Death of a guinea pig

Question
My guinea pig is very fatigued and has a white film forming in the corners of her eyes.  She is not able to eat.  She just chews the food and then spits it out.  I am very concerned for her.  I know she is getting old.  She is 4 1/2.  I just want to know if we should prepare to bury her or not.  Thank you!

Answer
Hi Courtney,

The white film you speak of could simply be cataracts, and you do not need to worry. However, a sleepy guinea pig who cannot eat is a very sick guinea pig, and I would recommend you take her to a specialist small animal or exotic pet vet ASAP.

She could have some sort of stomach blockage or tooth problem that is causing her difficulties eating, which the vet will be able to treat. It is unusual for a guinea pig dying a natural death of old-age to be unable to eat, which suggests that she is capable of making a full recovery with expert help.

If she continues to not eat, she will be dead within a few days. Try offering her easy-to-eat food such as cucumber, give her her favourite foods, and try feeding her fresh parsley. It may be necessary to syringe-feed her, but please see a vet first. Make sure she has lots of clean water and hay available to her at all times.

Good luck and I hope she makes it. If this is the end of the road for her, and as an old piggy, your vet recommends euthanasia, please request that they use gas. Guinea pigs have very thick skin and injects hurt them a lot; the lethal injection is a horrid way for them to die. With gas, they fall asleep and then do not feel the injection.

If you have any other questions - just ask.

Jenny.