Crushed Guinea pig - PLEASE HELP

[kalushascavies]

Last week I sold an adult boar (1year) with one of my 6week old sheltie boars to a family. The mother is slightly experienced with guineas and the children are 12 and 8 years old.

3 weeks prior to them collecting the pair, I placed them together in a hutch so they could bond and get used to each other. I never had any problems and in fact they both seemed very happy.

Today I received news that the younger boar was found dead in his cage this morning. I have not seen the body yet, but the new owner told me he appeared 'crushed' and had a cut lip. I am really shocked and upset about this and I am unsure of that to do now. I think I will get an autopsy done to confirm as I am finding it difficult to believe a guinea pig can be killed like this.

I am asking if anyone has had any experiences of young guinea pigs being crushed/squished.....or what could have caused the death... or any help really

[Dawn - Admin]

OMG I am slightly scared now because I have just paired up a baby 3 weeks old Swiss boar with Max my rather large Swiss boar and he was being very boisterous when I first put him in.

I have never heard of this happening though are they sure one of the kids hasn't accidentally dropped the baby and not said anything?

I hope you manage to get to the bottom of this rather sad mystery.

Dawn

[caviekeeper]

That's extremely un settling.
I am agreeing with what Dawn said, maybe it was dropped by accident and not "reported" (sorry that was the only word i could think of )

I know I accidentally dropped Tegan, she was kind of squirmy though and she was okay.
I hope you can find your answer. It's a terrible thing to hear
-Hugs-

[ccc]

I don't see that a piggie could crush another pig to the point of death, unless a) the cage/hutch is tiny so the smaller pig had no room to escape, and b) the adult pig was excessively large. The cut lip however does indicate a fight, but it could also be due to something else. If they live outdoors in an unsecured (unlocked) location I would also investigate the likelihood of an intruder. It's happened before. Let us know if the autopsy shows anything.

[charlietheunicorn]

Ive noticed that if a stillborn bub isnt buried within a coupel of hours, the will sort of "flatten" as if they were crushed. Also found a 4 day old sow "flattened" in her hutch earlier this year.

Notice that when guinea pigs relax they stretch out like a furry pancake? Perhaps when piggies pass away the same thing happens and they just look like they have been crushed...

[essie]

I have never had a pig killed in this way, they were happy together so I doult the older pig did it. but my first thoughts are that the baby looks crushed as the adult has snuggled up to it to keep warm, as I have found stillborns like this and I have had a few old pig that have died in the night that have been nibbled, Hope you get to the bottom of why the pig has died. How old are the children as small children tend to squeeze tighter the more a pig struggles, Just something to think about.

[kalushascavies]

Thanks for you thoughts,

I spoke to the vet yesterday and he agreed with what myself and everyone seems to be thinking... there is no evidence to support the adult boar crushing the younger boar - especially after they had been together for a long period of time without fault. He thought is was extremely extremely unlikely that that would occur and he has never heard anything like it in his 40year career.

He said doing a post-mortem would most likely be a 'waste of money and time - both his and mine' and is unlikely to provide any evidence that could be constude as supportive. So I won't be doing a post-mortem. I was happy with his decision and I am glad it wasn't the older boar. I just worry now what actually DID happen to that poor youngster. I have yet to speak again to the family and can just hope one of the young children may remember something.

[gwen]

If the baby had a cut lip that suggests that it was dropped. Their teeth often cut into their lip when that happens. It sounds very much as though one of the children picked it up and being a squirmy baby it was dropped. I know that children like to handle the babies, but they do need strict supervision. I can see why you're upset.

[Niki]

gwen said:

If the baby had a cut lip that suggests that it was dropped. Their teeth often cut into their lip when that happens. It sounds very much as though one of the children picked it up and being a squirmy baby it was dropped. I know that children like to handle the babies, but they do need strict supervision. I can see why you're upset.

I agree with Gwen, i too think that the baby was dropped, the child may have not told anyone & popped him back into his cage & he's died from a poss internal injury & him looking "crushed" could be down to the older boy snuggling him whilst trying to revive him.

How very very sad
Sleep in peace little man

Niki x

[jessegee]

Aw thats a sad thing to happen, for you too

I remember my two older boars trying to dominate a new 9 week old new introduction , straight away they kept rumbling around him and climbing on his back, so I separated them, but if these two were together before you would have noticed it, so it cant be that

I didnt see little baby make any attempt to defend himself either , so the cut lip seems unlikely to have come from a fight

Maybe something scared the little one and he wriggled under the eldest for comfort

I think its possible he was dropped, poor kiddie too, must be feeling very upset and worried someone will find out , it would be interesting to note if the little ones tooth was hurt too, indicating a fall rather than a fight

It sounds like a very sad accident or mishap

jessegee