Depressed piggie?

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Teejay

Teejay

Adult Guinea Pig
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Hi all, my two boars, Pudding & Squeak, are living separately now, due to some pretty severe fighting. They are in a three-storey cage, one of them has the top two levels and the other has the bottom level with a 3ft x 3ft run attached for part of the day/night (basically anytime the cats aren't in the room!)

Pudding especially seemed to really enjoy this separate living arrangement; he has always been a very anti-social piggie, but when we split them up, he seemed to discover a sudden liking for human contact and being fussed, which was lovely (for me, anyway)! He's like a different piggie!

But Squeak really seems to have gone into his shell, he seems almost depressed. He used to be the wheeker of the two, always chattering, always curious, always on the go and getting into mischief, but now, he pretty much just sits in one spot all day, doesn't bother to go out into the run and isn't eating very much at all. He picks at his veggies, and the only 'food' I've really seen him eating is his own poop :{ I did a spot clean of the cage this morning, and Pud had done about 30 poops overnight, but Squeak had only done about 3.

He just seems a bit 'sad' in his eyes.....hard to explain, but, of course, we all know our own piggies really well. His coat also seems to be a bit fluffed up.

I am so worried about my little Cheeky Squeaky. I'm going to weigh him later to see if he's lost weight.

I don't see having the two piggies separate as a long-term solution; and one of my plans of action involves getting the piggies neutered, but I can't even consider that while Squeak is so low and down.

Any thoughts or suggestions? I'm at a bit of a loss, to be honest.

Tracey
 
I'm not a expert but he does seem lonely. I think maybe getting him nuetured and then finding him a lady friend sounds best.
Weighing him once a week is also really useful so you can tell if there is weight loss.
 
Problem with neutering is you'd still have to wait another 6 wheeks until he could have a lady friend
 
You either have to get Squeak neutered by an experienced vet as soon as possible (he still has a 4-6 weeks wait after the op!) or you can take him to a rescue that allows boar dating to find him a little boar friend that he clicks with.

X-vic-x who fosters for RSPCA Walsall could tell you which vet they are using for neutering.

You problem is not getting any better or going away by waiting. Please weigh Squeak regularly to make sure that he is OK.
 
Just make doubly sure that Squeak isnt poorly. I'd do a thorough check to see if theres not something else bothering him - and a vet visit if he is eating so little too.
Will he eat grass and dandelions to tempt him? And as a temporary solution could you somehow build a makeshift cage so each boy can see each other, I find it works well with 2 lone boars that still need company.
 
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Hi sport_billy, he definitely seems to be lonely, it's heartbreaking to see. I've kept a regular record of both piggies' weights, so I'll soon see if he's losing weight (been out all day, so I'll weigh him shortly). He only stopped eating properly yesterday, though, so I'm hopeful I can catch the problem before it gets too bad.

Hi Hanwombat, yeah, the 6 week wait after neutering is a bit of a concern, I have to admit.

Hi Wiebke, that's a good idea about trying to find a boar friend for Squeak......I'll see if I can find a nearby rescue. Squeak is a very sweet little piggie, he was never really the instigator in any of the squabbles with Pudding, so we might be able to find him a nice little buddy!

Hi Salt n Peppers mum, well, I've just cut some grass and dandelions and he's munching down on them, so that's a good sign. He's left 90% of his breakfast veggies though :( Actually, I so have a nice big metal run with a top (so safe from the cats) which I could rig up short-term and I could split it in half with grids.......hmmm......I think that'll be my project for this evening, lol!

Thanks for the replies, Tracey
 
Right, 'Salt n Peppers mum' gave me a seed of an idea, so I took some decisive action and put up this huge contraption in my living room:

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Bang goes our idea of getting a three-storey cage to give us some more actual living room in our living room, hehe!

Anyway, Immediately the boys went into together, they were at the bars nosing off to each other, showing their teeth and rumblestrutting, coats all fluffed up. That seemed to settle down after about half an hour, and Squeaky actually started to eat straight away (a bit of yummy redigrass and some green oat hay, one of his favourites).

I had plans to go out, so I've only just got back in, but when I turned on the light, they were lying on their pieces of Vetbed next to one another....obviously with the bars between them......they're still occasionally posturing at each other, and still nosing off a bit, but it seems a lot more good natured and a lot less malicious.

Squeak has definitely perked up no end........he's being vocal, eating, and he is actually showing some interest in life! Pudding's popcorning round his half of the run and he's making all sorts of 'happy' noises; maybe he was feeling lonely as well, but maybe he just hid it better that Squeak did. They certainly seem thrilled to see each other again, bless them.

It's not ideal to have a huge run plonked in the middle of our living room, but it's just an emergency measure til we can figure out our next step. But I was just really really worried about my lovely little Squeaky, and he seems so much better now that I'm glad I made the decision to put up the run for them.

Oh, and here's a pic of Squeak taken tonight; he still has a fluffy coat and looks a bit on the 'flat' side, but he's just so cute, I thought I'd take a piccy of him!

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Tracey
 
aww- after Dinky died Charlie was just like Pudding, constantly at the bars wanting a fuss/treat/out for a play etc and watching me all the time, and that was loneliness, I hated going out and leaving him! As soon as we got Simba he was totally transformed into such a happy piggy and loves having someone to play with, so does sound like they might have both been lonely x
 
You could try RSCPA Walsall (x-vic-x ), kidsgroviemad in Stoke-on-Trent (she has a new rescue and no website yet as far as I know), RAGS in Northwest Coventry off the M6 junction 3 or Honeybunnies near Leicester, just off the junction M69/M1. I have rehomed to or from most of these rescues over the years.
http://www.rspca-walsall.org.uk/ (I don't think they have currently anything suitable there, though)
http://pets.vivastreet.co.uk/adopt+kidsgrove/the-potteries-guinea-pig-rescue/32885123
http://www.freewebs.com/rags-rabbits/guineapigsforrehoming.htm (RAGS)
http://www.rabbitrehome.org.uk/rescue.asp?Rescue=461 (honeybunnies)


Donna (petcrazy) is located near Telford; it may be worth contacting her via pm.
 
Hi all,well, after the initial 'perking up' of little Squeaky, he seems to be utterly depressed again tonight. We have the first vet appointment tomorrow morning (they couldn't see him this evening). I actually suspect he may have a URI again......he's fluffed up, hunched, lethargic and breathing really quickly. No wheezing or breath noises, but definitely laboured breathing.

I weighed him though, and he's not lost any weight but he looks so thin. I did wonder if he was a bit dehydrated (he normally drinks loads, but I've not seen him drink anything for a while) so I've been syringe-feeding him water and cranberry juice every hour or so this evening (moderately successful). I also tried feeding him (vegetarian) baby food (not so successful, he wasn't impressed with that!). And I've been hand feeding him his favourite veggies at regular intervals. So far, he's had a fair old chomp on basil, carrot tops, fennel, and a bit of pepper. He's also picking at his hay, but not really eating much of it (I've given him a mix of about 5 types of very posh hay!)
 
Thanks for the good luck vibes - Squeaky's been to the vets now. She said he has a URI and I should keep a close eye on him throughout today, if he deteriorates, he'll need a chest xray to rule out pneumonia. My poor baby :(

He's had his first dose of antibiotics, and he's just wolfed back a small dish of fresh cut grass. He's very up and down.....last night, he seemed to realise that he was thirsty, and he was stood drinking at the water bottle for ages. But then he's not touched a drop since.

I spent ages last night, hand feeding him his favourite foods.....all the advice re calcium intake went out the window I'm afraid! Basil, fennel, dill, little gem lettuce and dandelions were the only things he'd take, but at least he did eat something. And I also saw him eating a few pellets, but that just seemed to be too mouch trouble so he gave up on that.

He's also been nibbling on a compressed hay cookie, but he can't seem to be bothered with regular hay.

:(
 
BIG HUG

Unhappy piggies have a lowered immune system and are more prone to come down with a bug like UTI or URI.

Have you got probiotics to stimulate his appetite? What kind of antibiotics has your vet prescribed?
 
Hi Wiebke, yes, the vet did say that the stress of fighting and then being separated could well have triggered the URI. It was a virtually instant change in him, within a day of being separated, he went from being cheeky, wheeky and squeaky to being sad, lethargic, off his food and depressed. It was like someone had switched off a light.

He has Baytril (of course, what else? rolleyes) .3ml twice a day. I have the probiotic from Pets at Home (Vetarc or something like that) but they love the taste of that in their water, so it might also encourage Squeaky to drink more.

Tracey x
 
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