Guinea Pig hiding it's state of Health.

[Trigger]

Good morning all. I hope your all well. I've recently lost my Guinea pig . He passed away suddenly , I knew he wasn't right as on the Sunday he did not rush out for food like he normally did. And he would also turn and face the wall in the corner. And not sit by his brother Buster. I intended to take him to our vets the first thing on the Monday morning but he had passed away overnight I was devastated , but I cannot understand why he went down the stairs in our large hutch . He never went down there normally . He pushed himself into a tube to hide I think and died in there . He wasn't making any noises prior to his passing so I don't think he was in any pain hopefully. Was he hiding as he knew he was passing away . Xx

 

[Merab]

Welcome to the forum and I am so sorry for your loss.
It is not unusual for a dying guinea pig to separate itself from its companions and go somewhere to die peacefully.
My Jemimah did that in June - she took herself to the far end of the cage and hid which is where I found her..
Guinea pigs hide illness well - it's part of being prey animals..
You acted as soon as you noticed by arranging a vet trip which is a sign of a good and caring owner.

If you feel up to it you can post a tribute to Trigger on the Rainbow Bridge thread.

Be gentle with yourself, and with Buster, as you grieve.

You have 2 identical threads so I am going to ask a moderator if they can be merged @VickiA @Lady Kelly

 

[Trigger]

Welcome to the forum and I am so sorry for your loss.
It is not unusual for a dying guinea pig to separate itself from its companions and go somewhere to die peacefully.
My Jemimah did that in June - she took herself to the far end of the cage and hid which is where I found her..
Guinea pigs hide illness well - it's part of being prey animals..
You acted as soon as you noticed by arranging a vet trip which is a sign of a good and caring owner.

If you feel up to it you can post a tribute to Trigger on the Rainbow Bridge thread.

Be gentle with yourself, and with Buster, as you grieve.

You have 2 identical threads so I am going to ask a moderator if they can be merged @VickiA @Lady Kelly

Thank you so much Merab,s Slave for your kind words

 

[Claire W]

I’m so very sorry for your loss Guinea pigs hide their illnesses very well and often separate themselves from their friends to die in peace x

 

[Trigger]

I’m so very sorry for your loss Guinea pigs hide their illnesses very well and often separate themselves from their friends to die in peace x

Thank you so much for your reply Claire.

 

[Wiebke]

Good morning all. I hope your all well. I've recently lost my Guinea pig . He passed away suddenly , I knew he wasn't right as on the Sunday he did not rush out for food like he normally did. And he would also turn and face the wall in the corner. And not sit by his brother Buster. I intended to take him to our vets the first thing on the Monday morning but he had passed away overnight I was devastated , but I cannot understand why he went down the stairs in our large hutch . He never went down there normally . He pushed himself into a tube to hide I think and died in there . He wasn't making any noises prior to his passing so I don't think he was in any pain hopefully. Was he hiding as he knew he was passing away . Xx

Hi and welcome

I am very sorry. Guinea pigs can do downhill very suddenly and very quickly sometimes; their very fast metabolism can turn against them in this situation. When you found your boy not well, his body had likely already started to close down.

When piggies are not well, they will instinctively remove themselves from their group in order to minimise the spread of a potential disease; this is what you have experienced. Finding a safe space to hide away from any predators is also instinctive In a cage situation without the physical option, this means usually staying as far away from their mates and facing the wall.

Please take the time to read the information via this link here. It will hopefully help you make sense of what has happened and help you with knowing what you can do for Buster right now in the coming days and weeks as well as with your own grieving process.
Death, Dying, Terminal Illness, Grieving and Bereaved Companions: Information and Support for Owners and Their Children

 

[Trigger]

Thank you so much for your reply Wiebke , its so comforting as I at least have an understanding of it all now. Thank you so much for the link too. Take care and bless you .