Bereaved guinea pig

[abbykat]

My two piggies were the best of friends, joined at the hip, and very reliant on each other. After the death of one of my boys last week, his partner, Marley, seemed very lonely and sad. Another thread on this forum advised finding a partner for a sad bereaved pig ASAP, so I adopted a new friend for him. Bonding hasn’t exactly failed, but he just shows no interest in the new pig.
Even with a new friend, his behavior hasn’t improved: he’s stopped hiding in his hideouts and now just lies in an open corner of his cage, he lets me reach into the cage and pet him without even flinching when he normally scurries away, and he’s no longer excited over his veggies and often leaves them unfinished. He seems to have literally gone into a depression and bringing in a new pig hasn’t helped at all, as he’s completely ignoring him.
Will this pass on its own, or could it lead to illness (or worse)? Should he warm up to the new guinea pig with time? I’m so worried for my Marley.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry for your loss. Bonding comes entirely down to character compatibility so whether they will warm up to each other is unknown. They may love each other or they may not be compatible for the long term - It’s not something we can know sadly. What I will say for now though is that I would have him checked by a vet. His change in behaviour may be down to grief or it may be illness so ensuring he is otherwise healthy would be a priority

 

[abbykat]

I’m sorry for your loss. Bonding comes entirely down to character compatibility so whether they will warm up to each other is unknown. They may love each other or they may not be compatible for the long term - It’s not something we can know sadly. What I will say for now though is that I would have him checked by a vet. His change in behaviour may be down to grief or it may be illness so ensuring he is otherwise healthy would be a priority

Thank you very much. I want to take him to the vet as soon as I can, but unfortunately all of the vets in my area are only open for emergencies due to COVID-19, and this technically is not considered an emergency. Hopefully I’ll be able to have him looked at soon as I’m very worried about him.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Is he eating hay normally and his weight stable/increasing?
I know you say he isn’t eating his veggies, but hay is the most important part of the diet and if he isn’t eating his normal amount of hay (which you can only tell by weighing him regularly (you can’t gauge hay intake by eye)) then he would be classed as an urgent case and should be seen by a vet. Not eating enough hay and losing weight would be a sign something being wrong

 

[LMPigs]

Sorry for your and Marley's loss.

Reading this thread it seems that some guineas just go through a brief period of sadness - if it's only been a week, he maybe just needs a little more time:
Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

Are you keeping an eye on his weight?