Loss Three guinea pigs dead in 24 hours, help to save the other three!

[JordanT92]

A few days ago one of our Guinea Pigs was laying on her side, looking very skinny and suffering from hair loss, my girlfriend hand fed and watered her for 2 days and she seemed to be reacting well, yesterday she passed away, not reacting to hand feeding and breathing very occasionally until her last.

We couldn't find any signs of infection or disease with our other 5 Guinea Pigs at all, this morning all was fine but when my girlfriend checked back on them recently two of our girls were on their sides, dead, looking quite skinny but no hair loss. We are baffled and immensely saddened, just confused as to how this could possibly have happened! Their housing is cleaned regularly and we're cleaning it again immediately, but we're very worried we'll lose the other three shortly if we don't find out what's going on! The others show no skin disorders, eyes look healthy as do their mouths, they're energetic and are eating and drinking well, but the others were the same just 24 hours ago... They have a large rabbit hutch and were all in together, all female, room temperature is normal, not too hot or too cold.

Can anyone possibly shed some light on this please?

Thank you all! Jordan and Cherelle.

 

[Omgitspink]

... Have you gone to a vet?

 

[JordanT92]

Unfortunately not, we didn't opt for a post-morton on the pig that died last night and figured it may have been a breeding issue as where we got her from is notorious for inbreeding... Figured it was an isolated incident but clearly not, the two that died today were after the vet closed so we haven't taken the three living Guinea pigs yet, we'll probably call the out of hours or set an alarm for every hour tonight to check on the girls before taking them in the morning. My girlfriend hasn't been feeding the girls hay for a week or so and had been feeding them various vegetables, peppers, spinach, tomato, the occasional asparagus etc. Is hay an absolute requirement for good health? And are certain vegetables toxic? Thanks for replying.

 

[scoottie]

@Omgitspink you haven't been around long enough to be giving out advice. Hutches are not nearly large enough for 5 pigs. Have you noticed anything a miss guinea pigs are notorious for hiding their illness especially around you.

 

[scoottie]

Some veggies are toxic to piggies what have you been feeding them.https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...vy-Nutrition-Charts-amp-Poisonous-Plants-List

 

[JordanT92]

Hi scoottie, thanks for replying! I've checked that list, nothing we've been feeding them seems to stand out. The hutch has two floors and the front door is always open, with a C&C grid surrounding the hutch to give them more room. They practical have the entirety of the spare room to run around in.

We haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary with them unfortunately...

 

[peachyteen]

Hay is absolutely necessary. Guinea pigs need food in their stomachs at all time. Their stomachs constantly produce stomach acid, without constant food (hay) they can develop stomach ulcers and if it goes on too long, I believe it can result in death.

 

[JordanT92]

On my way to tesco to pick up hay, wasn't aware they have to eat constantly! Thank you for the advice.

 

[scoottie]

They have to have hay 24/7 and never be without it. I keep two piles and one in a hay rack.

 

[Omgitspink]

@scootie I haven't been around long enough to suggest taking a pig to the vet if they are sick. Ok.
There was no point to you making that comment.

Yes, hay is very important as Peachyteen mentioned. Hopefully your other piggies are ok!

 

[scoottie]

What kinds of pellets are you feeding

 

[JordanT92]

They've got plenty of hay now, thanks for the advice everyone. They're given veggies and generic Guinea pig muesli from the local pet shop. Hopefully all goes well tonight, and I'll take them to the vets tomorrow morning.

R.I.P Coco, Summer and Ebony. The only living one in the photo is Daisy in the middle

 

[scoottie]

You may want to feed them a plain pellet museli can have bits and pieces that are not good like seeds and such.

 

[bpatters]

Generic guinea pig muesli is NOT what you should be feeding them. They need a plain hay pellet -- alfalfa if they're less than six months old, timothy if they're older. No nuts, seeds, or colored bits.

They need hay 247, and lots of it. They require a long strand grass hay (timothy, bluegrass, meadow grass, orchard grass or brome) in order to keep their teeth ground down and their guts moving properly.

They need a cup or so of vegetables per adult pig per day, and the staples should be red or green leaf lettuce. See for what you can feed them and how often.

They also need for you to learn about guinea pig care before you lose any more of them. Here are some things to read:

-- https://www.guinealynx.info/healthycavy.html
-- https://www.guinealynx.info/emergency.html
-- www.cavyspirit.com
-- the stickies at the tops of the main forums here
-- https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum...us-Plants-List for what you can feed and how often
-- https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum...ur-guinea-pigs!

And they need an exotic vet, now. If you can't afford a vet, you can't afford guinea pigs. The question is never IF they'll need a vet, it's WHEN will they need a vet. Small animal (dog and cat) vets are not educated or trained in the care of exotic pets, so you need an exotic vet. They're more expensive than small animal vets, and there aren't nearly as many of them.

 

[JordanT92]

That's some great information, our vet has an exotic veterinarian working there but is typically more cat and dog specific. We'll incorporate your dietry advice ASAP!

Thanks for everything!

 

[Comely Guineas]

Did we figure out how they might've died? Was it because they went a week without hay? Were they getting any pellets in that time or just the occasional veggie? How long can a guinea pig go without eating?

 

[Amalee]

@Omgitspink you haven't been around long enough to be giving out advice.

This comment is so incredibly snooty that my head almost snapped from trying to keep my eyes in their sockets.


@JordanT92 You've made a great choice joining this forum, it shows good initiative in caring for them. Goodluck with your current piggies and I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[LifeAsItMayBe]

Did we figure out how they might've died? Was it because they went a week without hay? Were they getting any pellets in that time or just the occasional veggie? How long can a guinea pig go without eating?

Going a week without hay won't kill a pig. It isn't good for them long term, but plenty of people who haven't done their research own guinea pigs that don't get any fresh hay at all. They can survive a year or two on what's in their pellets. OP said they fed their pigs museli, which (correct me if I'm wrong) contains some pellets. Guinea pigs shouldn't go a full day without eating, as it can cause their intestines can stop moving.

 

[CavyMama]

Going a week without hay won't kill a pig. It isn't good for them long term, but plenty of people who haven't done their research own guinea pigs that don't get any fresh hay at all. They can survive a year or two on what's in their pellets. OP said they fed their pigs museli, which (correct me if I'm wrong) contains some pellets. Guinea pigs shouldn't go a full day without eating, as it can cause their intestines can stop moving.

Incorrect. While they could go a week without hay, it is essential for multiple reasons. It keeps their molars worn down which keeps their incisors aligned which prevents an awful condition called malocclusion which, if left untreated, CAN cause death. Also, hay keeps their digestion (not their intestines) moving.

If the rest of their diet is vitamin C rich, they can go without pellets entirely. Pellets are not a replacement for hay. Guinea pigs need the long-stem fibrous hay and although pellets are made from hay, they do not provide what the hay does.

Muesli does not contain pellets but it does contain a lot of things that guinea pigs do NOT need.

 

[LifeAsItMayBe]

@CavyMama I said it won't kill them in a week, not that it's OK to go without it. In fact I specifically stated "it isn't good for them long term" to go without.