one of our piggies died-help

Question
Hi,

We have had out piggies for about 2 years.  Last night, we found Callie on her side and no longer living.  Rosey seems to be OK though.  There hasn't been any strange behavior or change in eating habits.  We gave them their first bath last week but made sure they were dry and followed all of the directions in our piggy book.  The only other thing I can think of is that one or both of their squeakings sounded rather raspy over the last few weeks.  Other than that, they were active and quite normal.  Should I be concerned about Rosey's health?  It just seems so sudden.  Help?!  My six year old is going to be super sad and haven't had the heart to tell her yet...
Thanks!  Elizabeth

Answer
Hi Elizabeth

I'm so sorry to hear about Callie, and I really hope your daughter will take the news better than you expect. Having said that, I cried for 2 full days when one of my pigs died, and I'm a 28 year old man.

From what you tell me, it doesnt sound like Callie had any particular health problem as her eating habits hadnt changed. I presume you saw her eating normally?

Its really difficult to say what caused her death. If it was an illness, piggies hide it very well due to their prey animal instincts. For example, different squeaking could indicate pain in passing urine.

Equally likely though is that Callie got scared by something.

My advice would be to get Rosey checked out by a vet for a check-up, then you can put your mind at rest, or take action accordingly.

All the best

Andy