Guinea Pig died last night

[maggiethecat]

Our guinea pig died last night. She was 4 and had a lump that was discovered over a year ago but had coped very well with it. She has always still been very active and eating well until recently.
2 days ago I noticed she was off her food and was keeping an eye. Yesterday with the heat I had put a bottle of frozen water in her cage to help keep her cool and put her in the coolest room in the house. I came home to find her in the corner of her cage and assumed all fine but an hour later found her lying flat and lifeless but eyes open. She had a pulse so we wrapped her in a wet towel and tried to give her water by syringe but she passed shortly after.
I am gutted that she may have died from heat exhaustion which may have been prevented. My dh thinks it may have been her tumor that took her but it's hard to know.
It was very difficult not hearing her squeaks this morning when I came downstairs for breakfast.
I would say that anyone who has pigs be very careful with them in this heat.

Ah , it really does sound like you did all you could - the cool room, the chill-bottle.
It sounds like she was just on her way out and the not eating was probably the biggest clue, guinea-pigs exist just to scoff, when they stop eating its a bad sign.

4 is a pretty good age for a little piggie , and maybe the heat was just too much for her but she had her lump to consider too, that was most likely the main cause.

Its a shame when they go, but it sounds like it was quick , and in her own house so familiar.

I know what you mean about worrying about little pigs in Summer.
Mine are all 4yo now , and I know that one day I'll open their door to find one has pottered over The Bridge.

clover to all the pigs out there .

70, thank you. She was such a gorgeous little pig and we loved her so much. We probably took for granted that she had lived for so long with the lump.

When I was a child about 100 years ago, I had a wonderful pig who lived to be we forgot how old. He too had a lump and went on merrily with it for ages and ages. His sudden end (not in the heat) sounds very like your pig. So I too think it was lump related not heat related. Do not beat yourself up. They know when they are loved!