Advice/reassurance

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asti

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Please help, I have today got a new friend for my 16month old boar who's friend died on Tuesday. The new one is 4.5month old boar. The new baby is very quiet and scared. But my concern is that he hasnt eaten at all since bringing him home at lunch time. He has had hay, dried food, fresh curly kale and carrots in the cage and hasnt touched a thing. He also hasnt moved much around the cage he gets himself squashed up in a corner and doesnt move.My older piggie seems o.k with him and keeps lying mext to him (I hope this is a good sign, and not a dominace thing)although he doesnt keep making noises at him. I'm just worrying as I dont know whats normal. The new piggie is from the same rescue as my older one and the lady said they would be fine together, but I seemed more concerned about giving them time together, than she did. She did say the baby has been with two older ones and is generally quiet anyway. Pleasse help:...
 
Hi asti,

Sorry to hear you lost one of your piggies :(

Did you do a bond at the rescue? Which rescue was this?

What is the background to your new piggie?

I would say that if he has only just arrived home today he will be rather overwhelmed with the whole change, new people, smells and new friend to live with.

Is your new piggie used to living indoors? Could you add a blanket or fleece over one side of the cage to offer a little bit of security?

Paula
 
Hi,
Thanks for the reply, The baby was living in a shed with 2 other older piggies, he came from a breeder who didnt want him for whatever reason. We put them together just on the settee in the living room at the rescue, I offered to bring in my indoor cage from the car so they could move around more together(thinking we would have to watch them for a hour or so), but she said they'll be fine on the settee. The baby was very quiet and our older one was sniffing him, they didnt fall out. It was a rescue in Wollaton,Nottm. Ive looked up the breed,as she said he was a coronet, and it does say they are a quiet breed anyway. But I am now abit annoyed, as when she said it was a long haired one, I asked how much looking after does it take, she said oh its fine just run your fingers through its coat every couple of days. Which is not very honest, having read what ive now read since coming home. The older piggie is a short coat and the first guinea pigs Ive ever had to care for, so didnt know about long haired.Obviously I want to do my best for any animals I own, and being a rescue I believe they should inform new owners properly of what they are letting themselves in for, so we can make a informed decision. I just felt a little rushed out of there today, which didnt happen the first time we adopted from her.:(
 
I'm sorry you had a bad experience with this 'Rescue' as I know which one you are referring to, and to be honest, they are not one of our good recommended Rescues, in fact I believe they were banned from this forum.

In the mean time, keep an eye on your new piggy and give him time and a consistent routine.
He should come round eventually to a loving home. He sounds very scared at the moment to all the change.

Let us know how he gets on.
 
If your watching them together I would check he is drinking, sometimes the water bottle sits too high on indoor cages, if you have another one you could put it inside the cage lower (rig up something with strong wire or bungee cord) When watching them try and watch as far as way as possible. If he hasnt eaten or drunk for maximum of about 6 hours I would get him out on your lap maybe in a fleece or cosy if you have one so that he feels secure and gently rub a cucumber slice or herb on his lips.
 
Thank you for your replies and advice, I will be watching them, and will keep you informed.
Thanks again x
 
Make sure your new little one has somewhere to hide, such as an iglu or archway so that he can feel safe. Make sure that hay and pellets are within reach so that he can reach out and still feel relatively safe to eat. If need be, split your pigs for now and place your new boy into a cage next door to your boy. You should ideally wait 2 weeks before intorducing a new pig to an exsisting one so that he can be quaranteened, but i guess there is not point now. Try also putting a fleece/blanket over half the cage and just leaving them quietly. Its a scary place for new piggies.

x.
 
I was glad to hear that this "rescue" had been banned. Honestly!

First, you need to make sure that the piggie is warm enough - if you have a cosy or something that would be ideal, as it will be somewhere for him to hide and keep warm. I'd go with the advice to supply cucumber and also to check that the water is low enough. Do you know what food he has been used to?

it's great that your existing boar is being kind to him.

I had a similar situation with Parkin (now almost 4) when we (genuinely) rescued him from a situation where he would have been put down. He was about three weeks old at the time, and really too young to come to us, but I took a view that he had a chance with me, and no chance where he was. I used a fluffy bag, and put some cucumber in that. We kept him quiet and still for a few days, and he eventually got over the shock of moving and made friends with my other boar, Stripe.

If he doesn't pick up in a few days, you might want to contact a vet to get him to check him over - particularly for teeth. do this sooner if any poops are loose.
 
Just to let you know, my new piggie is eating, Ive seen him eating the fresh vegetables. They seem to be getting on o.k He is very quiet, and seems mostly scared of us, but I guess he needs time to settle in and get used to the different noises. Thank you for your help and advice. This is a great forum, and I enjoy reading the posts and widening my knowledge.
 
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