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Goodbye Brownie R.I.P

SadTyper

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Me and my family got a guinea pig 2 months ago, and we bought another one a few days later so it wouldnt be lonely. The one we got first was from a friends friend who werent going to be able to keep her anymore, and they said the guinea pig was 1 year old but they also got it from someone else (who said it was a year old) so we dont have confirmation on its age, but it seemed older than 1, possible 2 or 3. The guinea pig we got from the store was a baby girl and they both got along very well, their name is Snowball. 1 month ago we started noticing problems so we took it to the vet and they found a tooth infection (who knows how long thats gone untreated) and a memory gland (we got medicine for it) but the tooth infection required 1k+ which my family doesnt have so we tried numerous things, trying to find a cheaper place, buying critical care, feeding her with a syringe, ect and things only worsened. The cage we got her in was very small and she was very skinny, like almost no meat on her back. We fed her plenty and made a very large cage, but even doing this didnt make any of us feel better because we know what she went through, I'm only 13 so theres nothing I can do and my aunt wont sue for animal cruelty, if she did we might possible had enough money for the surgeries. 1 Week ago she refused to eat and drink, rarely we would find her nibbling on pellets but it took her a couple of minutes to finish one. She wouldnt poop or pee and she had what we assumed to be a stroke but we didnt have transportation so we couldnt take her to the vet, it stopped shortly but after she kept running to us and on the table (who normally would only step on the blanket we put under her) and she just seemed weird, not like herself and it scared all of us, it stopped shortly but we were terrified, 4 days ago she started pooping again but like 1 little pebble every few hours, the poop was also very mushy, we knew there was nothing we could do sadly and she was going to pass soon, but we decided we would take to another vet on the 7th, but on the 6th she passed at around 10:15 PM. What disturbed me about this was it seemed like she was finally getting better so it was so sad to see her pass, and what was even more disturbing was how she passed. She looked like she was in so much pain, just flinging herself around in her cage and I went to pet her to try to calm her down but she was extremely flat laying on her side, with her front paws just clawing, my brother who didn't get to attached was asked to bury it in the woods near my house, I just hope she wasn't in too much pain. I want to know if that's how they're suppose to die or was she just having a stroke and did we bury her alive, thinking about it terrifies me and I keep asking my aunt but she says that she's dead. I read a couple other posts and it said you should hold them so they pass comfortable but I nor anyone in my family could do it, so I just pet her saying its going to be alright. When we put her in the box her front paws were still pawing but she was out of it, her eyes weren't moving and she was extremely flat, and I pet her a little bit more. Me and my family cried for the past 2 days nonstop, Snowball seems alright but I feel bad, when we got her the store person said that her best friend died a month or 2 ago so this already happened but in the short time Brownie and Snowball were together they got very close, they cuddled and slept together all the time, I think Snowball knew Brownie was dying because she wasn't fighting with her over food at all, like she use to (we did make sure they both got equal amounts though). I just hope that 1)Brownie is in a better place and didn't suffer during her final moments, and 2)Snowball doesn't feel abandoned (we do plan on getting another guinea pig for her shortly, we just don't want to feel like we're replacing Brownie). Ily Brownie, I hope you enjoy yourself in Piggy Heaven
 

Guinea Pig Papa

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I'm so sorry you've lost Brownie.

She's in a better place now, waiting at the Rainbow Bridge for her family to one day come and take her home again. She'll have no pain there, and all the fresh greens she wants. She'll meet so many new friends she won't know who to play with first.

Rest in peace, Brownie.
 

bpatters

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I'm so sorry you lost Brownie.

Since you plan on getting another pig, please look for a guinea pig rescue near you and adopt one. Pet store pigs are notorious for being sold ill, with parasites, mis-sexed, and the baby sows are pregnant. A rescue will have pigs that have been quarantined and found to be healthy, and they'll help you with information on how to care for your pigs.

But I will say, if you don't have enough money for vet trips, please don't get another one. The question with guinea pigs is not, "Will they need a vet?" It's "WHEN will they need a vet?" It's not fair to an animal to have it as a pet but not provide it with medical care -- that's as much as part of responsible pet ownership as food and housing. They deserve medical care just like you do. Guinea pigs need exotic vets, and they're both harder to find and more expensive than regular vets. A kitten would probably require less in the way of vet care, and the vet would be cheaper, than for a guinea pig.

Here's some recommended reading for people new to guinea pigs: https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/113176-Information-for-new-guinea-pig-owners
 

SadTyper

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Bpatters, thank you for the links, we will take all of into account for the future, and my sister is going to get a job soon, and my brother will soon be able to take out loans (if needed) for them if my sister doesn't manage to get a job quickly, I know getting a job takes lots of time but most places near us are hiring so it should be fairly easy.
 

MerryFriarTuck

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I'm so sorry you lost her... it's never, ever easy, but remember she was very loved by all of you, and Snowball.Try not to dwell on her last moments, or pain, but instead when she was happy, like cuddling with Snowball ❤️

If she was in pain when she passed, at least it's over now that she's in Piggy Heaven just as Guinea Pig Papa said. Odds are, even as bad as it looked, she was out of it enough at that point she probably didn't feel much, if anything...and don't feel bad for not holding her, or think she was buried alive. She may have felt more vulnerable or scared being held, but with you petting her she recognized it was you and your voice. You didn't bury her alive. She couldn't have survived that severe of a stroke, and it's not uncommon for small animals to pass away that way.

Though it might not seem like it now, know that all of you will feel better in time, and you'll find another little piggie to love like you loved Brownie. Snowball will too!

Our local animal humane society often has guinea pigs in need of homes, and their adoption fees are less than a pet store. Our humane society also offers vet care for free or at reduced prices if you need it as well.

This is another great guinea pig site; It's very readable, with fun jokes and tons of info: www.guineapigmanual.com

Rest in peace Brownie! Flowers and trees will grow in the woods where you buried her, and now she's playing in woods even more beautiful at the rainbow bridge.
 

spy9doc

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Fly free over the Rainbow Bridge, Brownie! :love:
 

BumpTrunk

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Welcome aboard
 
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