Guinea Pig Recovering From Trauma

[MooseMom]

Hey! My guinea pig, Moose, is about 4.5 years old and male. I was out of town for an extended period of time(about 2 months) so I left him in the care of a friend. When I got back, his nails were very overgrown and i discovered he was developing a tumor under his nipple. Before all of this, Moose was a super go with the flow kind of guy. I could pick him up and he was pretty much cool with anything. He was a bit of a hard headed boar sometimes, but I always found it charming We had to do some pretty intense, and painful, nail clipping. And he also had surgery to remove his tumor. Now my little buddy is as energetic and hungry as ever, but I can tell his mood has changed a bit. He chatters his teeth when he isn’t happy with things, which he never did before. He also freaks out a bit when we try to pick him up and isn’t much for cuddling anymore. I feel bad because I know my little dude has gone through some trauma. But I was wondering if anyone had any advice on how to get him to relax a bit more? And perhaps how to rebond? I don’t want him to be afraid of being picked up or be upset. He’s been getting lots of Veges and floor time and all the love he wants. But I just want him to be his happy little piggy self.

 

[LMPigs]

Hello

If he effectively hasn't been handled or interacted with for several months the I guess you wood need to treat him like a new pig in terms of bonding, picking up etc. You could try some of the pig whispering tactics mentioned in this guide: Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips

Does Moose have a companion pig or is he all alone?

 

[VickiA]

I think you have to treat him as if he were newly arrived in your home again and as @LMPigs has suggested, go back to basics with Guinea pig whispering tips. And bribes. Plenty of bribes.

 

[Wiebke]

Hey! My guinea pig, Moose, is about 4.5 years old and male. I was out of town for an extended period of time(about 2 months) so I left him in the care of a friend. When I got back, his nails were very overgrown and i discovered he was developing a tumor under his nipple. Before all of this, Moose was a super go with the flow kind of guy. I could pick him up and he was pretty much cool with anything. He was a bit of a hard headed boar sometimes, but I always found it charming We had to do some pretty intense, and painful, nail clipping. And he also had surgery to remove his tumor. Now my little buddy is as energetic and hungry as ever, but I can tell his mood has changed a bit. He chatters his teeth when he isn’t happy with things, which he never did before. He also freaks out a bit when we try to pick him up and isn’t much for cuddling anymore. I feel bad because I know my little dude has gone through some trauma. But I was wondering if anyone had any advice on how to get him to relax a bit more? And perhaps how to rebond? I don’t want him to be afraid of being picked up or be upset. He’s been getting lots of Veges and floor time and all the love he wants. But I just want him to be his happy little piggy self.

Hi!

Please use our piggy whispering tips to rebuild his trust. Is he an only piggy or does he have a companion of his own kind? if he is an only piggy he will have felt abandoned by you as you are his group.

Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
Who is the boss - your guinea pig or you?
Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities (the last chapter deals with the social expectations that single guinea pigs have of their human owners and how they can come out)

 

[MooseMom]

Hello

If he effectively hasn't been handled or interacted with for several months the I guess you wood need to treat him like a new pig in terms of bonding, picking up etc. You could try some of the pig whispering tactics mentioned in this guide: Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips

Does Moose have a companion pig or is he all alone?

Thanks for the reply! He definitely wasn't loved very much for those couple months. But we've been back with him now for probably 2 months and he's still pretty unsocial. I will check out that thread you linked. And he is by himself, he always has been. We've been thinking about getting him a little friend once we get settled into our new home. But I am unsure about bonding the two of them (I've been doing at lot of reading) if you have any advice on that too!

 

[anyar.dris]

The best thing to get a partner for your boar is to take him to a rescue that offers bonding. By doing this, your piggy will be able to choose a friend that he's compatible with. Where are you located? Kindly put your location in your profile (just city and country would do) since we have members all over the world. If you live in the UK, you can check the Rescue Locator tab on top of the page and see which rescues are nearest to you and maybe you can ask them if they do boar dating. Although it's also advisable to go further when adopting.