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Small pets

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Original poster

My lovely guinea pig has died

28 replies

cadentiasidera · 30/05/2023 18:00

We adopted two boars from a rescue last autumn, thought to be around 2 years old. They were called Timmy and Tonka and we loved them. Timmy was the smaller, cleverer one and a Tonka the bigger but slightly daft one. We're away on our first holiday since we got them, and had left them with a friend who has had piggies before. My husband took their hutch, run etc over to my friend's house and settled them in. All seemed fine, we set off the next day. But last night Timmy was quieter than usual and didn't seem right. My friend sent me a message but I didn't get it till this morning - but she consulted her vets over the phone twice. By this morning Timmy had died 😥I an feeling so guilty in case I've missed something, or the stress of moving them caused it. The guinea pigs are my first ever pets (they're really my daughter's, but I've never had pets before!) and they were such characters. Tonka is ok, my lovely friend took him to the vet for a check-up and he's in good health, I just wish I'd known Timmy wasn't. Not really asking for advice, and I know this can happen with guinea pigs, just wanted to share with people who might understand. Please be kind, I am really upset.

OP posts:
whyisitalwayswindy · 30/05/2023 18:16

Oh I'm so sorry, sending you hugs (())

Original poster
cadentiasidera · 30/05/2023 18:46

Thank you.

OP posts:
1984Winston · 30/05/2023 19:02

I'm so sorry, we have two boys and i adore them so I know how gutted you will be feeling, these things do happen doesn't sound like you did anything wrong

LadyVictoriaSponge · 30/05/2023 19:15

Oh you must be devastated, they steal your hearts don’t they, doesn’t sound like you have done anything wrong at all, I don’t know much about Guinea pigs but will the other one get lonely? I’m sorry you have lost lovely Timmy, be kind to yourself it’s such a horrible thing losing a beloved pet Flowers

tattychicken · 30/05/2023 19:21

Our vet said that by the time you notice a pig is poorly it is probably pretty sick. We have lost a couple out of the blue like that, and it's very hard.
Sounds like your friend did everything she could, and your pig had a great life with you.

Original poster
cadentiasidera · 30/05/2023 19:22

Thank you for the lovely messages. I've messaged the lady at the rescue place we got them from (who was also reassuring about the fact that guinea pigs hide signs of illness so there often isn't much you can do by the time they look unwell) and she said there's no rush but we'll want to find another piggie to be Tonka's friend. I'm quite scared to have another one though, a bit of me just wants to find Tonka a new home and never have a pet again 😥

OP posts:
LadyVictoriaSponge · 30/05/2023 19:24

Please don’t Tonka has already lost his friend, he can’t lose you as well.

Slon · 30/05/2023 19:29

I'm so sorry to read that. One of ours died while we were on holiday too and it's very hard. RIP Timmy 💐

Floralnomad · 30/05/2023 19:36

Sorry for your loss 💐. We lost one of my sisters piggies this year , he was only 3 , I took him to the vet on a Saturday and she couldn’t find anything wrong on examination but sent home some pain killers , probiotics and liquid food and he passed away on the Sunday morning . Sometimes there is nothing you can do .

tattychicken · 30/05/2023 19:38

Please don't give him up. You sound like a lovely owner, and your next pig could live to a grand old age. He needs a new friend.

Original poster
cadentiasidera · 30/05/2023 20:41

Yes, I don't think we'll actually give him up, but it's just sent me into a spin. I was scared of getting pets due to my lack of experience, but I really wanted to for my daughter, and I did lots of reading to try and educate myself, but I feel like I've failed. I think, strange as it sounds, that it's bringing up trauma from when I had my daughter. I ended up with awful PNA, was convinced she was going to die, and remember wailing at my GP that I needed to find her a new mummy, so I think this has triggered similar feelings. Thank you for the kind comments. Xx

OP posts:
Blossomandbee · 30/05/2023 20:57

So sorry for the loss of your piggy. As you already know as prey animals they do mask illness really well until they're at crisis point. Also you don't know his history or true age, be kind to yourself.
When the time is right and you look for a friend for your existing pig please make sure you bond him properly with the new pig as this can be difficult.

Missingmyusername · 30/05/2023 21:00

“a bit of me just wants to find Tonka a new home and never have a pet again 😥”

We all want to do that, but you have to remember the life you save and rehome a piggie 💔😔💐sorry for your loss xxx

timetorefresh · 30/05/2023 21:33

It's the 1 anniversary of the death of one of my pigs too. I was a lot more upset than I'd anticipated. They do steal a bit of your heart Flowers

crazylady121 · 31/05/2023 22:31

When we had two boyz and one died,our vet advised to just keep the other on he's own,that he probably wouldn't take to another mate.He lived for 9 years,my daughter adored him ,was devastated when he finally died.Wallis and Gromit😊They were rescues.

FabulouslyFab · 31/05/2023 22:34

Sending piggy hugs from my Daisy and Maisy and thanking you for being a rescue piggy mummy xx

Original poster
cadentiasidera · 03/06/2023 13:00

Thanks for your kind comments. On our way home now and dreading getting Tonka home as it'll be very sad without Timmy. My daughter is dealing with it much better than me, thankfully, she's 5 and very pragmatic - "well at least there won't be so much poo to pick up" "we'll have to get a new friend for Tonka". I'm going between "well he had a good life with us and know he was loved" to "what if I didn't notice something wrong that the vet could have helped with"... The guilt is hard.

OP posts:
toottootpipip · 03/06/2023 13:06

I know how you feel - my daughter's cockatiel dropped dead completely out of the blue this week, she was only 3 which is no age at all. Her sister (my son's bird) is flock calling for her and it's all very sad.

We are going to take some time to decide what to do next, if we get another etc and let my daughter grieve. She was fine until she woke up the next day and went to put the seed out.

Sending hugs, this pet business is hard isn't it. I was contemplating Guinea pigs initially but decided the longer life span of the bird would mean less grief...that didn't work out 🤦‍♀️

BloodandGlitter · 03/06/2023 14:03

crazylady121 · 31/05/2023 22:31

When we had two boyz and one died,our vet advised to just keep the other on he's own,that he probably wouldn't take to another mate.He lived for 9 years,my daughter adored him ,was devastated when he finally died.Wallis and Gromit😊They were rescues.

No offence to you but your vet sounds like an idiot, Guinea Pigs need a companion to have a full and satisfied life. Humans can't replace a piggie to another piggie, we don't talk guinea pig for starters.
In some countries it's illegal to sell lone guinea pigs as it's recognised as animal cruelty.

purplepandas · 03/06/2023 14:06

This happened to us on Monday but with one of our rabbits. I don't know GPs but rabbits hide everything. We did come back when we alerted but two emergency vet visits on Monday still meant our lovely rabbit could not be saved. I hear you, they do steal your hearts. We had saved him before, but not this time. We have also gone to thr rescue to find another friend for the rabbit, they are meant to be in pairs. I am so sorry @cadentiasidera , you did everything you could. They hide illness so well.

LadyOfTheCanyon · 03/06/2023 18:54

Oh OP I'm so sorry to hear about Timmy. Please don't beat yourself up about it. Do what's best for Tonka now. Pets can be a mystery but it's a privilege to spend our lives with them. You gave him a fabulous life. I'm sure Guinea pigs in the wild have a much much harder life.

Sending you love ❤️

Kevinbaconsrealwife · 03/06/2023 18:58

Oh sweetheart, sending you and your family so much love……I had 2 lovely piggy boys many years ago and they were lovely….rest in peace Timmy xx

Allschoolsareartschools · 03/06/2023 19:33

Oh how awful for you, I hope you feel better soon & it really wouldn't have been anything you did or didn't do.
We came back from a night away a few years ago to find our guinea not eating properly & sitting very quietly. I took her straight to the vet but it was a really advanced tumour in her neck & she was put to sleep.
I hadn't noticed anything wrong & my adult dd had only noticed she hadn't eaten much that morning. Its so quick sometimes & as everyone says, by the time it's noticed it's usually too late.
We had a few "new friends" over our 10 years of piggies, I'm sure you'll find someone for Tonka.
I hope it hasn't been too sad today💓Guinea pig ownership is tough sometimes!

CottonSock · 03/06/2023 19:43

My goodness I was just telling dh how elderly piggy seems much slower. We just got back from holiday.
Our pet sitter had to get his brother put down when we were away 2 summers ago. We didn't replace as old boy is a bit disabled, and was always bullied. We didn't expect him to have so long alone tbh.
Any day now it could be. Kids and adults will be devastated

Kittensat36 · 03/06/2023 19:52

I lost a piggy once and the first symptom was literally a gut feeling as I popped her back in her cage one evening.. I looked at her and thought she wasn't right but didn't know how. Took her to the vet and they weren't sure, but said they would keep her in for the day so I could go to work. She passed at lunchtime. You just never know.

My advice is to get him snipped and get a sow. They take to a girl, but another boy is difficult.

Sorry for your loss.