We’re so sad. Our sweet Wilhelm passed away. He was doing really well the days after his dental surgery, and we were excited for him to recover and finally be able to eat without trouble and pain. But he then became quiet and didn’t want to eat. Despite medication, supplemental feeding, and advice from our vets, Wilhelm went downhill quickly, and he passed away during the night. We are devastated.
An autopsy showed that Wilhelm’s stomach had twisted, which is an unfortunate condition that guinea pigs can suffer from without warning.
Our hearts go out to Wilhelm’s foster family, and to Wilhelm’s brother Jacob, who has been very confused by his companion’s absence.
Rest in peace, sweet Wilhelm. We’ll never forget you.
💔

Wilhelm and Jacob were brought into Hamilton Animal Services as strays. They spent some time at the shelter and were up for adoption, but when Wilhelm developed a large mass on his neck, the shelter had to remove them from their adoption program. When we were at the shelter picking up other animals, staff there showed us Wilhelm and Jacob. Staff explained that the cost to have Wilhelm’s mass treated was beyond their financial constraints as a municipal shelter, so they were looking for a rescue to take on the guinea pigs. Despite not planning to rescue guinea pigs that day, we knew we had to get these two sweethearts out of the shelter and straight to the vet.

Wilhelm had surgery to remove the mass, and then had a second surgery to remove some abnormal teeth that were causing issue. Everything went well for both surgeries, and we hope Wilhelm will recover without issue.

Big thank you to Dr. Stubbs at West Park Animal Hospital for always being willing to see our animals, even at the very last minute.

Welcome to Ladybird, Wilhelm and Jacob! We’re so happy you’re here!