• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Piggy under a lot of stress/grieving

L

lakinshayy

New Born Pup
Joined
Feb 9, 2025
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
25
Location
Oklahoma
hi guys. one of my piggies passed away 3 days ago. she had been sick with labored breathing since jan 31, she passed on feb 10. i found her sick in my hometown, and i brought her to my college town with me. i bought them a whole new cage and basically whole new everything (the old one was too hard to transport) both of my piggies were being treated with antibiotics. hers were higher dosages and longer, the other ones were mostly precautionary. long story short, my girl gwen has been through a lot of stress. she got relocated, her cagemate of four years passed away, she’s been to the vet a few times, and she’s been getting meds forced upon her. she seems okay mostly, and she’s been checked by a vet twice. she does not seem sick per say but i’m not sure if she is depressed or i’m being paranoid. she chews on her little tunnel, she’s been eating a little bit of hay. she’s been eating all of her veggies. i can’t tell if she has eaten any pellets or drank any water. i know guinea pigs hide but she also seems to spend 80% of her time under the fleece laying down. i don’t know if she’s sad, bored, sick, stressed. it could be anything. i’m wondering if i should get her a new friend sooner rather than later? i would obviously quarantine them both especially since gwen was around a sick piggy. i also might be completely wrong and i might be looking into every single thing.
but anyways, rest in peace to my little baby Penelope🥺
i really can’t lose Guinevere too
 
I’m sorry for your loss.

In this situation we advise that you increase the routine weight checks from weekly to daily.
Weigh her every morning.
The weight checks are the only way to ensure she is eating enough hay. Hay makes up 75-80% of what they need to eat in a day and you can’t gauge its intake by eye. They can appear to be eating some but in reality it’s not enough. If that happens then she will lose weight rapidly. You must then step in with syringe feeding a recovery feed and give her enough each day to stop weight loss.

There is also the consideration that being on antibiotics can knock their appetite. A probiotic is recommended to be given when a piggy is on antibiotics to help boost the gut bacteria

If her issues are not due to sickness and are indeed due to depression then yes getting her a new friend asap is a priority. Where a piggy is going into acute pining and grieving then you have to forego quarantine and get a new friend immediately. Acute pining is rare and the fact she is still eating something is good but do make sure you increase her weight checks to be certain

Wiebke

Thread 'Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig'

1 What can I do immediately after a guinea pig has died?
- Saying goodbye
- What can I do for my grieving piggy?
- Emergency: acute pining (not eating/drinking) or sudden illness
2 New companionship and human grieving
- When can I start looking for a new mate?
- "Replacing" a guinea pig: the conflict between human and cavy needs
- How do I best go about finding a new mate? (Possible options listed for bereaved sows and boars)...
Wiebke

Thread 'Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support'

1 Weight and Weight Loss
- Why regular weight monitoring matters
- How weight changes over a lifetime
- How to weigh on your kitchen scales (with video)
- The weight loss rules
- How critical is the weight loss for my piggy?
- Possible causes for weight loss
2 Body Mass Index (BMI) or 'Heft'
- Why is understanding your piggy's weight so important?
- 'Average' weight vs. individual weight - the big trip up
- How to check for the BMI...
  • Like
Wiebke

Thread 'All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures'

Introduction
1 Choosing the right place to medicate/feed your piggy
2 Guinea pig whispering and asserting your authority
3 Recovery products and emergency improvisation
4 Syringe recommendations
5 Weight monitoring: your biggest ally
6 Weight loss guidelines and when to step in with feeding
7 Syringe feeding amounts/frequency advice
8 Practical medication and syringing tips
9 Medicating and feeding cooperative guinea pigs (videos)
10 Medicating and feeding uncooperative guinea pigs (hold pictures and tips)
11 The line between life and...
  • Like
  • Love
 
HUGS

I am very sorry for your loss but I agree with @Piggies&buns 's advice. Please take the time to read the very practical links, you will hopefully find them helpful.

It is always such a fraught time when the companion could be more than just being normally withdrawn in the wake of a death because you yourself are already struggling with the loss and your own grieving.

I hope that your remaining little one will pull through their own shorter but no less intense grieving period.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top