Guinea Pig Died!

Question
He didn't have any noticable symptoms. He was the largest guinea pig I've ever seen though.  And I know it wasn't the kids fault as we all arrived together. And the only other animal we have (weiner dog) goes to work with me. I had petted him that morning as usual when he was weeping his brains out. My wife did the same. She gave him some food and fresh water. And we went about our day. He was on the counter in the kitchen where we gave him tons of attention and knew his normal activities. I just don't understand it. He was such a character and just loved attention and then bye. It was definetly a somber mood in the house last night. I had a guinea pig once before and he was equally a cool character. But we made the mistake of letting him run free around the house sometimes when we lived in a small apartment. My wife went to make the bed one time and well he was under the covers. We were very distrought and waited like 3 years to get another one.


Anyway thank you for the help. We will miss Patrick(named after a spongebob character) And I hope the time we had him since we rescued him from Petco made him happy. He may have been free but looking back I would of spent a fortune on him.

         Jarrod
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Followup To
Question -
Tonight I came home and too my surprise my guinea pig had passed. I had not seen any sign of illness at all. He is on a regular diet and eats quite often. For a little backround, we rescued him from Petco about two years ago as a present to my 5 year old. He was full grown and I have no idea how old he was at that point. He has been a great pet, with an amazing personality. He was very active and very noisy after the initial month or so after we got him. My whole family loved him. He was fully active when we left this morning for work, but when I got home and went to the fridge he didn't make his normal rant for food. I found him under his dome and he had gone to the bathroom in a little pile behind himself. It was is pellet form not diarhea. I saw no signs of him being sick? Could it have been just old age or what. Also he is not in the direct sun and the house is kept as a nice temperature. Any info would help. Thank You

         Jarrod
Answer -
I am very sorry to hear about your loss. I know you are in  lot of pain right now. I have had two deaths, myself. First I must tell you a guinea pig is a prey animal. Therefore, they will hide all of their symptoms of being ill as long as possible. Even up until the point that they die. This "mechanism" is genetically imprinted into a prey animal's DNA. DO NOT FEEL LIKE THIS IS YOUR FAULT! Signs of a guinea pig being sick are subtle. Had your guinea pig had any of the following?
Runny nose
Eye discharge
Wheezing
Coughing
Sneezing
Ruffled fur
Sitting in a corner hunched up
Depression
Weight Loss
Was he on any medication?
You said he was active this morning. Was there any indication that anything could have possibily been wrong? Do you have other animals such as a dog or a cat that could have literally scared him to death? Do you think your child could have harmed him? I am in no way blaming your child for the death of your pig. I also trust that after having him for two years he or she would know how to pick the piggy up. Had your guinea pig had a fall recently? I'm quite puzzled, I must admit. I've seen a guinea pig be perfectly healthy one day, and then the next be sick or dead. It is very difficlt for me to know, as I wasn't there to examine him. I'm almost going to rule out an Upper Respiratory Infection just because you said you noticed no symptoms and he had a healthy appetite this morning and was active. Since I don't seem to be much help, I suggest you maybe ask someone else on here. I've had two guinea pigs die of URIs (even with vet treatment). I've heard of outdoor guinea pigs dying for apparently "no reason" except that's usually because the owner isn't in tune enough with their pig to know when something is up. Your guinea pig was kept indoors though, and it sounds like you were very familiar with him and his routine. An organ could have possibily just given out, or he could have had a heart attack (yes it's possible for a pig to get one). I have heard of a seemingly healthy pig just keel over dead with a heart attack. Or I suppose, it could be old age, but usually pigs live 6-8 years. I am so sorry I could not be anymore help. I highly suggest you ask another person on here, but I suspect they may not be able to give you much more of an answer. Again, I am very sorry for your loss, and each time I hear of a guinea pig (or any animal) dying, I cry. Please don't let this stop you from loving another animal again. There are thousands, even millions out there, no matter what species, who need a loving home. I wish you a lifetime of health, happiness,& joy. If you have any more questions, I will do my best to answer them. Thank you for contacting me.  

Answer
I am wishing you the best of luck Jarrod. I am very sorry your family hasn't had good luck with guinea pigs. Chances are since you adopted him, he had had a rough life. I know you took great care of him. I just have the feeling even though I don't know you, personally. You gave him a very happy life it sounds like. Please remember the good times. I'm not sure of your religious beliefs but I find burying an animal and planting pretty flowers and keeping the place free of weeds helps in remembering him or her. I know you will find another animal again, and give he or she a very happy life. If you ever have any more questions related to anything, I will try my best to answer you. I'm extremely sorry for your loss. I'm not sure of your religion, and I hope you're not offended, but I will pray for you that you can find some kind of closure. Take care, and please, remember the happy times. :)