Home Forums Rodents & Small Furries My guinea pigs die :(

My guinea pigs die :(

Published on: June 05, 2024 • By: ttdubs · In Forum: Rodents & Small Furries
Author
Topic
ttdubs
Participant
June 05, 2024 at 05:46pm
I'm trying to understand what's going wrong. I've always had guinea pigs but my last 3 have suddenly died on me. All owned at separate times. They would suddenly drop weight and I would find them either on side dead or twitching dying.  They got plenty of hay, fresh veggies, fresh water.  No bald spots or irritation I could see (if it were to be mites)  I can't take losing another piggy :(
Report
Author
Replies
Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
June 05, 2024 at 07:24pm
Oh Im so sorry - that sounds utterly miserable.   Of course, I cannot tell you at this point why or how that happened and it may be bad luck and nothing that you have done.  However, we kept guinea-pigs very differently when I was a child to what is reccommended now because it has been repeatedly shown that the longevity of guinea-pigs may be strongly related to husbandry.  It is known for example, that guinea-pigs are social aninals; that they are less stressed and happier when kept with friends.  That they should have a run, yes, but are most secure if they have cover, for example if they can run through hay or tunnels (it is stressful for guinea-pigs being exposed to the open grassland).  That they thrive on hay for food with only small amounts of sweeter food (and that 'guinea-pig mix' should be seen as optional pudding, rather than the main meal).  That guinea-pig teeth easily overgrow, making it harder for them to eat, if they don't chew enough fibre.  That guinea-pigs need to consume sufficient vitamin C.   If any of this is new to you, reading about guinea-pig husbandry may be extremely important.  There is a great blog on our blog-page called 'How to keep your guinea pig happy and healthy,' which may help.  There is also something called guinea-pig awareness week, aimed at publicising the essentials of guinea-pig care.  You can probably read about this, or ask your vet for more information.  I hope that something there is useful to you.
Report
Author
Replies
Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
June 05, 2024 at 07:45pm
It may be useful to find a vet who has a special interest in guinea-pigs and to take photos of your home set-up to them for a consulation.   This way, any husbandry problems may be picked up in advance.  Thank you for posting this very intelligent, difficult question and we  wish you all the best in the future.
Report
Author
Replies
ttdubs
Participant
June 05, 2024 at 10:22pm
All those things are things I do. I actually had a guinea pig that I Housed alone live longer. But I recently had two that kinda of faded right behind each other. I also provide them with hideys and everything else you mentioned. I then got two new piggies both babies and one has just passed on me. Probably only 6 months old.  So I feel I am doing everything right and can't understand the cause of death
Report
Author
Replies
Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
June 10, 2024 at 10:06pm
That sounds hard.  Measures that might help could include regular weighing and recording of weight in a diary, to get used to the guinea pigs' normal range of weights, as subtle weight changes outside the normal fluctations are one of the early signs of problems.  Digital scales may prove best.  Also consider having your vet check the back teeth regularly and diets with your vet.  However, it certainly might be bad luck.  I hope that this doesn't happen again for you.
Report
Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

You must be logged in to create new threads, or access some of the forums

Log In
Register

Registration confirmation will be emailed to you

By joining the Forum, I agree that I am aged over 18 and that I will abide by the Community Guidelines and the Terms

Or

Report a Thread or Reply

Thank you for your help. A member of our team will investigate this further.

Back to forum