Petting guinea pigs is as trending as petting a dog or cat. Though guinea pigs aren’t as communicative as a dog or cat would be, a guinea pig makes an adorable pet. Almost everyone who pets guinea pigs knows how pleasing this experience is.
Though petting a guinea pig is a pleasant experience but when a guinea pig dies, it is often an exhausting experience.
Why do my guinea pigs keep dying? A guinea pig is a very sensitive animal, who often gets affected a lot because of the environment. There are many causes of the sudden death of guinea pigs but the most common are heart attack or pneumonia.
Why do my guinea pigs keep dying?
Why Do My Guinea Pigs Keep Dying?
To answer why do my guinea pigs keep dying? There is a list of diseases and situations that can cause death in guinea pigs. Following is the detailed table of reasons that can cause death together with the description and symptoms.
Reason of death
Description
Symptoms
Heart attack
Heart attacks are sudden death. Which are caused by some stressful events happening in their environment.
No symptoms, sudden death
Reaction to antibiotics
Guinea Pigs are very sensitive animals. Antibiotics can cause an imbalance of bacteria in the guinea pig. Which can often become harmful.
dehydration
loss of appetite
diarrhea
weight loss
sluggishness
URIs/ Pneumonia
Bordetella infections and streptococcal bacteria are known to cause pneumonia. It can lead to sudden death among guinea pigs.
runny nose or nasal discharge
sneezing and/or coughing
wheezing
shallow or fast breathing
Fever
lack of appetite
conjunctivitis
weight loss
Diarrhoea/Dehydration
Sick guinea pigs can be attacked by viruses, parasites, and bacteria.
crusty eyes
dark-colored urine
Thick sticky saliva
lack of appetite for food or water
Dental problems
It may sound weird but dental problems often cause death among guinea pigs. Due to pain and discomfort in teeth, guinea pigs often stop eating their food, leading to malnutrition and lack of required nutrients among them.
abscesses
overgrown teeth
malocclusions
Salmonella
Guinea pigs can be infected with salmonella bacteria, it can be caused by coming in contact with already infected guinea pigs, eating unwashed food.
lethargy
liver and spleen enlargement
fever
swollen glands
rough coat
eye inflammation
Lack of appetite
Environment
The environment also plays a major role in affecting the quality of life of guinea pigs.
Poor living conditions
Continuous loud noises
Frequently changing temperature
Gut stasis
When the digestive system of the guinea pig is working, leading to the guinea pig not eating anything, which leads to starvation.
Lack of appetite
Murky history
Adopting guinea pigs from an unknown breeder can lead the owners to buy poor guinea pigs that breed guinea pigs in poor conditions which affect the life of babies. Some of the guinea pigs come from scientific experiments, which makes them unhealthy.
Any kind of stress can lead to guinea pigs stopping to eat, which leads to an imbalance in their lives, furthermore, stress decreases the movement in their everyday life, which worsens their health
Lack of appetite
Lack of movement
Lethargy
Why Did My Guinea Pig Die Overnight?
Why do my guinea pigs keep dying overnight? If a guinea pig died suddenly overnight, it can be possible that they got a heart attack. A heart attack comes with no symptoms and happens suddenly.
Heart attacks can be caused by fear, stress, and loud noises. The owner should check if any loud noises may have caused stress among the guinea pig.
Sometimes, with the fear of predators, guinea pigs can also get a heart attack, so owners should check if the guinea pig could have been possibly tracked by a predator.
Furthermore, another reason why do my guinea pigs keep dying can be murky history, as it also doesn’t come with a symptom and often takes the life of a guinea pig suddenly without any symptoms.
The owner should assess what is the hereditary history of the guinea pig. Sometimes parents of guinea pigs experiment in laboratories, which makes them and their babies very weak.
What Is Guinea Pig Death Process?
What are the signs of a guinea pig dying? A guinea pig that is about due will become very weak and lethargic. It may not be able to have food and water by itself. The movement of guinea pigs will become very limited. All these things will happen all at once or one by one. It will depend on the individual guinea pig.
Why Did Guinea Pig Died With Eyes Open?
Why do my guinea pigs keep dying with eyes open? It is normal for guinea pigs to die with their eyes open. It doesn’t mean that they suffered when dying. When a guinea pig dies, the muscles present in the eyes that work to close the eyelids are no longer functional, mailing them die with their eyes open.
Why do my guinea pigs keep dying at the same time? The first reason can be health diseases like pneumonia or salmonella, which are transmitted from one guinea pig to another. If one guinea pig suffers from such a disease they may transfer it to others causing the sudden death of more than one guinea pig.
Another reason, which causes the sudden death of more than one guinea pig is a heart attack. Guinea pigs are very sensitive animals, and it is often very easy for them to get stressed and scared.
Loud noises, sudden changes in the environment, any stressful event among one of the guinea pigs can cause them to stress a lot. Which can lead to a heart attack.
Why do my guinea pigs keep dying?
Is My Guinea Pig Dead Or In Shock?
It is a very confusing state for an owner and even experts can sometimes fail to differentiate in some situations. However, there are some symptoms of a dead guinea pig and some of a shocked guinea pig that will help the owner to differentiate if their pet is dead or shocked.
If the guinea pig’s body seems to be stiff and rigid, if they have a rigor Mortis, this can mean that they have died.
However, to check if the pet is still alive or in shock, the owner should look in the eyes of their pet, if they are shiny, if the guinea pig isn’t having a stiff body, if the guinea pig is still breathing, then it is possible that the guinea pig is in shock.
Why Do My Guinea Pigs Keep Dying?
Why do my guinea pigs keep dying? Guinea pigs are very sensitive animals. They require very careful maintenance. To find out what is making the guinea pig died, the owner should look after the factors that can cause death in the guinea pigs. Environment, food, and water are broad categories that may cause guinea pigs to die.
The owner should check if there is something in the environment that can cause stress in guinea pigs or if there is a bullying guinea pig that stresses other guinea pigs. Further, the owner should check if the food and water that the guinea pig is eating and drinking is healthy enough or not.
Why Are All My Guinea Pigs Dying?
A young guinea pig died suddenly is often related to transmissible disease. If one guinea pig has a disease like pneumonia, it can be transmitted to other guinea pigs. Another factor that can cause the death of all guinea pigs is the environment.
If all guinea pigs are living in an environment that is too stressful or poor, it can lead to the death of all guinea pigs.
Another factor what kills a guinea pig is a heart attack, many guinea pigs often go through some sudden traumatic experience that can give a heart attack to more than one guinea pig.
Many owners say that ‘my guinea pig died and I cant stop crying’, it is a very unfortunate situation but to not let that happen again the owner should be very careful next time they adopt guinea pigs.
Do Guinea Pigs Know When They Are Dying?
It can’t be said if guinea pigs know when they are dying. Many guinea pigs remain the same, even when close to death while some may look very ill and pale.
Some of the habits that change in guinea pigs when they are dying are lack of appetite or lack of activity. When guinea pigs lose their interest, it can be said that they know when they are dying.
How Do Guinea Pigs Act When They Are Dying?
Guinea pigs will lose their interest in everything, their eating habits will change, there would be a lack of movement in the guinea pigs. Furthermore, a guinea pig will also not be as active as a normal guinea pig.
What Is The Most Common Cause Of Death In Guinea Pigs?
Why do my guinea pigs keep dying? One of the most common causes of death in guinea pigs is caused by pneumonia, which is a bacterial infection caused in rats. Many guinea pigs also die from heart attacks.
Do Guinea Pigs Easily Die?
No, guinea pigs won’t die easily. Guinea pigs are very resilient when it comes to life. However, sometimes sudden changes or sudden stress can cause a lot of damage to their life but overall guinea pigs are resilient animals.
If guinea pigs are kept in a good environment, provided good food and water, and good care, a guinea pig can live up to 8 years.
Can Guinea Pigs Get Sick From A Dirty Cage?
Yes, guinea pigs can get serious illnesses when they are kept in a dirty cage. Guinea pigs are very sensitive to what they eat, drink and where they live. The owner should always provide the cleanest and safest environment to their pet for them to survive.
What Age Do Guinea Pigs Die?
On average, a guinea pig will live up to 5-6 years but many owners have their pet for 8-9 years. It depends on how well the owner will take care of their pet.
What Do You Do After Your Guinea Pig Dies?
After the guinea pig has died, the owner should make sure that if they are buying another guinea pig, they check what killed their last pet and make sure they don’t repeat their mistake. The environment, food, and water are the three most common reasons why a pet may die so the owner should be careful with these factors.
Why do my guinea pigs keep dying?
Final Verdict – Why Do My Guinea Pigs Keep Dying
Why do my guinea pigs keep dying? Poor environment, food and water are three major reasons why a guinea pig may die. The owner should be sure to provide great care for their pets. The environment should be free from any stressful or aggressive events like predators nearby or loud noises. Further, the owner should provide clean and healthy food and water.
Welcome to Learn About Pet. My name is Rajkumar Ravichandran and I love all pets, travel, and amazing food. I write about my passion and personal experience caring for multiple pets in this blog! ❤️
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