Guinea pig died - Feeling guilty

[cheysnickbutter]

Today I woke up to my 7 year old guinea pig Snickers being dead, and it has been absolutely heartbreaking. He was my first guinea pig, and I have had him since he was about six weeks old; August 11th would have been our 7 year anniversary together.

I just can't help but feel guilty about my Snickie dying. Me and my family have just came back from a week long vacation, and my guinea pigs had no other option but to come with us. Its about a 15 hour round trip ride, which I know was hard on my 2 boys. They also had to live in a 2x2 c&c cage instead of their 2x6 cage for the week. We just came back on Saturday, and then yesterday I gave Snickie a bath because he was pretty dirty and he also has had a problem where he is wet all the way down from his mouth to his chest. I thought that it would be a good time to give him a bath because of how he was dirty and the spot where he was wet had a musty smell, so I gave him a bath. I just don't know if the traveling and the bath was too much on my Snick and that is what caused him to die. I just feel so guilty right now. After his bath, he was acting werid and like his back was hunched and he was acting odd. But after he was fully dry, he seemed to be back to his normal self. Last night I gave them hay and veggies and he seemed to be back to normal. I think he may have been acting weird because he didn't like being wet, but I don't know. It looks as though he just died in his sleep though, he might have had a heart attack or something. I don't think that it was his drooling problem that killed him though. Maybe all of these events, like traveling and bathing him took too much out of him. Or maybe it was just his time to go, which I really hope it was. I really hope that his death was not something that I caused, but how can I be sure of that? I don't know, I just can't help but feel like it was something that I did, or didn't do that caused my beloved boy to die.

I am also concerned for his cage mate, Butterfingers, who does not want to seem to leave the spot that Snickies died. He also does not seem too interested in his food, he is picking at it and eating a little, but he does not have much of an appetite at the moment. Butterfingers is about 6.5 himself, so I hope that this does not put him over the edge.

Snickies has always been a little unhealthy though once he stated to get older. He few years ago he started to lose wight, but he did stay at a constant wight, but he did wight less than he did when he was say 2 or 3. He also seemed to be getting cataracts in the past few months. He also started to have these episodes last summer where he would lay there lifeless and look like he was nearing death, but I was always able to pull him out of that with some critical care and tlc. He hasn't had an episode like that in over 6 months though. I am happy that he made it to 7 years old, because I know that is fairly old for a guinea pig, I just can't help but wonder if it was me that caused him to pass. He was eating and drinking last night, he seemed normal. His death happened so suddenly to me. I don't know, I just hope that I did everything I could to give him the best life possible. I hope I didn't cause him to have a heart attack or anything because of anything I did, I hope so bad that it was just his time to go and that he went our painlessly.

 

[HeatherRose]

Take a deep breath, it sounds like you gave him a great life and he lived a long one! It sounds like your best option was to take him with you on your trip. From everything you said about him, it was probably just his time to go. I’m so sorry for your loss, it is so hard. I understand your feelings of guile, I lost my Sven a week ago and I still wonder if I could have done anything different even though everyone tells me I did everything I could. Just take comfort in knowing you gave him a great life for 7 years! I like to picture Sven up in heaven popcorning and rumble-strutting his butt off, I’m sure Snickers is doing the same!

 

[cheysnickbutter]

Take a deep breath, it sounds like you gave him a great life and he lived a long one! It sounds like your best option was to take him with you on your trip. From everything you said about him, it was probably just his time to go. I’m so sorry for your loss, it is so hard. I understand your feelings of guile, I lost my Sven a week ago and I still wonder if I could have done anything different even though everyone tells me I did everything I could. Just take comfort in knowing you gave him a great life for 7 years! I like to picture Sven up in heaven popcorning and rumble-strutting his butt off, I’m sure Snickers is doing the same!

Thank you, that really means a lot to me. I am so sorry about you losing your Sven, I'm sure he was a very lucky pig <3

 

[Freela]

I'm really sorry for your loss. If it's any consolation, he lived to be 7 and that is a wonderful age for a piggie. I have often traveled with my pigs, even the elderly ones, without ill effect. It sounds as though there was some underlying issue, quite possibly age related, that probably progressed very quickly. Drooling can be a sign of anything from overgrown teeth/abscess to heart failure, which can kill very quickly. Please try not to beat yourself up... you clearly gave him a wonderful home for 7 years and he was a lucky boy to have that.

 

[cheysnickbutter]

I'm really sorry for your loss. If it's any consolation, he lived to be 7 and that is a wonderful age for a piggie. I have often traveled with my pigs, even the elderly ones, without ill effect. It sounds as though there was some underlying issue, quite possibly age related, that probably progressed very quickly. Drooling can be a sign of anything from overgrown teeth/abscess to heart failure, which can kill very quickly. Please try not to beat yourself up... you clearly gave him a wonderful home for 7 years and he was a lucky boy to have that.

Thank you for your sympathy, and it is comforting to hear that he had a good life with me. I do not feel like he had teeth problems, hid front teeth looked good and he was eating fine the night before he died. I am thinking that it may have been some sort of heart problem though, but I really am hoping that he died in his sleep. Whatever the cause of his death was, I just hope that he was not in any pain and he just went to sleep and never woke up.

 

[Flutterby]

I'm so sorry for your loss xx

 

[Tiamolly123]

Please don't blame yourself or feel guilty, he lived to a ripe old age so be proud of the care you gave him.
Keep your eye on Butterfingers, he's had company for a long time so may need a friend.
I'm so sorry for your loss, RIP little Snickie,

 

[Wiebke]

Today I woke up to my 7 year old guinea pig Snickers being dead, and it has been absolutely heartbreaking. He was my first guinea pig, and I have had him since he was about six weeks old; August 11th would have been our 7 year anniversary together.

I just can't help but feel guilty about my Snickie dying. Me and my family have just came back from a week long vacation, and my guinea pigs had no other option but to come with us. Its about a 15 hour round trip ride, which I know was hard on my 2 boys. They also had to live in a 2x2 c&c cage instead of their 2x6 cage for the week. We just came back on Saturday, and then yesterday I gave Snickie a bath because he was pretty dirty and he also has had a problem where he is wet all the way down from his mouth to his chest. I thought that it would be a good time to give him a bath because of how he was dirty and the spot where he was wet had a musty smell, so I gave him a bath. I just don't know if the traveling and the bath was too much on my Snick and that is what caused him to die. I just feel so guilty right now. After his bath, he was acting werid and like his back was hunched and he was acting odd. But after he was fully dry, he seemed to be back to his normal self. Last night I gave them hay and veggies and he seemed to be back to normal. I think he may have been acting weird because he didn't like being wet, but I don't know. It looks as though he just died in his sleep though, he might have had a heart attack or something. I don't think that it was his drooling problem that killed him though. Maybe all of these events, like traveling and bathing him took too much out of him. Or maybe it was just his time to go, which I really hope it was. I really hope that his death was not something that I caused, but how can I be sure of that? I don't know, I just can't help but feel like it was something that I did, or didn't do that caused my beloved boy to die.

I am also concerned for his cage mate, Butterfingers, who does not want to seem to leave the spot that Snickies died. He also does not seem too interested in his food, he is picking at it and eating a little, but he does not have much of an appetite at the moment. Butterfingers is about 6.5 himself, so I hope that this does not put him over the edge.

Snickies has always been a little unhealthy though once he stated to get older. He few years ago he started to lose wight, but he did stay at a constant wight, but he did wight less than he did when he was say 2 or 3. He also seemed to be getting cataracts in the past few months. He also started to have these episodes last summer where he would lay there lifeless and look like he was nearing death, but I was always able to pull him out of that with some critical care and tlc. He hasn't had an episode like that in over 6 months though. I am happy that he made it to 7 years old, because I know that is fairly old for a guinea pig, I just can't help but wonder if it was me that caused him to pass. He was eating and drinking last night, he seemed normal. His death happened so suddenly to me. I don't know, I just hope that I did everything I could to give him the best life possible. I hope I didn't cause him to have a heart attack or anything because of anything I did, I hope so bad that it was just his time to go and that he went our painlessly.

Hi and welcome

Salivating (wet chin) means that your boy had increasing problems with swallowing (most commonly overgrown teeth) or a blockage somewhere in the digestive system. I have lost also piggies to a throat infection that swelled the esophagus shut more quickly than the antibiotic could cut in, a lump at the back of the throat, which did the same; two piggies to a blockage in the guts (the last one over Christmas when the local out-of-hours services were hopelessly overloaded) and a younger one to simply losing the ability to swallow because of a neurological issue.
Many of these issues have progressed very fast and some of them have become noticeable only when it already was too late; with several I had to rush the piggies to the vets for pts/euthanasia on the same day - and I am not exactly an inexperienced or unobservant owner!

It is made much more difficult when it happens on a holiday away or during a bank holiday where vet access to an exotics specialist vet and access to kitchens scales (in order to monitor food intake) etc. is restricted/unavailable. At that high age, any treatment under anaesthesia is not something a vet is keen on performing anyway, especially not a vet that is not familiar with guinea pigs.

Please do not feel guilty or bad! We can always only do what is possible in the circumstances; and that is only what is required from us as good owners - we cannot magically move mountains, don't have special sight and crystal balls with automatic early alarms nor do we have the magic to perform miracle healings.
You have cared well for Snickers, as his very good age is testament for. It was simply his time. We cannot choose what we or our pets ultimately die from.

It is very normal to have feelings of guilt or failure after the death of beloved pet. They are an expression of our love and strong sense of responsibility. We all feel them. They are stronger when the death is a sudden, unexpected or mystery death. You have these strong feelings exactly because you have NOT failed your boy, if that makes sense?

If you continue to struggle with your feelings of guilt, talking is the best cure. You can either start a diary in which you write about your emotions and thoughts, but also remember all the little and large snippets of memory you have of Snickers, so you do not lose him and he will always be there with you in your heart and your memory. It is also important that you reclaim the good memories and not throw them away over your feelings of guilt. It wouldn't be fair on Snickers and the happy, long life that you have given him!
Or you can call the free UK Blue Cross pet bereavement line; they are manned by specially trained volunteers who are bound to a confidentiality agreement. The forum members who have made use of it have all had a positive experience.
SupportLine - Problems: Pet Bereavement: Advice, support and information

You are welcome to post tribute to Snickers in our Rainbow Bridge section if that feels right for you and at any time it feels right for. We all grieve differently. Some of us will never go there, other want to wait until they are over the worst of it and others find consolation to talk about their loss immediately after.

If Snickers has a friend, here are our tips on what you can do for him: Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

 

[rhymer]

So sorry for your loss. 7 is a great age for a piggy. I understand how your feeling, I lost my 6 year old piggy Fred in May, that too was sudden. I think you always worry and question if you could have done something different, it just part of caring and loving them so much.
Hugs to you.
Sleep tight little Snickies.xx

 

[Deleted member 129777]

I am very sorry for your loss

 

[DizzyD95]

I am so so sorry for your loss, losing a well-loved piggy is heartbreaking. However, don't feel guilty. It sounds like you gave him an amazing life, full of love and he had a special place in your heart as I'm sure you did in his! 7 is such an amazing age for a guinea pig and it sounds like it was just his time to go. I'm sure you have lots of happy memories to hold onto. Sending lots of support and hugs. x

 

[David Piggie Lover]

Try not beat yourself up why he died. Could simply be his time. RIP Little guy.
How's his cage mate. Remember he will be feeling very very lonely . . ex cuddles etc.
You done nothing wrong and be strong.
I wish you well. Dave

 

[cheysnickbutter]

Thank you all so much for these comments, they have made me feel so much better and they have helped me to feel less guilty and to make me remember all of the good times that I had with Snickers. You guys don't know how much you have helped me.