When Samantha Mesher bought two guinea pigs home for her daughters they instantly fell in love and were over the moon – until tragedy struck just weeks later.
The mother-of-two found the pets dead in the bottom of their cage, with blood coming from one of their mouths, leaving the family ‘traumatised’.
Ms Mesher, from Taunton, Somerset, had bought the guinea pigs from Pets at Home.
They abruptly died from suspected Streptococcus, commonly known as Strep.
The pet shop has since been forced to stop selling the animal due to an outbreak of disease.
She bought the pets from a Taunton branch and her daughters, aged four and 11, ‘loved them instantly,’ she told MailOnline.
Within weeks the guinea pigs, named Coco and Fudge, dropped dead, leaving the children devastated.
‘It was meant to be a nice thing having guinea pigs but it’s really tainted it for them,’ Ms Mesher said.
Fudge the guinea pig (pictured) suddenly dropped dead. She was found in her cage with blood and mucus foaming at the mouth and nose
Samantha Mesher bought two guinea pigs from Pets at Home in Taunton, Somerset who abruptly died from suspected Streptococcus, commonly known as Strep
Ms Mesher bought Fudge as a replacement for their previous guinea pig Coco, who also died within weeks
The mother-of-two bought the pets from a Taunton branch and her daughters, aged four and 11, ‘loved them instantly’
‘Animals are meant to teach children at a young age of life and death, and it could be a good thing, but not within the space of a week, and then another week having two guinea pigs dying.
‘It’s been really traumatic for them as children, you expect for them to at least have a few years to love and care for an animal, not to constantly see one dying.’
Coco, who was bought as a pair, used to be ‘dominant’ with her other furry friend, before she suddenly became ‘really skinny’.
‘She stopped eating. She rapidly declined, and we saw that she couldn’t breathe. So she was just gasping for air. She had mucus and things coming out of her mouth and her nose.
‘My daughters were absolutely crying.’
After taking her to a Pets at Home vet, the mother was told that her guinea pig was a ‘runt of the litter’ and that some are born with conditions which may only be noticeable weeks later.
She was later told the animal had possible bronchitis or anorexia.
However, Ms Mesher remains doubtful.
‘I didn’t realize a guinea pig could have a mental health condition,’ she said. ‘Strep is definitely what she had.’
She was then advised to buy another guinea pig so Coco’s partner was not left alone.
‘We were told to buy a guinea pig there and then, and then come home, clean the cage out fully, with all the sprays and everything I’d bought from pets at home, redo the cage and then introduce a new guinea pig.
‘So we did that. I cleaned the cage top to bottom, so it wouldn’t have any of the old guinea pig smells.
‘But the original guinea pig would not go anywhere near Fudge. She was almost cornering her in the cage.
‘A week later, we were stroking the guinea pigs in the morning, and we noticed the new guinea pig had a nose bleed. So we thought that’s really odd.
‘The girls went to school. An hour later I went and checked and she was dead in her cage with blood and mucus foaming at the mouth and nose.
‘It was absolutely awful. I was just so shocked and angry.
‘My youngest daughter is four and I didn’t tell her that the second one had died because she was in floods of tears. But my eldest daughter is 11, and she’s absolutely been distraught.’
The mother anxiously waited to receive advice from Pets At Home, who said they had contacted customers who purchased guinea pigs with ‘detailed advice and guidance’
The children were in ‘floods of tears’ when their beloved pets passed away
Following the death of her two guinea pigs the mother was told to purchase another pet as a replacement. ‘I felt like for them it was almost like returning a broken t-shirt,’ she said
The mother returned to the pet shop and asked for an autopsy but was told the animals are prone to respiratory issues.
‘In the next breath I was told “do you want to take the guinea pig home and bury it?” which I was annoyed about,’ Ms Mesher said.
She was also told she should purchase another pet as a replacement, and she soon purchased Pepper.
‘I felt like for them it was almost like returning a broken t-shirt. It was just go and pick another one. And that’s all. They were just like £30 commodities for them.’
The mother remains concerned for Pepper and her other guinea pig Oreo’s health.
Pets at Home, which has over 471 stores across the country, have stopped selling the pets after Strep was found among the animals.
A Pets at Home spokesperson told MailOnline they are ‘confident’ the outbreak has been ‘isolated and fully managed’ and that they will be ‘resuming the sale and adoption of guinea pigs very soon’.
Despite the heartbreak of losing their second guinea pig, the family soon bought another, named Pepper
A vet’s report suggested that Coco was suffering from potential bronchitis or anorexia. But Ms Mesher is certain it was strep
Strep can cause life-threatening pneumonia in guinea pigs and dangerous infections in other animals.
Symptoms may include coughing, vomiting, extreme weakness, stiffness, muscle tremors, seizures, intense pain, and possibly bleeding from the nose or bloody diarrhea.
Human cases of the disease are rare, although it can be spread from animals to humans.
Some customers who purchased guinea pigs from the chain have been contacted by the chain with ‘detailed advice and guidance’.
Pets at Home previously said they had identified a small percentage of cases of infection in their guinea pig population resulting from streptococcus equi zooepidemicus.
‘Pet welfare is always our top priority and as a precautionary measure we have taken swift and immediate action to temporarily pause the sale or adoption of guinea pigs,’ a spokesperson said.
‘We will be contacting customers directly who have purchased a guinea pig from us recently with detailed advice and guidance.
‘However, if you have immediate concerns, please contact your local Pets at Home or veterinary provider for further advice.
‘Strep is 100% what they both had,’ Ms Mesher added.
‘But we’ve never been asked to return the two guinea pigs which we had.
‘When I asked Pets at Home why they didn’t tell me to return them, they asked for proof of purchase and vet notes.
‘I found it was almost like rubbing salt in the wounds by making me prove that I’d bought these guinea pigs.’
A Pets at Home spokesperson said: ‘We know how difficult it is to lose a beloved pet and are in contact with Ms Mesher.
‘Unfortunately, it isn’t possible to retrospectively determine if their specific illnesses were connected to streptococcus equi zooepidemicus.
‘However, a refund has been provided to cover the costs for Coco and Fudge, and we have also offered to provide a free consultation and check-up for Oreo and Pepper to ensure they are both happy and healthy.’
