• Disclosures
  • Media and Contacts

Dog Mom Days

Inspiring Millennial dog moms to live modern, meaningful lives.

  • Home
  • About
    • Media and Contacts
  • Blog
    • Blogging
  • DIY
    • Homemade Dog Treats
  • Traveling With Dogs
  • Wynston’s Resume
    • Dog Modeling

Pet Loss: Wynston Grieving the Loss of Sammie

June 8, 2015 By Amanda 6 Comments

My guinea pig Sammie passed away on Friday.  I adopted him in January but in the short time he was a part of our family, I wasn’t the only one who became extremely attached to him.  And I’m not the only one who’s struggling with his loss.

guinea pig
Sammie.

Sammie’s death was extremely tragic.  It came out of nowhere and after three days and two visits to the vet, I watched him rapidly deteriorate over the course of 48 hours.  Read the full story here.

Wynston and Sammie were buddies.  They’d run around together every night.  They even played games of hide and go seek.  It was the most precious thing ever.  When I rescued Sam, I put an ottoman by the table that his cage was set up on, and Wynston would just sit there and watch him run around and eat hay.  They would touch noses through the cage.  It was quite the animal bond.

Chihuahua and guinea pig
Sam and Wynston loved to run around and relax together.

On Thursday, Wynston seemed very sick.  He was walking everywhere with his tail tucked, he was shaking all day, and he didn’t even want to go on a walk.  Sammie was also dying that day.  It was to the point where I was syringe feeding Sam food and water in an attempt to save him.  Wynston knew.  He got on the ottoman one last time, almost as if to say goodbye to Sam.  Although Sammie wasn’t moving much at that point, he slowly made his way to the side of the cage to touch noses with Wynston.  It was so unbelievably sad.

Chihuahua and guinea pig
Wynston saying goodbye to Sam the day he was dying. We both stayed by Sam’s side the entire day.

When Sammie passed away early Friday morning, Matt and I took him to the vet for a private cremation.  Upon our arrival home, Wynston followed me upstairs to my office, where Sam stayed.  I started to dismantle Sammie’s 4×2 area and Wynston sat under the table staring at me, almost as if he was saying “mom, what happened?  Where’s my brother?”

He sat next to me the entire time I cleaned up my office of Sammie’s items.  He literally just sat there.  That night, I was sitting at my computer and Wynston came and sat under my desk.  I could tell he was sad.  I looked at him and started to cry as I said “it’s okay my son.  Sam is with God now and we’ll see him again one day.”  A tear dropped from his eye.

Chihuahua and guinea pig
Wynston loved hanging out with Sam, whether he was in his area or running around the house.

All weekend Wyn has been eating, drinking and occasionally playing, but I can definitely tell he’s grieving.  He’s been sleeping in weird places and wants to be on my lap while I work.  This morning I was cleaning out the last of Sammie’s items, and Wynston watched me with that sadness again.  It’s so heartbreaking.

I know Wynston is wondering where his brother is and why his table isn’t set up anymore.  I’ve been keeping a close eye on him, just to make sure he doesn’t get sick or anything.  Since I believe in essential oils as a healing aid, I bought some lavender and put it in a warm vaporizer in my office, where Wynston likes to hang out and sleep.  I’m hoping that not only will it help him, but it will calm me down as well.

lavender essential oil
I buy my essential oils at Sprouts.

I feel so sad for Wynston.  It breaks my heart to see him feeling down.  I wish I could tell him what happened, but obviously he sensed Sam’s death coming and he knows he’s gone now.  All I can do is be there for Wynston and keep him occupied with lots of play and walks to keep his spirits up.

Has your pet ever had a hard time with the death of another animal?

 

Filed Under: Animal Health, Dog Mom, Guinea Pig, Pet Parent, Small Animals Tagged With: Essential Oils, grieving, pet grieving, pet loss

Comments

  1. Lauren Miller (ZoePhee) says

    June 8, 2015 at 12:22 pm

    Awe, I am so sorry!! 🙁

    Reply
  2. GROOVY GOLDENDOODLES says

    June 8, 2015 at 9:58 pm

    I am so so sorry to hear about Sammie. I truly understand everything that’s going on in your home. I remember like it was yesterday when Leo passed away (also suddenly), I had just left the hospital where he was getting care and now I was headed back to say goodbye. I took Harley with me, because I needed him to say goodbye also. You and Wynston are blessed beyond measure to have one another. Take all the time you need – ride the waves of emotions and know I am praying for you all.

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      June 9, 2015 at 6:12 pm

      Thank you so much! Seeing Wynston sad made his loss a lot harder because I know that I’m not the only one affected by it.

      Reply
  3. Robbi says

    June 9, 2015 at 3:25 pm

    It’s incredible how attached our pets get to one another. It is true love and family bonds.

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      June 9, 2015 at 6:11 pm

      It really is. People don’t understand that animals of different species can be the best of friends.

      Reply
  4. Camille Schake | Good Pet Parent says

    June 10, 2015 at 1:13 pm

    This is such a hard thing! Every pet I’ve ever had has grieved the loss of their brother/sister. Usually they don’t want to eat, lay around the house looking heartbroken, and (this breaks my heart every time) they search all through the house looking for their missing sibling. I’ve noticed the mourning period usually lasts about 2 weeks, then they seem to accept it. My heart goes out to you, Matt and Wynston… I know how devastating it feels to lose a part of your family that you love so much. 🙁

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Connect with me!

Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest
LinkedIn

Meet Amanda!

My name is Amanda and I'm the mom to the most amazing rescue dog and PetSmart model, Wynston. We live and travel out of our van part time. Let's work together! Email me at amanda@dogmomdays.com

Looking Around?

Browse the site!

Try Nom Nom Dog Food!

Support Our Travels!




Honest Paws Hemp Oil!

Get a Breed T-Shirt!

Animal Inspired Clothing

Recent Posts

  • We Launched a New Website!
  • Win a Stay at a Red Roof Hotel! Enter Our Giveaway!
  • Subscribe to the Dog Mom Days YouTube Channel!
  • Amazon Prime Series Premiere: “The Pack”
  • Our DIY Minivan Camper Conversion Product List
Dog Mom Days

Archives

Copyright © 2021 · Dog Mom Days, LLC · WordPress · Log in