Gi Stasis/the "bloat"

[Abby M.]

This is my first post here and I am writing because I just lost 2 Guinea pigs this weekend to GI Stasis. I have been trying to do my reading and trying to understand but maybe its the loss that's making it hard to grasp.

I guess I am just wondering if anyone has had a guinea pig with this that survived and what you did?

It started out Friday and I noticed their cage was untouched, and I mean untouched. The cage was cleaned on Thursday night and in that 24 hour time period they had not pooped, not eaten, and not drank any of their water. Their eyes were watery and they were hunched over looking really bloated and their fur sticking out. We took them to the vet right away and my roommates guinea pig Nutella was put to rest. My guinea pig Koda I couldn't give up on so I took him home and fed him with critical care every 6-8 hours, I gave him the gut stimulate every 6-8 hours, and gave him his pain meds once a day. Saturday night he was no different and I called the vet and they told me to give him more time and we scheduled first thing Monday morning for him to go in for reevaluation. Come Monday morning, Koda didn't make it. I am heartbroken because I don't know how this happened? 2 guinea pigs in one weekend? Nothing in their diet had changed in the 2 years we had them and none of their surrounds were different either which from my reading are the reasons this can happen?
I am at a loss for words, I don't know what I did wrong? I did everything they told me and now my friend is gone. Has anyone had any luck with getting their pigs back to normal? Or is there something obvious from reading this that I missed in his care?
Any advice or words would help at this point.
Thank you in advance,
Abby

 

[Teddybear22]

First of all, welcome, and I'm deeply sorry for your losses dear.
I have no advice at all, so I apologize for that, but I'm interested in the topic too since I also lost my piggy Teddy due to bloat. I can't understand either what went wrong, especially since he was still pooping and eating until the same day he passed away.

 

[Abby M.]

Was he really? Koda started eating some hay and even was jumping on his house as well as pooping so I thought that was a sure sign he was getting better which is why I was so surprised when he didn't make it.
I do appreciate your comment though, and am sorry for your loss as well. Crazy how something so small has such a big spot in our hearts.

 

[helen105281]

I'm so so sorry. I hope you and your roommate are both ok.

I think it is unusual for 2 pigs to get bloat at the same time. Someone may correct me but it is not something I have come across. I am wondering if there was some kind of virus or infection that caused both pigs to stop eating and develop bloat.

 

[Abby M.]

Thank you! And that's what I thought but we have 2 other girl pigs right next to them totally unaffected. It's the most confusing thing. I might have to look into something like that though just incase because I would hate for our females to get sick too.

 

[helen105281]

It's good that the other 2 seem ok.

I will tag @Abi_nurse as she may have some ideas.

 

[Abby M.]

Okay thank you!

 

[Jerrybelly]

Did they have any veg prior to the bloat? Could it possibly have been 'off', which triggered the bloat in both piggies? I agree with Helen, I have not heard of two piggies suffering with it at the same time before.

 

[Abby M.]

Nope nothing like that, they were strange little pigs because they never had an interest in peppers or carrots or anything really wholesome like that. So really they just had their normal hay and pellets.