The loss of my beloved guinea pig Rosie.

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simonabislyte

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Hello, The past few months have been extremely difficult for the whole family. Back in March I lost Posie (the black guinea pig as seen in picture). Posie died due to old age, moments before she died she was having muscle spasms and was struggling to walk or even just to pick up her head. I remember that day. 20th of March was one of the most traumatic days of my life. Just watching her die in my mums arms was heart-breaking. Posie lived an amazing and spoiled life she died at the age of 6 which I am very grateful for. Rosie (the ginger one) was a lot more active and more healthier then Posie, so Rosie lived for another year longer then Posie at the incredible age of 7. However Rosie didn't die of old age. We had to make the most hardest decision ever to put her to sleep. Rosie had severe dental issues to the point where not even surgery would fix the issue. She had problems in all four sides of her mouth. On her lower left side she had a large spur causing a lump. One the upper left she had overgrown teeth that was causing her to even have some swelling in her eye. However the right mouth was even worse! To top it all off, For just over a month I was only feeding her syringe food as she couldn't eat anything at all. She had lost nearly more then half her body weight and she lost all her muscle fat. I feel like a bad owner that i put her through all that suffering. However before I had made the decision to put her to sleep with my family. We took her to 4 different vets, As i truly didn't believe that the only option was to put her to sleep. We first took her to our local vet, but as our local vet doesn't specialise in guinea pigs so we took her to a different clinic at a different town and said that they could only put her to sleep. I didn't believe it as I just though that her problem was surly fixable with surgery. But then I took her to another clinic that a friend suggested who also used to own guinea pigs took, and that vet also just said that he could only put her down. Lastly I was reading a lot on here about how the Cat and Rabbit Clinic in Northampton are amazing when it comes to guinea pig dental issues. So i took her there yesterday. Kim looked at rosies teeth a lot more professionally then any of the other vets did. However as Kim was drawing the problem on a piece of paper she was describing it as severe and i just couldn't believe my eyes. I knew there was a problem but not with all her back teeth, and I honestly had no clue that Rosie's problem was that bad to the point where it was untreatable.

I don't know what was harder saying goodbye to Posie at home but in a suffering way or saying goodbye to Rosie at the clinic. Personally I cried more when poise died as her death was a lot more traumatic however I still cried a lot when we had to make that hard decision with Rosie.

Overall I'm happy that I had put her out of her suffering. In a way I wished I had done it sooner so she wouldn't be in that much pain. Words cant describe how much Rosie meant to me. Rosie and Poise were my first ever pets. before then I never had a single pet. I spent the best 6 and 7 years with them. Now the house doesn't feel the same. I'm coping quite well as I just keep on telling myself she is with her sister now in a happier better place. I really want to get more pets when I'm ready. As like I said it just feels so weird not seeing a fury friend in the house. Honestly I just want to know how other people cope with grief, and I feel like I could use with some support during this horrible difficult grief journey. 💔
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Hello simonabislyte I’m so sorry to hear about lovely Rosie and beautiful Posie
It is so hard to accept at the beginning - you did everything you could for Rosie and sometimes whatever we do cannot fix our piggy
Owning a piggy means we get the lovely stuff but also the not so nice stuff and we have to sometimes make difficult decisions
Rosie and Posie were living their best lives ever with you and your family and that’s all a piggy can want
These endearing creatures get into our hearts so quickly and leave lasting memories
Grief is a personal journey and I’d say just go with it …. early days will be full of tears and upset and you will miss her so much
In time those tears will be less and the happy memories will take over altho with sad smiles
Rosie is out of discomfort and is popcorning freely with Posie at RB
Look after yourself and I’m sending you a big hug ( from one grieving piggy owner to another)
The guide below gives you some info and advice

Behaviour, Bonding & Bereavement Guides
 
Thank you so much. I know I will get better one day. When Posie died it was hard at first but I started to feel so much better within time now when I look at old pictures and videos on my phone of Posie they bring me with smiles and happiness. However at the start i couldn't look at any pictures or videos without crying, and this is the exactly the same now with Rosie. As I just lost Rosie yesterday I cant look at old memories or even think about her without crying. Grief is the hardest thing anyone can go though but I will one day feel like myself again I just know it!😊

Thank you again for all of this amazing support.
 
I’m so sorry about Rosie and Posie. You sound like an amazing piggie parent. Sending hugs to you ❤️

As you say they are both together forever again.
 
simonabislyte said:
Hello, The past few months have been extremely difficult for the whole family. Back in March I lost Posie (the black guinea pig as seen in picture). Posie died due to old age, moments before she died she was having muscle spasms and was struggling to walk or even just to pick up her head. I remember that day. 20th of March was one of the most traumatic days of my life. Just watching her die in my mums arms was heart-breaking. Posie lived an amazing and spoiled life she died at the age of 6 which I am very grateful for. Rosie (the ginger one) was a lot more active and more healthier then Posie, so Rosie lived for another year longer then Posie at the incredible age of 7. However Rosie didn't die of old age. We had to make the most hardest decision ever to put her to sleep. Rosie had severe dental issues to the point where not even surgery would fix the issue. She had problems in all four sides of her mouth. On her lower left side she had a large spur causing a lump. One the upper left she had overgrown teeth that was causing her to even have some swelling in her eye. However the right mouth was even worse! To top it all off, For just over a month I was only feeding her syringe food as she couldn't eat anything at all. She had lost nearly more then half her body weight and she lost all her muscle fat. I feel like a bad owner that i put her through all that suffering. However before I had made the decision to put her to sleep with my family. We took her to 4 different vets, As i truly didn't believe that the only option was to put her to sleep. We first took her to our local vet, but as our local vet doesn't specialise in guinea pigs so we took her to a different clinic at a different town and said that they could only put her to sleep. I didn't believe it as I just though that her problem was surly fixable with surgery. But then I took her to another clinic that a friend suggested who also used to own guinea pigs took, and that vet also just said that he could only put her down. Lastly I was reading a lot on here about how the Cat and Rabbit Clinic in Northampton are amazing when it comes to guinea pig dental issues. So i took her there yesterday. Kim looked at rosies teeth a lot more professionally then any of the other vets did. However as Kim was drawing the problem on a piece of paper she was describing it as severe and i just couldn't believe my eyes. I knew there was a problem but not with all her back teeth, and I honestly had no clue that Rosie's problem was that bad to the point where it was untreatable.

I don't know what was harder saying goodbye to Posie at home but in a suffering way or saying goodbye to Rosie at the clinic. Personally I cried more when poise died as her death was a lot more traumatic however I still cried a lot when we had to make that hard decision with Rosie.

Overall I'm happy that I had put her out of her suffering. In a way I wished I had done it sooner so she wouldn't be in that much pain. Words cant describe how much Rosie meant to me. Rosie and Poise were my first ever pets. before then I never had a single pet. I spent the best 6 and 7 years with them. Now the house doesn't feel the same. I'm coping quite well as I just keep on telling myself she is with her sister now in a happier better place. I really want to get more pets when I'm ready. As like I said it just feels so weird not seeing a fury friend in the house. Honestly I just want to know how other people cope with grief, and I feel like I could use with some support during this horrible difficult grief journey. 💔
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BIG HUGS
I am ever so sorry for your losses. It is always harder when you have two or more in quick succession before you have had time to fully digest the first.

A natural death is generally much more physical than you'd expect. Very often are spasms and convulsive movement in the last half hour before the passing. We call this phase 'running to the Rainbow Bridge'. It is a purely physical reaction to the growing oxygen deprivation as the blood circulation and the body is breaking down but it can be most upsetting to watch. Thankfully, by that stage, consciousness has faded as the oxygen deprivation also includes the brain.
But if it is your first natural death (multiple organ failure) and you cannot brace for it, then it is sadly often a very traumatic experience, especially as we have socially only a very vague concept of dying as a gentle drifting away in one's sleep, which happens discretely out of the way behind closed doors. But this leaves us unfortunately without any realistic expectations and coping strategies. I hope that this helps you to put your losses into a bit more of a context so you can start to get a bit of a handle on them?

However, unless you are dealing with an emergency mercy pts (putting to sleep)/euthanasia, which is usually upsetting in itself, then making the ultimate decision for a beloved one is not any easier. It is the most loving gift we can make a pet of ours but at the same time, it is also the most heartbreaking one. Not least because it usually comes with lots of soul-searching and the inevitable feelings of guilt that characterise the onset of the grieving process.

The guilt is actually an expression of how deeply you care and not that you have done anything wrong - you have done absolutely the right thing - but it is the the result of humans being wired to reflect everything back onto themselves and looking in themselves for causes and mistakes. We all experience these feelings to some degree or other, because we all love our piggies on here. You won't have these strong feelings if you don't care or love because they are the other side of the same coin. Traumatic circumstances can enhance them.

Unfortunately, we only ever have our pets on a loan from above that can be cancelled without warning at any time. We can give our piggies the happy todays in good care that they measure a fulfilled life by (which you have quite clearly done since your love is blazing through your words) but we have no control over when and in which form the end comes. Whether you are sitting with a dying piggy or whether you are taking them to the vet because their discomfort is too great with no chance of a recovery, neither is easier than the other. Nor are you ever grieving any less although there can be different dynamics depending on how it all unfolds.

Please try to take comfort from the fact that you have done all the right things and that you haven't failed your girls in any way. They haven't suffered unnecessarily because of you. And they are reunited at the Bridge. It usually helps me to picture piggies of mine that have passed in quick succession together and to mourn them together. ;)

This guide here doesn't make for easy reading but it can hopefully help you make more sense of what you have gone through:

Wiebke

Thread 'A Practical and Sensitive Guide to Dying, Terminal Illness and Euthanasia in Guinea Pigs'

1 Your mental health, sensitivities and work commitments
- Mental health and support resources
- Sensitivity aspects
- When work and other commitments clash
2 Life or death emergency – Can my piggy be saved?
- Contacting a vet clinic at all times and link to life and death emergencies list
- What to do if I cannot access vet care instantly?
- The need to save up for emergency vet access
3 Is my...
  • Like


Our Grieving guide can hopefully help you to put your own emotions and thoughts into more of a perspective:

Wiebke

Thread 'Human Bereavement: Grieving, Processing and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children'

1 The grieving process
- Loss and the start of the grieving process
- Grieving with a terminally ill guinea pig
- Going through the grieving process
2 Ways of coping
- Expressing and processing your feelings
- Regaining your guinea pig
- Burial and marking the passing
- Dealing with special days
3 How do I tell my children?
- Finding local support lines and charities...
  • Like


If you continue to struggle, you may find the various free pet bereavement platforms of the Blue Cross (UK animal charity) helpful. Talking is the best thing you can do for yourself.
 
Wiebke said:
BIG HUGS
I am ever so sorry for your losses. It is always harder when you have two or more in quick succession before you have had time to fully digest the first.

A natural death is generally much more physical than you'd expect. Very often are spasms and convulsive movement in the last half hour before the passing. We call this phase 'running to the Rainbow Bridge'. It is a purely physical reaction to the growing oxygen deprivation as the blood circulation and the body is breaking down but it can be most upsetting to watch. Thankfully, by that stage, consciousness has faded as the oxygen deprivation also includes the brain.
But if it is your first natural death (multiple organ failure) and you cannot brace for it, then it is sadly often a very traumatic experience, especially as we have socially only a very vague concept of dying as a gentle drifting away in one's sleep, which happens discretely out of the way behind closed doors. But this leaves us unfortunately without any realistic expectations and coping strategies. I hope that this helps you to put your losses into a bit more of a context so you can start to get a bit of a handle on them?

However, unless you are dealing with an emergency mercy pts (putting to sleep)/euthanasia, which is usually upsetting in itself, then making the ultimate decision for a beloved one is not any easier. It is the most loving gift we can make a pet of ours but at the same time, it is also the most heartbreaking one. Not least because it usually comes with lots of soul-searching and the inevitable feelings of guilt that characterise the onset of the grieving process.

The guilt is actually an expression of how deeply you care and not that you have done anything wrong - you have done absolutely the right thing - but it is the the result of humans being wired to reflect everything back onto themselves and looking in themselves for causes and mistakes. We all experience these feelings to some degree or other, because we all love our piggies on here. You won't have these strong feelings if you don't care or love because they are the other side of the same coin. Traumatic circumstances can enhance them.

Unfortunately, we only ever have our pets on a loan from above that can be cancelled without warning at any time. We can give our piggies the happy todays in good care that they measure a fulfilled life by (which you have quite clearly done since your love is blazing through your words) but we have no control over when and in which form the end comes. Whether you are sitting with a dying piggy or whether you are taking them to the vet because their discomfort is too great with no chance of a recovery, neither is easier than the other. Nor are you ever grieving any less although there can be different dynamics depending on how it all unfolds.

Please try to take comfort from the fact that you have done all the right things and that you haven't failed your girls in any way. They haven't suffered unnecessarily because of you. And they are reunited at the Bridge. It usually helps me to picture piggies of mine that have passed in quick succession together and to mourn them together. ;)

This guide here doesn't make for easy reading but it can hopefully help you make more sense of what you have gone through:

Wiebke

Thread 'A Practical and Sensitive Guide to Dying, Terminal Illness and Euthanasia in Guinea Pigs'

1 Your mental health, sensitivities and work commitments
- Mental health and support resources
- Sensitivity aspects
- When work and other commitments clash
2 Life or death emergency – Can my piggy be saved?
- Contacting a vet clinic at all times and link to life and death emergencies list
- What to do if I cannot access vet care instantly?
- The need to save up for emergency vet access
3 Is my...
  • Like


Our Grieving guide can hopefully help you to put your own emotions and thoughts into more of a perspective:

Wiebke

Thread 'Human Bereavement: Grieving, Processing and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children'

1 The grieving process
- Loss and the start of the grieving process
- Grieving with a terminally ill guinea pig
- Going through the grieving process
2 Ways of coping
- Expressing and processing your feelings
- Regaining your guinea pig
- Burial and marking the passing
- Dealing with special days
3 How do I tell my children?
- Finding local support lines and charities...
  • Like


If you continue to struggle, you may find the various free pet bereavement platforms of the Blue Cross (UK animal charity) helpful. Talking is the best thing you can do for yourself.
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Thank you so much for all of this support! I cannot thank you enough! I’m taking every minute at a time. It’s unbelievably hard! But I have to carry on for them. Rosie and Posie wouldn’t want me being upset and crying all the time. They would want me to live my life to the fullest. Which is what my only goal is currently. I’m taking today as a “grief day” so I haven’t been doing much. Just staying at home, trying to do things I like. However I will have to get back into my normal life tomorrow again. It will be hard but it will also be manageable.

What Helps me cope is by imagining Rosie and Posie in heaven now enjoying life in their new happier place. When my day comes I’ll reunite with them again and cross the rainbow bridge with them 🥹
 
simonabislyte said:
Thank you so much for all of this support! I cannot thank you enough! I’m taking every minute at a time. It’s unbelievably hard! But I have to carry on for them. Rosie and Posie wouldn’t want me being upset and crying all the time. They would want me to live my life to the fullest. Which is what my only goal is currently. I’m taking today as a “grief day” so I haven’t been doing much. Just staying at home, trying to do things I like. However I will have to get back into my normal life tomorrow again. It will be hard but it will also be manageable.

What Helps me cope is by imagining Rosie and Posie in heaven now enjoying life in their new happier place. When my day comes I’ll reunite with them again and cross the rainbow bridge with them 🥹
Click to expand...

It is OK to not be OK for a little while in the wake of a loss. Be kind with yourself in the coming days but seek help if you get trapped in one of the pernicious mind loops that grieving can take you to, are unable to sleep or function well after the first few days or if you experience persistent PTSD symptoms.

It is also normal that the loss of a piggy is bringing up previous deaths; especially of companions. If that happens, it can help to picture them together in your mind and grieve for them together. But try as much as you can to give yourself the time and space to grieve and to process your loss. If you are familiar with Mindfulness exercises or meditation, then these can also help; especially if you have to compartmentalise.

You are welcome to post a tribute to your girls in our Rainbow Bridge section whenever or if at all feels right for you - some of us find it helpful to put their loss into words and pictures as part of the saying goodbye, others need time to find their bearings again first. For some the right time comes at the end of their grieving process as a formal marker. And for yet another group the section is quite simply too emotionally fraught to visit. There are no rules apart from that it has to feel right for each of us to go there or not and there is no obligation. It is simply there for those who feel that it would help their own grieving journey at whatever stage.
 
Wiebke said:
It is OK to not be OK for a little while in the wake of a loss. Be kind with yourself in the coming days but seek help if you get trapped in one of the pernicious mind loops that grieving can take you to, are unable to sleep or function well after the first few days or if you experience persistent PTSD symptoms.

It is also normal that the loss of a piggy is bringing up previous deaths; especially of companions. If that happens, it can help to picture them together in your mind and grieve for them together. But try as much as you can to give yourself the time and space to grieve and to process your loss. If you are familiar with Mindfulness exercises or meditation, then these can also help; especially if you have to compartmentalise.

You are welcome to post a tribute to your girls in our Rainbow Bridge section whenever or if at all feels right for you - some of us find it helpful to put their loss into words and pictures as part of the saying goodbye, others need time to find their bearings again first. For some the right time comes at the end of their grieving process as a formal marker. And for yet another group the section is quite simply too emotionally fraught to visit. There are no rules apart from that it has to feel right for each of us to go there or not and there is no obligation. It is simply there for those who feel that it would help their own grieving journey at whatever stage.
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Yeah I will give myself time. I have high hopes that I will feel like myself again soon. Like you said if I don’t feel any better after time, or if I feel “trapped” I will seek help. But I don’t think that will be necessary as like I said i feel so much better about Posie, as she died back in March so I had a lot of time to grief and as for Rosie I know one day instead of crying about her I’ll look up into the sky all happy and grateful to have even met such amazing piggies! I will try a bit of meditation practices.

With the tribute, I will have a think about whether it would be a good idea to honour my girls in the rainbow bridge section, when I feel ready I will make the decision.
But once again thank you ☺️
 
simonabislyte said:
Yeah I will give myself time. I have high hopes that I will feel like myself again soon. Like you said if I don’t feel any better after time, or if I feel “trapped” I will seek help. But I don’t think that will be necessary as like I said i feel so much better about Posie, as she died back in March so I had a lot of time to grief and as for Rosie I know one day instead of crying about her I’ll look up into the sky all happy and grateful to have even met such amazing piggies! I will try a bit of meditation practices.

With the tribute, I will have a think about whether it would be a good idea to honour my girls in the rainbow bridge section, when I feel ready I will make the decision.
But once again thank you ☺️
Click to expand...

Take care, look after yourself and follow your heart. There are no rules; we are all different and feel differently. On here, we just try our best to provide a space for as much of the spectrum as is within our possibility; just so you know that the option is available. You can find a soothing Rainbow Bridge video and a number of poems at the top of the Bridge section if you feel that this would bring you solace and help you put some of your emotions into words at some point in the coming days and weeks. :)
 
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