GUINEA HELP.......

Question
hi please help, my guinea pig has just died he was a male and he was 4-5months old. we dont know how he died coz there were nothing wrong with him, we think he may have died of an heart attack because he does get very scared and we found him stiff with his eyes and mouth wide open, im so upset and also i have another guinea that lived with him she is a female and shes pregnant she seems very upset too sh is now alone and frighned wat can i do to calm her down, will the babies be alright? is it likely for them to look like the mother and father?

Answer
Hi Kirsty,

I'm sorry to hear of your loss.  However, it's very important that you get your remaining pig to a Vet.  If your guinea pig died of something infectious, your female could be at risk from it also.  She will also need to see a Vet regularly to ensure that she doesn't get into any problems with the birth.  If your female was over 12 months old when she became pregnant, she must be monitored carefully.  But she needs support regardless of age.

When a guinea pig loses a friend, there isn't much we can do to ease that.  She will come alright on her own as long as she is given plenty attention and cuddles.  Carefully though since she is more fragile now.

Please don't keep males and females together from now on though.  There are too many guinea pigs in shelters and pet shops without more being born.  And the pregnancy is an unnecessary stress on the female.

Please go to the following link where there is extensive advice on caring for your guinea pig during and after her pregnancy.

http://guinealynx.info/breeding.html

Again, it's important she sees a Vet.  It may be your male died of a heart attack.  However, unless he's outside and likely to have been scared to death by a cat or some other animal (which would explain your sow's behaviour too), the chances of him having had a heart attack due to the jitters of a new environment is unlikely.  If it was a heart attack and there was no unusual stresses, the problem will most probably have been genetic.  But you can't take the chance with your female and she has to be evaluated by a professional.

I'm so sorry to hear of your guinea pig, but you must now focus on the one you still have and ensure she is given the best chance.  If you have any more questions or queries, please feel free to get in touch.  I'm always happy to try and help.

Kind regards,
Lynne.