging on it then she like started to shake as thou she was having a fit and then she calmed down, although it seemed like she was trying to be sick she was gagging then she passed away in my arms.:0 I was mortified and I feel as thou I had choked her. My daughters are mortified. Why would a healthy guinea pig who was running around wheeking normally turn into an old lady over night after a bout of diarroeah? Thank you
 
Oh poor you, I'm really sorry, you must be feeling it.

Maybe it was just her time love, 6 is not a bad old age eh?

:( and 8...
 
Oh i'm so sorry to here about your lady piggie 8...8...8...
Grand age is 6 x)
From the sounds of it she really had a hard time, baytril can make their tummies a bit unsettled did you give probiotics?
SHe may also have been at the time of her life and ready to go :(
Our piggies do hide their illnesses so well........ wish we could speak to them :)
I hope that her remaining little friends will be ok xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Stay on here and let us know please :) if you can maybe you could post some pics as well
We all know the loss of a piggie and understand your questions, it is just so hard to determine unless you see them...........and even then it's not always easy

Hugs xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Glynis, Velvet and Onyx x
 
Yes me and my girls are. We are mortified. How do I put pictures on her, I managed to put a couple in an album but dont know how to get them next to my name on the forum
 
My vet was going to give me some probiotic but when I got to the desk to get her antibiotic the receptionist said the vet decided not to give it, I acted on that advice, but so wish I had just gone and bought her some from the petshop.
 
If you go to user cp at the top and click edit avatar that will let you put a picture next to your name. So sorry for the loss of your guinea pig. As Glynis says, they are so good at hiding illnesses, so can go downhill very quickly. It may just be worth checking your grass for nasties as she was out in the run prior to becoming ill. x
 
I am sorry - it sounds to me like your girl's body has been closing down over the last few days. It is always difficult to lose a piggy to an unknown cause that you therefore can't treat. A major organ like the liver or kidneys can have given out; that is not easy to diagnose for a vet.

Without food intake and much water, your girl wouldn't have pooed and peed.

Your girl has been able to go from your arms, carried by your love.
 
The probiotic may not have made any difference hon, i think you need to stop giving yourself a hard time, sounds to me like the little baby was loved greatly and you did all you could. Why do we do this to ourselves eh? :(
 
nutmeg said:
If you go to user cp at the top and click edit avatar that will let you put a picture next to your name. So sorry for the loss of your guinea pig. As Glynis says, they are so good at hiding illnesses, so can go downhill very quickly. It may just be worth checking your grass for nasties as she was out in the run prior to becoming ill. x
Click to expand...

Thank you for your help. I'm sure its not the grass as the other piggies are fine, also the run is always in the same area and has been since I started keeping guinea pigs 8 years ago. I do always check the area for nasties thou.
 
You now have to care for the little ones left behind, explain to your kids that this can happen, it is so hard to find a reason, even vets struggle at times :{
Probiotics are very hard to get in OZ, but i know from experience that they are very helpful........but if it's too late there's not much you can do other than keep a piggie warm fed if they want and offer water etc...
We love our piggies and all furry friends, be they feathered or fins too just cause they're all adorable x)

wishing you all the best x
 
Thank you all for your kind words. I will continue to blame myself, but deep down I know I done my best for her. I was happy that I was with her when she passed away as I know she didnt die alone. In the picture PIggy is the big girl in the middle with the beautiful pink eyes, she was my baby x
 
Big hugs. Sounds like your girl had a wonderful life with you. It was just her time. Please don't blame yourself.

Goodnight little piggy. :rose
 
pippinskyblue said:
Thank you all for your kind words. I will continue to blame myself, but deep down I know I done my best for her. I was happy that I was with her when she passed away as I know she didnt die alone. In the picture PIggy is the big girl in the middle with the beautiful pink eyes, she was my baby x
Click to expand...

Piggy was a beautiful girl.

You wouldn't be a caring owner if you didn't blame yourself for her passing. It is the other side of our love and the responsiblity we take on - we have been there ourselves!

Give yourself time to grieve; losing a special pet is not something your can get over quickly, and it doesn't count what species - it is the depth of the bond that determines how much we have to grieve!
 
hya there, I'm so sorry for youre loss, my guinea pig had to be put to sleep saturday, i went out to give him his veggies, and he was up the corner practically paralysed and breathing rapidly. i will never understand it as the day before he was his usual self, chewing the sawdust bag, running to the top of the ladders and trying to get on my head to chew my hair. my mother in law even came out and said "god there really perky and really loud arent they". so please dont blame yourself, ive been doing that, but i know in my heart that if i knew anything was wrong i would have been straight up the vets with him, just like you did. you did youre best, and she lived six years!my god thats amazing i bet she had some great times! we will never understand how they can go so quickly, but i think god wanted his angels back? sleep tight little piggy, go and meet my boy up there, I'm sure youll have lots of fun!sleep tight. gemxxxxxx
 
Thank you for your lovely words.I am sorry for your loss, its hard coming to terms with it. She was an amazing little girl, I think its hit me so hard *** was such a lovely character and always loved her cuddles and gave lovely kisses, and was very very vocal. She was a spoilt little piggy and I know I done my best. I hope she meets your little boy up there and I hope they are happy. Thank you to everyone who has replied to me and I wish you all the luck in the world with your piggies. I still have our gorgeous little babies who are 4 months old and I will give them as much love and attention as what my baby girl had. x
 
i agree with Gemz totally, 6 is a brill age, my first was only 18... and my 2nd & 3rd only 3 1/2 each 8...


:(
 
Thank you, I have had 15 guinea pigs in total and my oldest lived till he was 6 and a half, the youngest 2 ever to die was 10 months but that was because the girl next door fed them flowers which poisened them, there were 3 in total she fed flowers to but Pepsi survived and he lived until he was 6 and a half. But mostly mine have lived until they were 5. The 2 girls who were poisened died because they were pregnant and they had to fight toxins from the flowers from the dead babies and the toxins from themselves. I let the girl next door no where near my piggies now. Piggy was my special girl and I think that is why I'm so upset over her. I love all my animals and I care for them as best as I can. I have 2 dogs (a german shepherd and a westie) 6 cats, now 2 guinea pigs and a hamster. And I love each and every one of them.
 
i so know where you are coming from, as for the girl next door i could never ever forgive her! 10 months? heartbreaking.......

i love all furries even if i cant have them all! :{
 
I'm so sorry you lost your special girl, as others have said - try not to be hard on yourself, you did everything you could xx
Sleep well beautiful Piggy xx
 
flips said:
Big hugs. Sounds like your girl had a wonderful life with you. It was just her time. Please don't blame yourself.

Goodnight little piggy. :rose
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thank you, I cant help but think surely there was something else I could have done for her.I hope she had a wonderful life with me and I hope she has a wonderful life in guinea pig heaven xx
 
So sorry for your loss. She lived to a good age though. You shouldn't blame yourself, it was probably just her time to go.

RIP Piggy
 
Very sorry for your loss, by the sounds of it you really did all you could, sometimes as others have said it's just their time and despite your best efforts there's nothing you can do. She obviously had a wonderful life with you and was spoilt rotten which I think is the best a piggie can ask for. I found myself weighing up whether I should get any more piggies earlier this year as I was so devastated at losing one of my piggies, she was only 3. But the happiness she brought me over the time I had her more than made up for this and I felt blessed to have had her in my life. I too blamed myself, but on reflection I did all I could, and I'm sure you'll realise the same in time.

RIP Piggy xx
 
Hi,

Sorry to hear about your loss:(

Sounds like you did everything you could for your piggy, I don't see how you can blame yourself there is nothing else you could have done not even the vet could cure her it seems:(

Smaller animals are very hard to treat especially when they have a wide symptoms like diarroah that could be several things.

Unfortunately part of owing any pet is losing it eventually but we have to move on and think we gave it the best we could and that is how you need to thinkx
 
Please don't blame yourself, she was old and it sounds like it was just her time and there was nothing more you could have done. I hope you and the family and the other pigs are ok. x x
 
Sorry to hear that you have lost Piggy. 6 is a grand old age and she spent that time living a great life made possible by you and in return she made you happy, try not to undo her 6 years hard work by being sad or blaming yourself, she was tired and it was her time, rest assured she has told the little ones how to take care of you - take care x

Run free little Piggy
 
What can I say to all of you wonderful guinea pig lovers for your kind words. I know time is a great healer and I have many wonderful memories of my beautiful little girl. I will never forget her or any of my other pigs who have passed over rainbow bridge, somehow losing her has hit me the hardest, maybe because we were always together and she always 'chatted' to me. 6 years is a long time to be with one guinea pig and I with cherish every moment. THANK YOU ALL for your beautiful words and understanding. Tomoro we will say our final goodbyes to Piggy when I lay her to rest forever.

Sleep well my beautiful baby girl x
 
So sorry for your loss- it must be sooo hard losing a piggy I was really upset on Saturday when I had to collect my sister-in-laws from the vet (Hutch) he wa sonly just over 2 and seemed to go the same way as your piggy did - I'm sure they are up there popcorning away.

You did all you could for her and she will know and be forever grateful to you for the wonderful life , love and happiness you gave her x
 
I'm so sorry for your loss, you obviously loved her very much and she will have known that. There's no telling what caused her initial diarrhoea, I think you did the right thing there in taking her to the vets. As Wiebke said, the lack of pee and poop will have been tied in with her food intake, their digestive systems do shut down so quickly, as little as 12 hours without something can affect all "output". They can and do go downhill quickly and it can be hard to know what to do and when to do it. You did all you could, most importantly right now is that you loved her and were with her at the end. Big hugs.

Rest well, dear Piggy. xx
 
I have read many posts on here regarding guinea pigs and Baytril, my vet put piggy on Baytril incase she had an infection as she couldnt find anything wrong with her, despite her having had diarroeah. In 99% of the posts I have read concerning Baytril is says you should make sure probiotics are given also.... my vet said she would give me some probiotic but when I went to collect it along with the Baytril the receptionist said they had changed their mind.... to be honest I didnt know what a probiotic was at that point. I suppose what I'm asking is .if PIggy had had probiotics aswell as the Baytril would she have survived? SHe was on Baytril for 5 days before she dies and had been prescribed it for 14 days, but she went off her food completely and at a guess grew very weak through lack of food..... I feel so guilty .........
 
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