Guinea pig has been put to sleep, what should I do?

OreoandMilo

OreoandMilo

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Hi, sorry if this is under the wrong thread. A few hours ago, we had to put our guinea pig (Oreo) to sleep due to many factors. Oreo and Milo lived together and we got them at the same time. They are/were both 6 years old. After the vet put our piggy to sleep, they wrapped him in some sort of paper/blanket/cloth. I haven't opened it in some sort of respect to him.
I've seen many people say to let the other guinea pig see it's piggy friend that has passed away to say goodbyes. Oreo hasn't been well for a while and I think both piggies could tell. Milo has not yet seen Oreo, but he is definitely acting differently. He's not reacting, moving or eating much. I have a feeling he knows what has happened. I'm not sure showing him Oreo will bring him satisfaction and if I should take Oreo out to show him. What do you think I should do? The vet didn't say anything about showing him to the other piggy but I forgot to ask. I'm just not sure if seeing Oreo will make him feel any better. Thank you.
 
I am sorry you have lost Oreo sending big hugs at this sad time. I think you should let Milo see Oreo to say his last goodbyes to him. I have pasted a link which will hopefully help you look after bereaved Milo while he is grieving, take care:hug:
Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig
 
Bill & Ted said:
I am sorry you have lost Oreo sending big hugs at this sad time. I think you should let Milo see Oreo to say his last goodbyes to him. I have pasted a link which will hopefully help you look after bereaved Milo while he is grieving, take care:hug:
Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig
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Thank you. I am letting Milo say goodbye to his friend. :hug:
 
Sending you huge hugs.

Yes he will have known his friend was unwell but giving him the chance to see him is a good thing to do.
 
😢 So sorry you've lost Oreo. It's so hard isn't it?
I did let Larry see Eric after he passed away. I think it did help, although Larry did seemed a bit confused and upset 😢
He ran off under his log roll chattering his teeth bless him.
 
I’m so sorry you have had to help Oreo over the bridge. When I lost Percy recently I was away on holiday and he passed at the vets on his own without his friend Pepper. But I think Pepper knew he was dying and had already said his goodbyes. Take care ❤️
 
Piggies&buns said:
Sending you huge hugs.

Yes he will have known his friend was unwell but giving him the chance to see him is a good thing to do.
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Thank you so much. I have gave Milo a chance to say goodbye now, but I think he has already said his goodbyes earlier ❤️
 
Wheekallweek said:
😢 So sorry you've lost Oreo. It's so hard isn't it?
I did let Larry see Eric after he passed away. I think it did help, although Larry did seemed a bit confused and upset 😢
He ran off under his log roll chattering his teeth bless him.
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Yes, it's been quite difficult for me, but it's been very bittersweet. I think I'm most upset for Milo, but Oreo is no longer in pain and I think if Milo knew the pain he was in, he would have been okay with it too.
I'm sorry for your loss too. Bless Larry, I hope your piggies are doing okay and maybe my Oreo can meet your Eric❤️
 
weepweeps said:
I’m so sorry you have had to help Oreo over the bridge. When I lost Percy recently I was away on holiday and he passed at the vets on his own without his friend Pepper. But I think Pepper knew he was dying and had already said his goodbyes. Take care ❤️
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I'm really sorry for your loss too. Thank you and you take care as well :hug:
 
I'm so sorry for your loss it is absolutely devastating. I had the same thing to cope with only 3 weeks ago. Had to let my piggie Ruby say goodbye to her beloved cage mate Susie. It is heartbreaking to watch. My thoughts are with you ❤️
 
sarahloo89 said:
I'm so sorry for your loss it is absolutely devastating. I had the same thing to cope with only 3 weeks ago. Had to let my piggie Ruby say goodbye to her beloved cage mate Susie. It is heartbreaking to watch. My thoughts are with you ❤️
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Thank you, all piggies will be missed. Everyone's kind words are really helping. I'm sorry for your loss with Susie too and send you hugs.
 
OreoandMilo said:
Yes, it's been quite difficult for me, but it's been very bittersweet. I think I'm most upset for Milo, but Oreo is no longer in pain and I think if Milo knew the pain he was in, he would have been okay with it too.
I'm sorry for your loss too. Bless Larry, I hope your piggies are doing okay and maybe my Oreo can meet your Eric❤️
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Aw I hope so too! Larry passed away a couple of months after Eric, they've been reunited ❤️
 
Hi

HUGS

My big Hyfryd had to say goodbye when her small husband, Nye, had to suddenly make his journey to the Rainbow Bridge on Tuesday night. She knew that he was not quite well before and had already taken her formal goodbye but she took her leave of him while I was sitting up with him in my arm during the last hours as he was unable to keep upright anymore. Theirs was a real love story of opposites attract after Nye's first mate Nosgan had passed away.

If a guinea pig has already said goodbye and the dying piggy has removed themselves from the scene as much as possible within a cage setting, then you do not necessarily need to present the body and need not be upset if it is ignored because it has already happened.
If the pts/death has been very unexpected, then it is better to give the mates the opportunity to be with them. Like with humans, reactions can differ enormously and may not necessarily be what we expect.

You can find more practical advice for the immediate time as well as for the coming days in this helpful link here: Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig

Here is some supportive advice and information for yourself in your own grieving process, which again may not be quite what you expect: Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children
 
Wiebke said:
Hi

HUGS

My big Hyfryd had to say goodbye when her small husband, Nye, had to suddenly make his journey to the Rainbow Bridge on Tuesday night. She knew that he was not quite well before and had already taken her formal goodbye but she took her leave of him while I was sitting up with him in my arm during the last hours as he was unable to keep upright anymore. Theirs was a real love story of opposites attract after Nye's first mate Nosgan had passed away.

If a guinea pig has already said goodbye and the dying piggy has removed themselves from the scene as much as possible within a cage setting, then you do not necessarily need to present the body and need not be upset if it is ignored because it has already happened.
If the pts/death has been very unexpected, then it is better to give the mates the opportunity to be with them. Like with humans, reactions can differ enormously and may not necessarily be what we expect.

You can find more practical advice for the immediate time as well as for the coming days in this helpful link here: Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig

Here is some supportive advice and information for yourself in your own grieving process, which again may not be quite what you expect: Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children
Click to expand...
Thank you for the kind words and advice ❤️. Milo did mostly ignore Oreo, but he may have already said goodbye. I'm sorry to hear about Nye and your loss. I hope you are Hyfryd are doing okay :hug:
 
OreoandMilo said:
Thank you for the kind words and advice ❤️. Milo did mostly ignore Oreo, but he may have already said goodbye. I'm sorry to hear about Nye and your loss. I hope you are Hyfryd are doing okay :hug:
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Thank you. If Milo is ignoring Oreo then he has already said goodbye. Try to take consolation from that.

Hyfryd ('Lovely' in Welsh) is still eating and drinking. She is coming up to 7 years and is rather arthritic. I am going to try her first with her two 5 years old closely bonded neighbouring sows who she has been hanging out through the bars a lot in the last few weeks (the two have so far never accepted another piggy but who knows) or she can join my two 6 1/2 years old sisters who have just moved back in with each other after a fall-out some years ago and form my third incarnation of an old ladies' group. They are all at an age where the comfort of a companion outweighs the race to the top and group politics. Hyfryd's daughter sadly passed away a year ago. Hyfi's now coming out of deep mourning and is ready for new companionship.

You are welcome to post a tribute for Oreo in our Rainbow Bridge section if you wish to. It is there for all members who would like to remember their beloved members more formally but there is no pressure or obligation to do so or a set time when to do it. It has to feel right.
I have got as far as trawling through 6 years' worth of hundreds of piggy pictures but haven't yet posted my own tribute to Nye.
 
Wiebke said:
Thank you. If Milo is ignoring Oreo then he has already said goodbye. Try to take consolation from that.

Hyfryd ('Lovely' in Welsh) is still eating and drinking. She is coming up to 7 years and is rather arthritic. I am going to try her first with her two 5 years old closely bonded neighbouring sows who she has been hanging out through the bars a lot in the last few weeks (the two have so far never accepted another piggy but who knows) or she can join my two 6 1/2 years old sisters who have just moved back in with each other after a fall-out some years ago and form my third incarnation of an old ladies' group. They are all at an age where the comfort of a companion outweighs the race to the top and group politics. Hyfryd's daughter sadly passed away a year ago. Hyfi's now coming out of deep mourning and is ready for new companionship.

You are welcome to post a tribute for Oreo in our Rainbow Bridge section if you wish to. It is there for all members who would like to remember their beloved members more formally but there is no pressure or obligation to do so or a set time when to do it. It has to feel right.
I have got as far as trawling through 6 years' worth of hundreds of piggy pictures but haven't yet posted my own tribute to Nye.
Click to expand...
I wish the best for Hyfryd and all the other piggies. I hope the bonding goes well ❤️ I will definitely post a tribute to Oreo when it feels right, thank you. Can I ask how to tell if Milo is upset/deeply mourning for the loss of Oreo? He is eating perfectly fine and playing/moving a lot. He definitely has his moments where he sits in his little house, but there's always been those moments (It just looks and feels a bit more empty without Oreo.)
Unfortunately, adopting another piggy isn't an option and there's no foster homes available. We are all spending much more time with Milo and playing with him.
A part of me is struggling to move on because I feel guilty. It feels like I'm disregarding Oreo and forgetting him in a sense. Oreo and Milo were my first piggies and Oreo crossing the rainbow bridge yesterday was one of the first times I had to go through this.
 
OreoandMilo said:
I wish the best for Hyfryd and all the other piggies. I hope the bonding goes well ❤️ I will definitely post a tribute to Oreo when it feels right, thank you. Can I ask how to tell if Milo is upset/deeply mourning for the loss of Oreo? He is eating perfectly fine and playing/moving a lot. He definitely has his moments where he sits in his little house, but there's always been those moments (It just looks and feels a bit more empty without Oreo.)
Unfortunately, adopting another piggy isn't an option and there's no foster homes available. We are all spending much more time with Milo and playing with him.
A part of me is struggling to move on because I feel guilty. It feels like I'm disregarding Oreo and forgetting him in a sense. Oreo and Milo were my first piggies and Oreo crossing the rainbow bridge yesterday was one of the first times I had to go through this.
Click to expand...

Hi

Strong feelings of guilt, failure or intense soul searching are characteristic for the onset of the grieving process. They are not an expression of you actually having done anything wrong but an expression of your great love and sense of responsibility. You usually have them stronger after a sudden or traumatic death or after an emergency euthanasia.

You may find the grieving guide which I have written for guinea pig owners struggling with their loss helpful to make sense of the often unexpected feelings you will experience over the coming days and weeks.
Here is the link; it is worth reading it so you can brace a bit better: Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children

Grieving is much more complex than you'd expect and it is also not running necessarily the way you'd expect if you have never been through it. You can't hurry it on. Love and grieving are the two sides of the same coin. You have to grieve as much as you have loved. But our lives would be so much poorer without our pets.

As for Milo, you may find these guides here helpful so you know what to look out for. Please re-evaluate in a month when you are hopefully over the worst. Right now you are not open for any new piggy and Milo is coping on his own, so you need not worry and can look after yourself and your own pain in the coming days. Long term singlehood can come with its own challenges and drawbacks, which may start rather sneakily, however.
The information in these guides here will help you spot if things are taking a turn for the bad:
Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities
Moody Guinea Pigs: Depression, Bullying, Aggression, Stress, Fear and Antisocial Behaviour
 
Wiebke said:
Hi

Strong feelings of guilt, failure or intense soul searching are characteristic for the onset of the grieving process. It is not an expression of you having done something wrong but an expression of your love and sense of responsibility.

You may find the grieving guide which I have written for guinea pig owners struggling with their loss helpful to make sense of the often unexpected feelings you will experience over the coming days and weeks.
Here is the link; it is worth reading it so you can brace a bit better: Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children
Grieving is much more complex than you'd expect and it is also not running necessarily the way you'd expect if you have never been through it. You can't hurry it on. Love and grieving are the two sides of the same coin. You have to grieve as much as you have loved. But our lives would be so much poorer without our pets.
As for Milo, you may find these guides here helpful so you know what to look out for. Please re-evaluate in a month when you are hopefully over the worst. Right now you are not open for any new piggy and Milo is coping on his own, so you need not worry and can look after yourself and your own pain in the coming days. Long term singlehood can come with its own challenges and drawbacks, which may start rather sneakily, however.
The information in these guides here will help you spot if things are taking a turn for the bad:
Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities
Moody Guinea Pigs: Depression, Bullying, Aggression, Stress, Fear and Antisocial Behaviour
Click to expand...
Thank you. Your reply is really appreciated ❤️
 
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