Loss of a pig

[Lara.Turnerx]

My guinea pig (Mike) unexpectedly passed away today on the way home from a vet check-up after being told everything was okay. As you can imagine, this was a massive shock to me and my partner as he isn’t even two years old.

We are now left with Mike’s brother; Wilson who is the same age. We let Wilson say his goodbyes and have since taken Mike to the vet whilst we wait for him to be cremated.

Wilson is eating fine, drinking, running round & playing. He’s never been much of a social guinea pig in the sense that he wants to be picked up or stroked. He enjoys the occasional head rub and likes to be talked to, but he prefers this from the safety of his cage.

What would be the best step going forward? We have considered getting another guinea pig but this just feels like we’re trying to replace Mike. Plus, we’re worried about trying to bond Wilson with a new Guinea pig.

In addition, when does the cycle end when you get a new pig every time one dies to avoid loneliness? Surely, you’ll always have a guinea pig as a pair are unlikely to pass away at the same time.

The heartbreak of losing Mike has massively discouraged us from having pets in the future, and the thought of losing Wilson too is awful. Therefore, we only want what is best for his own well-being so that he can live a long, happy life.

Any advice is welcome and much appreciated.

 

[piggieminder]

I am so sorry you have lost your Mike.
Some good advice in the links below for you until one of the experts comes along.

Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

Human Bereavement - Grieving, coping tips and support links for guinea pig owners and their children

 

[Wiebke]

My guinea pig (Mike) unexpectedly passed away today on the way home from a vet check-up after being told everything was okay. As you can imagine, this was a massive shock to me and my partner as he isn’t even two years old.

We are now left with Mike’s brother; Wilson who is the same age. We let Wilson say his goodbyes and have since taken Mike to the vet whilst we wait for him to be cremated.

Wilson is eating fine, drinking, running round & playing. He’s never been much of a social guinea pig in the sense that he wants to be picked up or stroked. He enjoys the occasional head rub and likes to be talked to, but he prefers this from the safety of his cage.

What would be the best step going forward? We have considered getting another guinea pig but this just feels like we’re trying to replace Mike. Plus, we’re worried about trying to bond Wilson with a new Guinea pig.

In addition, when does the cycle end when you get a new pig every time one dies to avoid loneliness? Surely, you’ll always have a guinea pig as a pair are unlikely to pass away at the same time.

The heartbreak of losing Mike has massively discouraged us from having pets in the future, and the thought of losing Wilson too is awful. Therefore, we only want what is best for his own well-being so that he can live a long, happy life.

Any advice is welcome and much appreciated.

Hi!

I am very sorry for your unexpected loss. The stress of the trip may have contributed to tipping what was already going on to the wrong side. Unlike with bigger animals, not all health issues are quite as obvious or easy to pick up for a vet. At that young age, it is more likely that a hidden genetic time bomb may have gone off - without the vet trip it would have done so any time very soon, so please do not feel guilty over a few days at the most.

Please take a deep breath and give yourselves time too digest both your shock and the loss a bit more before making any knee jerk decisions.
Loss is inevitable with any pet; they have all shorter lives than you but it is massively weighed up by the joy they bring on a daily basis. Our lives would be so much emptier and poorer without them. It is not any easier to lose a pet you have had even longer - but please weigh it up against the fun you have had in the meantime.

For companionship (permanent or end of life), please contact Milhaven Guinea Pig Rescue in Keighley. They are your closest good welfare standard rescue that offers a bonding service so Wilson canhave a say who he wants to live with and you are not replacing Mike by having to make the choice yourselves. It also makes for a much better and much more stable bond and gives you time to do your own grieving in your own time. You will find that your bond with the newbie is more likely a creeper-upper without you really noticing and very different to what you shared with Mike. No less valid, just different. As long as Wilson is eating a drinking, he can hold for about a month or even a little longer.

Please take the time to read these guide links here, which you will hopefully find very helpful right now and in the coming days and weeks to help you may sense of the strong emotions and changing moods you are going through:
- Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children (includes a chapter with resources if you have children and also resources for yourself if you are struggling with your loss)

- Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig (What you can do for Wilson now and in the coming days and weeks. The guide also contains a chapter about the 'replacement' dilemma that many freshly bereaved owners grapple with.

- Rescues (Adoption and Dating), Shops, Breeders or Online? - What to consider when getting guinea pigs (information on rescue dating, including our list of carefully vetted rescues we can vouch for Wilson and you being in good hands).

 

[Bill & Ted]

Just wanted to say I’m so sorry you lost Mike, they make such a special hole in our hearts and when they leave us it hurts so much. Hope you can find a rescue who can bond Wilson with a friend of his choice x

 

[Merab]

So very sorry that you lost Mike - what a shock for you.
Be gentle with yourself as you grieve

 

[Mel P]

My guinea pig (Mike) unexpectedly passed away today on the way home from a vet check-up after being told everything was okay. As you can imagine, this was a massive shock to me and my partner as he isn’t even two years old.

We are now left with Mike’s brother; Wilson who is the same age. We let Wilson say his goodbyes and have since taken Mike to the vet whilst we wait for him to be cremated.

Wilson is eating fine, drinking, running round & playing. He’s never been much of a social guinea pig in the sense that he wants to be picked up or stroked. He enjoys the occasional head rub and likes to be talked to, but he prefers this from the safety of his cage.

What would be the best step going forward? We have considered getting another guinea pig but this just feels like we’re trying to replace Mike. Plus, we’re worried about trying to bond Wilson with a new Guinea pig.

In addition, when does the cycle end when you get a new pig every time one dies to avoid loneliness? Surely, you’ll always have a guinea pig as a pair are unlikely to pass away at the same time.

The heartbreak of losing Mike has massively discouraged us from having pets in the future, and the thought of losing Wilson too is awful. Therefore, we only want what is best for his own well-being so that he can live a long, happy life.

Any advice is welcome and much appreciated.

Hi sorry for your loss, I’m now in exactly the same situation as my 2 year old pig past away yesterday, really worried about my other pig Rex who is now left alone. Can I please ask what decision you made. Did you get a new friend or is your piggie happy alone, it’s heartbreaking.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi sorry for your loss, I’m now in exactly the same situation as my 2 year old pig past away yesterday, really worried about my other pig Rex who is now left alone. Can I please ask what decision you made. Did you get a new friend or is your piggie happy alone, it’s heartbreaking.

Hi

I am very sorry for your losses.

Please take the time to read our forum guide with lots of practical tips for the immediate to longer term support and information on your options.

If you can rescue date a single bereaved piggy, then please consider this to allow your bereaved piggy a say in who they want to be with. Key to any happy new piggy bond is mutual liking and a personality match long before age or gender (provided that one party is de-sexed - unfortunately for you, spayed sows are about as rare as gold dust in the UK).
Here is the information, which you will hopefully find very helpful:
Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig
Rescues (Adoption and Dating), Shops, Breeders or Online? - What to consider when getting guinea pigs

We are asking our new members coming off social media to please not ask any questions about their own situation on other people's thread but open their own thread for best tailored support for their own individual situation. This prevents confusing answers when the two posters get mixed up and you will also get a lot more support yourself.

We make sure that any new thread is answered as soon as one of our monitoring volunteers is coming on but by posting on other people's thread you will not create an alert and can easily slip through the net. Please help us to run our friendly forum (which predates social media and is independent of them) to its own special strenghts and to ensure that you get the experienced and knowledgeable support we are providing.

 

[Freela]

I'm really sorry for your loss. As your remaining pig seems to be doing okay, take some time to grieve and process what happened. I think it's really normal to feel like, "I can't do this again," immediately after losing a pet, particularly in a traumatic or unexpected way. We have guinea pigs and hamsters and I know I feel this way about the hamsters quite a bit, because their lives are so short. I pretty much say, "I can't do this anymore" following each hamster passing, and yet we still have two hamsters and are discussing getting a third so in the long run I'm pretty committed to the idea that the enjoyment of having pets is worth the fact that you only have a short time with them.

I can say that if you do get another pig, you aren't 'replacing' Mike. Each pet is unique. None are replaceable. I still think fondly of pets that have been gone for years and miss them... I remember all that was unique and special about them. I have had other pets after them... in some cases, many other pets after them, but none of them have ever been replaced.

Honestly, once things settle a bit emotionally for everyone, I do think your best solution is to find a friend for your remaining pig. Wiebke above has given you some good advice about options for your area that may suit you. Wilson is still a young guy and may have years and years ahead of him... his life is going to be happier with another guinea pig than it would without one. No matter how much time we put in, we can't replace another guinea pig for them (just like having guinea pigs as companions but never seeing another human being would be emotionally hard for you!)

Best wishes and again, so sorry for your loss!