Death is a vital and the ultimate truth of life. Though it is extremely hard to admit, preparing oneself for departing their most loving pet is what every pet parent goes through.
Like all living beings, Guinea Pigs, too, face the end of their beautiful life. Guinea Pigs, the remarkable rodents, generally have a life span of 4 to 8 years.
The ones that develop any serious ailment or injury may leave first, though otherwise, they generally complete the maximum phase of their life. Though it is really hard to bid a goodbye to a dying Guinea Pig, no matter early or late.
- Here is a Recommended Methods of Euthanasia for Guinea Pigs
Is My Guinea Pig Dying? Common Signs
When given a healthy and happy lifestyle, a Guinea Pig can lead a life for up to 8 years. Some lucky and well-cared ones amongst them even stretch it well towards 10 years.
Whenever your pet Guinea Pig leads towards death, you might start noticing some weird signs.
Changes in the body, changes in behaviour, an underlying health condition, there’s a lot that will start coming out.
Guinea Pig Dying Process: 10 Sad Stages
Deterring health is one of the common signs of death, though when it comes to Guinea Pigs, there are several other indications as well.
Below we have a breakdown of some of the most prevalent indicators of a dying guinea pig:
Loss in Appetite
If your Guinea Pig’s hunger is lost for an extended phase, it is a straightforward clue to know something is wrong. A healthy Guinea requires an adequate amount of food and water to survive.
Loss in Appetite is very common with every living being; it being prevalent for an extended time isn’t a healthy indication.
Constant weight changes
A loss of Appetite is also prone to constant weight changes.
Hence, if you notice constant and drastic weight loss in your pet Guinea pig, it is possibly leading to death.
Developing patches of hair loss
There are only two common reasons why your Guinea Pig is losing hair excessively.
First, the pet is possibly suffering from some kind of infection. Whereas secondly, he is leading towards death.
Guinea has stopped grooming itself.
Pets are known for their self-cleaning and grooming abilities.
And if the similar ones show less interest in grooming themselves, chances are either they are sick or leading to death.
Becoming excessively lethargic
Guinea pigs are super energetic rodents, and lethargy is something less likely in their nature.
Even though the energy level may differ from one to another, they still love jumping around and being active.
However, if you notice growing lethargy in your pet Guinea without them being sick, then chances are they are leading to death.
Your Guinea pig has flies infestation.
If you notice flies all-around your guinea pig or maggots on their skin, take them as signs of death.
Maggots are insect larvae that gather on pets whose skin is dirty from discharge waste.
Treating it in an early stage is a thoughtful decision since, with time, these Maggots will start eating the pet from inside, leading to its ultimate death.
Respiratory problems
Noisy and heavy breathing isn’t very common amongst Guinea pigs. Such conditions only occur if suffering from a severe respiratory problem or leading to death.
Hence if you notice severe oxygenation problems and abnormalities in breathing, take them as early signs of death.
Frequent changes in body vitals
Frequent changes in body vitals aren’t a very healthy sign. When under a specific graph, body vitals shows how healthy the particular living individual is.
However, a decline in vital or sudden changes indicates some serious health and life threats.
If your Guinea pig is changing its body vital frequently and drastically, it is time to reach a Vet immediately.
Here are some of the common vital you must monitor:
| Body Temperature | 100 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Heart Rate | 200 to 250 beats per minute |
| Capillary Refill Time | 1 to 2 seconds. |
| Respiratory Rate | 42 to 105 breaths per minute. |
They are making unusual noises.
Guinea Pigs are normally very happy-go-lucky rodents. However, if you suspect them of making weird and unusual noises, take them as a serious indication.
Something is definitely not right with their health, and any responsible behaviour may cause their life. So focus if they whimper, scream, and grind their teeth.
They are drooling and shivering a lot.
Right before a few days of dying, Guinea Pigs show signs of drooling and shivering. Then, they will start dropping saliva in large amounts and uncontrollably.
You may also observe swollen gums and even your face. In case of shivering, consider keeping your Guinea Pig inside a warm blanket.
PLEASE NOTE: The above conditions define as early signs of death amongst Guinea pigs. However, observing these conditions doesn’t mean leaving the poor pet to die. Instead, always consider reaching an expert/ exotic animal pet for a quick treatment. In a lot of cases, especially when symptoms are in their early stage, pet health can come under control.
Step by Step Guide to comfort a dying guinea pig
Here are some steps that can ensure comfort and ease for a dying Guinea Pig:
1) Stroke your dying Guinea with your calming hands
Death, though, is the ultimate life truth, but you can’t deny it is coming out as really scary. Not just humans but even animals have a certain fear of death inside their hearts.
Thus, when your Guinea is nearing death, sit beside him and calm them with your soft touch as a caring parent. Since you have had them for a long, you must know how and where they like getting patted.
However, avoid this behavior if Guinea is resisting your touch.
2) Spend time with them
Guinea pigs are very social; you must spend time with them before they die. For doing the same, consider talking or singing to them in a comforting and low voice.
They might now catch your word, but your promising tone may help them feel a little better. Though since they are sensitive to a high pitch, be mindful.
However, in the name of spending time, do not force them to play, walk or move around. Also, avoid taking them in your lap unnecessarily if you feel they are uncomfortable.
3) Keep dying Guinea separately from the healthy ones
Guinea pigs are usually known for their active and fun-loving behaviour. A healthy pet will run around, jump and enjoy its time.
However, if you have kept both healthy and dying pets together, the latter might feel victimized amongst their fellow mates.
Thus, separating the dying Guinea pig from the healthy ones allows for a large and comfortable space.
Separating a dying Guinea from a healthy one is also necessary if the pet is dying from an infection.
To restrict the risk of disease outbreaks amongst healthy pets, you must do this.
4) Provide your dying Guinea with a clean space
A dying Guinea pig may pee and poop uncontrollably. But that’s not what you should provide them as a bed before their ultimate departure. Thus, ensure maintaining a clean space for your pet to rest.
Clean their bedding every single time you find it accumulated with gunk. Also, keep them and their cage clean more frequently than usual.
5) Feed them soft food
Because your Guinea pig is nearing his death, it doesn’t mean you can deprive him of food and water. Instead, offer him some soft food from time to time.
Obviously, refrain from force-feeding. Along with that, ensure your pet always has access to fresh water without effort-ing much for it.
6) Give them pain relief medicines (if the Vet suggests)
While your pet Guinea pig is dying, you cannot leave them suffering in pain.
Especially if their death is coming due to some health issues, providing them with last-minute comfort is necessary.
Certain pain relief and comforting medicines will make them go towards death in a less painful way.
Feed them the required medicine either by mixing it in food or through a syringe.
How long does it take for a dying guinea pig to die?
After showing signs of death, a guinea pig takes about one to three days to die.
During this phase, pet owners must carefully monitor their Guinea.
Doing so is necessary since some pets might become a little alert, eat, drink and give a second chance to live.
Even after showing signs of death, they might continue the next 3 to 6 months of healthy life.
How to Care for a Dying Guinea Pig?
Making anyone who is Dying a little bit comfortable is a high humane behaviour.
Unfortunately, curing a dying Guinea pig is kind of an impossible task; you can still care for them, ensuring a comfortable death.
During the last days of life, it is advisable to create a decent comforting condition for the biding Guinea pig.
How to humanely kill a dying guinea pig?
When your pet Guinea Pig is dying with so much pain and discomfort, you might consider killing them humanely.
Such procedures are known as mercy killing or, more specifically, euthanasia.
Euthanasia involves using carbon dioxide to induce unconsciousness in dying Guinea Pigs.
Usage and practice for the same are even approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
To humanely kill a dying Guinea pig, one can prepare Carbon Dioxide at home using baking soda and acetic acid.
3 signs your guinea pig is dying of old age
- They are touching the maximum mark of their possible life span. So if your pet Guinea pig is dying at the age of 8 to 10, he is definitely going after living a long and healthy life.
- They have become less active and social. When your old age Genuine pig has become less active and social, they are most likely leading to their death.
- They have lost interest in life. You can tell by your pet’s daily behaviour when they lose interest in life. As they grow older, closer to death, the spark in their eyes fades away.
Wrapping up…
Guinea pigs are a much-loved small family pet, though the truth is one day, they too have to leave.
As a pet owner, you must always give your best to ensure your Guinea pig has a long and healthy life. But ultimately, when his time comes, you or not even the Vet might be able to save him.
Though by being caring and loving, you can make their death a little less scary for them. If your pet is leading towards a painful death, reach the Vet for some expert advice on humane killing.