A sudden death

Question
QUESTION: Last friday my mom took me to pets at home in walsall (bescot). She bought me a gold crested guinea pig which i called honey and a brown/cream/chocolate absinian female which my brother called gizmo. I brought them home and everything was fine. They were eating, drinking, walking fine. Honey would sit on my lap and nibble my fingers.
Today i woke up and went down stairs to my guinea pigs before school as usual. Gizmo was squeaking but honey was still sleeping.
I picked her up and she still didnt stir. She couldnt open her eyes very well but she was still breathing. I tryed giving her some water but she wudnt suck the bottle. I passed her to my mom while i popped outside for air as i was a bit upset. When i came back in my mom was giving her water off her finger. Then honey started having a fit. She died in my moms arms. I started crying. Pets at home offerd me another one but i dont know if my brothers will accept another guinea pig. Also why did my guinea pig die??
and would i be able to put a male with gizmo? thanks alot amie x

ANSWER: Gizmo still be quite fresh from the pet store will be happy to have another companion of any gender!
However the mystery of Honeys' sudden death is.. well a mystery!
the fit could have been a heart attack?
Some fungal diseases or parasites can cause fits but this normally happens a lot before they die of it??
I do not know what could have been the matter with her really, it is most likely to be a heart attack - do you have a cat or anything that could have stunned her?

Megan

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QUESTION: No we dont have any other animal, only my little baby brother whoes 2 and gizmos owner my other brother whoes 9. Since honey passed away pets at home have given us a replacement, We now have a male with a mo-e-can (cant spell it)called spike. But i think hes got gizmo pregnant, how do i tell if she is or isnt? And shes also got a massive scab in one of her rossets on her back. Is she going to die aswell? And can you tell me how i wud know if she was pregnant? thanks alot amie x

ANSWER: To tell if Gizmo is pregnant you will have to wait until the babies start to grow a little bit!
This may be after 2 - 4 weeks!
She will get larger nipples and a big belly!
And to tell when she is about 2 weeks away from giving birth you can start to feel them really moving!
The gestation period is 60-70 days round about!
The scab in one of her rossets may be a bite from Spike or dandruff! Give her a good brush or bath!
Brush her with an old tooth brush get all that dead skin out!

Megan
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---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: ive tryed bathing her and brushing her with a baby toothbrush but she squeals really loud, even when i pick her up. Everytime we try to pick her up she starts squealing loud, which makes spike uncomfortable. Also why does spikes uno (pink thing) keep sticking out. (i dont know what you call it for guinea pigs). And he keeping wiggleing his bum and dancing around gizmo. Ive just picked up gizmo, her scabs fell off but its all saw where it was and her hair fell off round that area. Her bellys quite big, her nipples are long but not fat. Shes also started biting hard when we touch her. and she drinking and eating alot this past week.
why? amie x

Answer
Amie,
Spikes behavior and Gizmo's new eating habit could be that she is pregnant!
Monitor Gizmo, and check you will know as once she gets VERY pregnant you will see her stomach get bigger!
Separate her from Spike, or get him neutered!
Having Gizmo pregnant really is Bad news!! With her skin condition this really isn't going to help anything!
There is nothing you can do, Gizmo will have to have her babies, but keep your eye on her health!

Megan
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