Guinea Pig Suddenly Died

[mistressofsquirrels]

Hello, I'm a new member, long time lurker.

My sons got a pair of female guinea pigs about 7 months ago. The piggies weren't much older. Tonight, one died. We're devastated, and at a loss as to why. Her name was Cookie, and she was fine up until she wasn't. Her eyes and nose were clear - no discharge, no matting. Her fur was shiny and soft. I checked their feet daily. The cage was cleaned daily, and the water was changed. We gave fresh greens and the occasional fruit or veggies. They always have hay and pellets. She was eating well, jumping and popping, and got along well with her cage mate.

When the boys went to bed tonight, I noticed Cookie was breathing a bit faster than normal, so I looked her over and didn't see anything. she sounded okay and seemed to calm down, so I figured we just startled her coming into the room. I put her back in the cage and told the boys goodnight. Then Cookie suddenly flopped on her side, kicked out, and seemed to gasp. I got her back out of the cage, and she was still doing an odd gasping motion every so often, but she was already limp. I took her out of the room so the boys wouldn't see the rest, and by then she was completely still. I kept petting her and talking to her, even listened to see if she was breathing or I could hear her heart, but she was gone.

It was so sudden, I'm trying to convince myself she didn't suffer, but in truth, I have no idea what happened. There was no sign anything was wrong. I keep going over everything to see if I can remember some detail that I might've missed, and I just can't figure it out. I know I'll probably never have a definitive answer, but I'm unsure what to do now. I know they're social, but I don't want to bring in another pig if this is something infectious. I'm also not sure I'm ready to get another after this, but I'll do what's best for Marshmallow, our surviving girl.

Any advice? We're completely heartbroken. I hate the idea that I might've done something wrong and caused this, but if I did, I need to know to prevent it happening again.

Thanks.

 

[Freela]

((HUGS)), I'm so sorry for your loss. Unfortunately, a sudden death can sometimes occur even in a young pig from something like heart failure or other organ failure. There are minimal signs leading up to it and it really is nothing you did wrong. You will likely never know for sure, but it seems the most likely cause for a tragic, sudden death like this. Please don't blame yourself, this really isn't your fault.

You can always wait a few days and get your remaining pig vet checked to be sure that there is nothing infectious going on, although I suspect not. It is best to have pigs in pairs and I'm sure Marshmallow will appreciate a new friend, but so long as she is eating and drinking you have some time to make decisions about another pig and to give yourself and your kids some time to grieve and regroup.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m so sorry for your loss.

As Freela has said sadly these kind of sudden deaths can suddenly occur and there is nothing you can do to prevent it. You haven’t done anything wrong.
It is a good idea to have Marshmallow see a vet to check she is medically ok though, if only for your peace of mind.

You need to give yourself, your family and Marhsmallow time to grieve and provided Marshmallow otherwise seems ok in herself with her grief (she may well be quieter, but otherwise she should still keep eating etc), then she will be ok for a few weeks while you sort out a new friend for her.

These guides may help you in your grief and how to help Marshmallow.
Death, Dying, Terminal Illness; Human Grieving and Bereaved Companions: Information and Support for Owners and Their Children

 

[Free Ranger]

I agree with the above - sometimes things happen very suddenly and are impossible to spot. I'm so sorry for your loss. It's unlikely she suffered if she was looking well and eating/drinking as normal. Maybe a heart attack or something. It's very hard when a piggy is so young, although when they reach old age this is actually the sort of death we can be grateful for.

The only thing I can add is that weighing piggies weekly is a useful way to reassure yourself because they can hide their illnesses but if they are eating less they will start to lose weight. The forum tends to use grams. Kitchen scales are fine but I always weigh on the floor as they will blindly jump off! Weight can go up and down a bit but illness will cause it to drop off - either slowly or suddenly. Here's a link Weight - Monitoring and Management

They do much better with companions and they can live for many years. My George is 6 now and lives with 2 females (he is neutered). When we started out years ago with two mature, rescue guinea pigs and small children, one piggy was known to have a problem when he arrived but the vet didn't know for sure what was going to happen or when. He was very cheerful for a good while but then started to deteriorate and eventually had to be helped over the bridge. My children knew that Harvey was not destined to live as long as his friend and how lucky we were that he spent the last part of his life with us, and how our job was to make his life as happy as possible while he was with us. He was a cheerful boy. I hope that when you get over the shock of this you can together remember the happy times in her little life. It sounds like she was very loved x

 

[Merab]

So sorry for your loss.
It’s such a shock when something like this happens out of the blue.
Be gentle with yourself as you grieve.
Holding you in my heart

 

[weepweeps]

I’m so sorry you have lost Cookie. Such an awful shock for you and your boys.

 

[mistressofsquirrels]

Thank you everyone for your kind words. It was a rough night, but Marshmallow seems to be doing well. I've been in to check on her several times today, and she seems her normal self - running up to me, squealing for treats and food, and just hopping around. She doesn't seem particularly upset, but I'll keep an eye on her over the next few days as we decide what to do about getting her a new friend. The boys aren't too keen on the idea right now, but I expect they'll come around, for her sake if nothing else.

Thank you all again. It's something of a relief to know there was likely nothing I could have done, but also a bit scary to realize the same could happen all over again, and there's no real way to prevent it.