Why did my guinea pig die?

Question

Actually it was my brother's guinea pig. We got her when she was about a month old I think. Maybe it was four months. Anyways, it was August 2006 and she died a couple days ago. She was normally quite vocal. My brother would go in his room and she would start sqealing. If he wasn't at home, she would be quiet. Then about a week before she died, she would just sit by her waterbottle (full) and not do anything. Why did she die?

Answer 1

If a guinea pig is sick they will sit still and usually "puff up." This means their fur stands out instead of laying flat. It's a sign of discomfort and stress. If your guinea pig ever changes is usual behavior you should take it to a vet immediately. Most conditions in young guinea pigs are treatable. If she wasn't getting enough green vegetables and the proper pellet diet, she could have had a Vit. C deficiency. Guinea pig's bodies do not produce Vit. C and they need it supplemented in their diet. Rabbits on the other hand do, so guinea pig and rabbit pellet diets are made differently.
Another common problem with guinea pigs is mites. They can come from the pet shop with them and the mites increase month by month. The condition can lead to death if not treated with medicine. Scratching and twitching when petted are signs of mites.
If the cage is not cleaned often a guinea pig can suffer from respiratory problems. Upper respiratory infection is a common problem. Also, guinea pigs can catch colds from humans and they can become sick from an unhealthy environment. Either of these can lead to Upper respiratory infection. (URI)

There is a lot of information about guinea pigs and their care on these websites.
http://www.petwebsite.com/guinea_pigs.asp
http://www.cavyspirit.com/
http://www.guinealynx.com/

Answer 2

The most likely explanation, since she was young (guinea pigs should live 4-8 years), was that she was sick. A lethargic guinea pig is not a healthy guinea pig. She might have had an upper respiratory infection. Untreated URIs are almost always fatal. Check out http://www.guinealynx.com for more information on guinea pig health and emergencies. Sorry for your loss!

Answer 3

She hadn't drank any water for a week? Did your brother not realise she was ill? If any of my guinea pigs was just sitting by her water bottle and not drinking then I would have taken her to the vet immediately. Guinea pigs are prey animals, so hide any illness very well. sometimes they can be on the brink of death and hardly show it, it is up to the owner to know their animal, and take it to the vet as soon as they notice a change.

if your brother does decide to get another guinea pig then please tell him to be more observant next time, and take it to the vet before it comes to the animal dying.

Answer 4

It's really hard to say why your brother's guinea pig died. They're very senstive to temperature changes. It's possible she may have caught a draft from an open window, etc., gotten sick, then passed on. Could also be that she inherited a genetic defect from one of her parents which resulted in her prematurely dying.

Answer 5

because, that's the life cycle starts and ends. Did he fed his guinea pig?, that's a sign of not having any responsibility of having a pet.

Answer 6

annettehala---Please do some research before posting. The ferret is the only animal that can catch a human virus.

Answer 7

She knew she was goin' to die, so she just thought how much you would miss her. Didn't your parents ever tell you that every one will die?

Answer 8

everything dies. but did your guinea pig ever really live? that is the question.

Answer 9

umm.....maybe she was to old think of that but that sucks that she died are you going t get another?

Answer 10

don know
it was time to check out sooner than later cause u didn't have cable