re: death of a guinea pig under 2yrs old

Question
i had a guinea pig that was only a yr old from a first litter that my female had that yielded 3 pigs total, he was fine yesterday and this morning but this afternoon,toward evening i found him not very mobile and he wasn't eating or drinking like normal and than about 10:30pm, he was in his cage dead, and i don't know why and i haven't even told my children yet and i don't know how they are going to take it, although we do have four others,but this one was our milk, because he had a white coat with some brown and black. please tell me what might have caused this to happen , thank you?

Answer
Hi Heather,

    There are a few things that could have caused the sudden death of a guinea pig, none of which I can be sure.  I had a year old guinea pig once that died seemingly for no reason when I was on vacation leaving it with a friend once.  These things happen rarely, but they do happen.

    Another thought I had was that it could have been an upper respiratory infection (URI).  If not treated immediately, URI is fatal.  Carefully observe the rest of your guinea pigs for a while for signs of labored breathing, loss of appetite, lethargy, and eye discharge.  If any of them display any of these symptoms, seek the help of a veterinarian who is experienced in the area of guinea pigs.

    The aromatic oils present in pine and cedar shavings can sometimes bring on URI.  If you are using either of these, I highly suggest that you switch to aspen bedding.

    Thank you for your question, I hope I have been of some help to you.  If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask.  I'm sorry for your loss, and good luck with your other guinea pigs (=

                                               - Nicole