BIG HUGS
I am so very sorry. Whatever he had, it was sadly really major and in areas where the odds are not usually the best in the first place. Not your fault at all; you have done everything a good owner should and have not failed Spud in any way. It was just one of the random short short straws in the cosmic lottery of bad luck that can happen to anyone at any age.
Try to be kind with yourself. Strong feelings of guilt and failure are characteristic for the onset of the grieving process and are an expression of how much you care (as humans are wired to reflect everyting back onto themselves) and not that you have actually done something wrong.
1 The grieving process
- Loss and the start of the grieving process
- Grieving with a terminally ill guinea pig
- Going through the grieving process
2 Ways of coping
- Expressing and processing your feelings
- Regaining your guinea pig
- Burial and marking the passing
- Dealing with special days
3 How do I tell my children?
- Finding local support lines and charities...
1 What can I do immediately after a guinea pig has died?
- Saying goodbye
- What can I do for my grieving piggy?
- Emergency: acute pining (not eating/drinking) or sudden illness
2 New companionship and human grieving
- When can I start looking for a new mate?
- "Replacing" a guinea pig: the conflict between human and cavy needs
- How do I best go about finding a new mate? (Possible options listed for bereaved sows and boars)...
We have got a dedicated Bereavement Corner with ongoing community support if you feel that it would help you and any companion.