A question that never actually gets asked, but which I cover in my boarding contract (which must be read and signed by all boarding customers), is what happens if your guinea pig falls ill or dies while on holiday – or under the care – of Tiny Paws.
I will start by saying that, big picture, out of 700+ piggies I’ve cared for, I’ve lost maybe 10 whilst they were under my care. It’s not an everyday or even a regular occurence.
But with all the best care, veterinary attention, medication, observation, interventions and love in the world, sometimes it’s just a guinea pig’s time. Sometimes they will die naturally, i.e. here on the premises, either in their cage or in my arms, depending on their preferences and the individual situation, or I may have to decide that euthanasia at the vets is the kindest option and that it would be unfair on the animal to wait for you, their owner, to return from holiday.
I’ve had to deal with both scenarios in the last couple of months, and it occurred to me that it’s a topic none of us like to consider, but which can come up at any point for any of us.
After all, none of us know when our time on earth will be up, whether illness or injury will end our mortal lives, how quick it will be or how old we might be. It’s one of life’s biggest and scariest unknowns. It applies to our pets too; although in my experience, they are generally far more accepting of the fact that we and those around us will not only live, but will also die.
So what happens if that time comes for any of your piggies while they are with me? I want to walk you through the processes and options.
1. Contact
First up, I will ALWAYS, unfailingly, try to contact you in the case of an emergency – be it an unwell, dying or deceased pig. I will try to telephone you first, and if that fails, I will follow up with a WhatsApp message (so I can see when you have seen the message), and a voice note.
If I’m unable to get hold of you, I will inform you that I have to take the initiative myself in seeking a veterinary opinion – which is where the vital importance of the signed contract comes in, as it confirms to the veterinary practice that I have the authority to seek treatment and follow whatever is deemed necessary or best for the animal in the opinion of a veterinary professional.
You will be informed the moment I notice anything that is not normal. Without wanting to sound brash, one thing I have been respected for in my years working with piggies is the strength and accuracy of my instinct and intuition, paired with my logical approach to issues. I will often notice what many others won’t – which is a blessing when it comes to piggies. That being said, I can’t predict a sudden unexpected death, the onset of illness or how bad it may get, or pinpoint when an ageing pig is likely to leave the world.
The only guarantee I can give you is that I will contact you and convey the urgency of the matter at the first instance.
2. Veterinary Attention
In the case of illness, or a prolonged death process which is causing distress to the guinea pig, I will contact the veterinary practice that the pig is registered to (if local enough to me) or whichever of the multiple practices that I am registered with myself. I will explain the situation, including the fact that the animal is not mine but that written consent has been given for me to act on the behalf of the owner in their absence.
If the guinea pig is registered under the owner’s name (i.e. you already have your pigs registered with the vet surgery I am seeking to use), then an appointment is made under your name with a highlighted note that the animal is being brought in by a designated responsible person. The notes all go onto your record and the bill goes onto your account, so there is no need to pay me for any vets bills; they will contact you about payment themselves.
If the guinea pig isn’t registered with the practice, or if I choose to use a different practice (e.g. I would go to a clinic with extensive experience with dental issues for a dental problem, rather than just using the nearest vet), then the animal is registered to my own account with the practice. This does mean that records and treatments are all under the surname “De Stefano” and I am billed myself, so I pay upfront at the time of the appointment, and then I invoice you as the owner the exact vet fee needed to balance the books. In addition, I also always request two printed copies of both the invoice and the consultation notes; one hard copy is then given to you, as owner, and I keep one for my own records.
3. Confirming Consent
In most instances, the vet will ask me to show and send them the signed contract to assure them of the consent of the owner. In cases of veterinary treatment, this is typically enough for them to then suggest diagnostics and treatments with me and to action them.
In cases of euthanasia, most vets will want me to try to get you on the phone for them to read out their euthanasia consent form to you. However if this is not possible, but euthanasia is the only viable or humane option to your guinea pig, I will have a specialised consent form signed by yourself for precisely this situation – as yet I’ve not needed to use it, but it is worthwhile having this signed in advance where possible.
4. Treatment
If the guinea pig is unwell, treatment will be prescribed by the vet and I will follow their instructions. This may include giving medication, or some form of essential intervention: flushing an abscess, or supplementary/syringe feeding, for example. I will keep you updated with photos/videos as to the progress of your pig, and you need to be aware that you may need to continue the prescribed treatment once you are home, and that further vet visits may be required.
In case of decline, I will again try to contact you by phone or voice note to discuss the available options and possibilities.
5. Dealing with Deceased Piggies
Sometimes I am in a situation where I need to address the time-sensitive matter of a deceased piggy. It is a delicate and personal topic to discuss, particularly when you’re meant to be on holiday. I will do my best to cover all the options available to you at the time of the animal’s death, and it will usually come down to when you are due back from holiday, as well as personal preference.
If you are due back within 1-2 days, I can keep the body wrapped in a fleece here at the premises for you to collect on your impending return. You will then be able to bury or cremate as per your preference or specific circumstances.
If you are due back in 2-4 days, I will offer to chill the body at a constant temperature of 5 degrees, again wrapped in a blanket and secured in a carrier, in a walk-in fridge at my husband’s workplace (only two people have access to the building, it is a very quiet and private setting with minimal movement). I will then bring the pig back to the premises on the day of collection, for you to collect the preserved body. You will then be able to bury or cremate as per your preference or specific circumstances.
If you will not be back within 4 days, I will have to ask you to either choose the full freeze option (as much as we all hate to think of it) – for longer term preservation to allow you to collect the frozen body at a later point – or cremation, which I can arrange, drive the pig to and then collect their ashes for you.
If freezing, the pig will be removed from the freezer at time of collection. You will then be able to bury or cremate as per your preference or specific circumstances.
In the case of cremation, this does cost anything up to £110, depending which crematorium I can get to, but you will receive their individual ashes in a beautifully crafted scatter pot, which may be well worth the pain offset if you perhaps have children, or don’t have the ability to bury your pet at home and don’t want to have to deal with the body.
Unfortunately I am not in a position to be able to offer burial space here at the premises, our garden is simply too small.
While most of this is written with the assumption the guinea pig is boarding with me on-site, the processes are essentially the same for home visits, although in the case of an ill animal, I will bring the guinea pig and any cagemates back to the premises with me to board to allow for proper observation and timely or ongoing treatments to be given.
As sad and difficult a topic as it is, I hope this has answered most of the questions you didn’t know you had – or that you might, one day, need answers to.
