How long can I wait to get another piggy?

[Shama]

this is my first post here.. long time lurker.

I'm relatively new to being a piggy parent, a couple years ago my neighbor came to my door asking me to take some piggies, and at first my plan was to foster but i fell in love with the two baby boars.
We named them Zayne and Broly.
They were brothers and really extremely bonded. Very few issues with puberty and everything. Zayne was the more dominant boar but they were gentle. Never really had a fight more than maybe jumping on each other or pushing one another out of the way for a special treat.

A couple days ago they stopped eating. I gave them critical care and set a vet appointment.
Zayne died last night at the vet, he had kidney failure. Broly is ok physically, i guess he wasn't eating because he was just so worried about Zayne?

I'm really shook up about this and i can't stop crying about Zayne. I can't imagine how hard this is on Broly. And i really really don't want to think about getting another piggy right now but I'm so scared I'll lose Broly too to loneliness if i don't.

I guess i made this whole account just to ask, how long can i wait usually before i get a new playmate for Broly? Like is it ok if we take some time to grieve? I don't want to feel like I'm Replacing zayne..
And when i do get a friend for him, it should be a baby? Or one the same age? (2.5years)

If someone is willing to hold my hand and walk me through all this it would be greatly appreciated.
I'm just still learning and want to do right by my Broly..

 

[Piggies&buns]

Welcome and I am sorry for your loss.

Of course it’s absolutely fine to take some time to grieve and Broly will likely be ok for a few weeks but you do need to keep an eye on him particularly if he was not eating enough beforehand. Make sure you weigh him daily while you have concerns.

Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
Weight - Monitoring and Management

When it comes to finding a new friend, character compatibility is the vital factor as to whether a bond will be successful. A baby can often be accepted by an older boar, but they still need to be compatible once that baby hits his teens. If you have a shelter nearby who can help you find a compatible friend, then that is the best way to find a new friend.

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

The green links give further details

 

[Bill & Ted]

Welcome to the forum
I’m so sorry you’ve lost Zayne, sending big hugs to you x
If you can I would try and find a good rescue that offers boar bonding, this way Broly can choose a friend. Don’t feel bad like you are replacing Zayne, you aren’t, you are thinking about Broly’s welfare.

 

[Merab]

Welcome to the forum and I am so sorry for your loss.
As has been said, Broly will probably be fine for a few weeks.
If there’s no rescue that offers boar dating within reach for you that’s the best way to go.
We do appreciate that guinea pig rescues are much less common in the USA than here in Britain.

Another option is to neuter Bromley and then he can live with sows, after a 6 week wait to ensure no furry consequences.
This is what I did some years ago when left with a bereaved boar and no rescue near me.

Don’t forget to allow yourself space to grieve.

 

[weepweeps]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I’m so sorry you have lost Zayne. I hope Broly finds a new buddy soon. Take care

 

[Shama]

Thank you all so much for the kind words.

Broly seems to be doing much better today. I'm still v sad but it's really helpful to see him doing better.

We've spent the last two days pretty much snuggling in a fleece together. I've been continuing critical care and syringe feeding but yesterday he was willing to take some bites of clementine and celery and it seemed to boost his appetite a bit. i also got to hear some cute purrs yesterday. Today he's drinking out of his bottle on his own without coaxing and is picking through his food and it's looking much more optimistic!

I'm wondering if maybe he said his goodbyes while Zayne was sick? It almost seems like he started mourning before Zayne passed? Either way it's helping me a ton that he's perking up again.
I'm gonna dedicate today to him again making sure he's ok. (Maybe make one of those cuddle cups i saw a link to on here?)

As far as new buddy goes, i looked for rescues but the only one within driving distance (in my state at all) at all is the humane society. They only have 3 piggies right now. Two bonded sows and one lonely baby boar. I also checked the pet store just to see, but there was only one boar and he didn't look like a good match. (Personality, but also he looked sickly and i don't want to buy a pet if i can avoid it) i wish there was a place i could take him here to date and find his own but i don't think that's much of a possibility :/
I'm thinking I'm going to give it a week and if that baby boar is still there he might be the best option for Brolys new friend.

I really do appreciate all the kindness. Maybe it's a USA thing, but i feel like not many around here really care about piggies, it means so much to see these kind words.
Thank you all so much

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you all so much for the kind words.

Broly seems to be doing much better today. I'm still v sad but it's really helpful to see him doing better.

We've spent the last two days pretty much snuggling in a fleece together. I've been continuing critical care and syringe feeding but yesterday he was willing to take some bites of clementine and celery and it seemed to boost his appetite a bit. i also got to hear some cute purrs yesterday. Today he's drinking out of his bottle on his own without coaxing and is picking through his food and it's looking much more optimistic!

I'm wondering if maybe he said his goodbyes while Zayne was sick? It almost seems like he started mourning before Zayne passed? Either way it's helping me a ton that he's perking up again.
I'm gonna dedicate today to him again making sure he's ok. (Maybe make one of those cuddle cups i saw a link to on here?)

As far as new buddy goes, i looked for rescues but the only one within driving distance (in my state at all) at all is the humane society. They only have 3 piggies right now. Two bonded sows and one lonely baby boar. I also checked the pet store just to see, but there was only one boar and he didn't look like a good match. (Personality, but also he looked sickly and i don't want to buy a pet if i can avoid it) i wish there was a place i could take him here to date and find his own but i don't think that's much of a possibility :/
I'm thinking I'm going to give it a week and if that baby boar is still there he might be the best option for Brolys new friend.

I really do appreciate all the kindness. Maybe it's a USA thing, but i feel like not many around here really care about piggies, it means so much to see these kind words.
Thank you all so much

Hi

You are right about guinea pigs saying goodbye to very ill mates because if at all possible, they would remove themselves from the group to die a little distance away and prevent alerting predators.
In a cage situation, a piggy will hide away in a cosy or cage corner instead. Their mates will come to check up and take their leave. Very closely bonded mates that really struggle with letting go may choose to stay with them until the end and will struggle much more after the passing. Thankfully, that is comparatively rare; most piggies won't grieve any less deeply than us humans but the necessity to survive is much more pressing.

That is why these piggies are generally ignored by their mates after their death, which can occasionally upset their owner. You are obviously a very observant one.

Wishing you all the best on your quest to find a suitable friend for Brody.
PS: You may find the common sense advice in these links here helpful to avoid the worst pitfalls, especially since rescues offering dating their piggies are sadly very far and few in between in the USA.
What you can never count on is a personality match when you bring home a piggy of your own choice.
Rescues (Adoption and Dating), Shops, Breeders or Online? - What to consider when getting guinea pigs
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars (see chapter on companionship)
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

 

[CooterDavenport]

you wrote "they" stopped eating. Has your living pig resumed eating?
I'm curious as to what other people would do regarding cage scent/layout- clean out the cage/de-smell and maybe even put things in different places so the pig thinks "there's not something missing from here"?
Also regarding compatability- if you take your home pig to a foriegn location to test meet a new pig, how much would its/their behavior then reflect what's likely when you get them both back into your residence/first pigs home?

 

[Shama]

you wrote "they" stopped eating. Has your living pig resumed eating?
I'm curious as to what other people would do regarding cage scent/layout- clean out the cage/de-smell and maybe even put things in different places so the pig thinks "there's not something missing from here"?
Also regarding compatability- if you take your home pig to a foriegn location to test meet a new pig, how much would its/their behavior then reflect what's likely when you get them both back into your residence/first pigs home?

Yes. So they both stopped eating on the same day last week. Both of them are usually so eager to eat and usually their bowl is empty when i wake up. It happened really suddenly but i noticed overnight that they hadn't touched their food, so i gave them some of their favorite treats (apples, grapefruit, clementines, romaine) and when they didn't want that i knew something was very wrong. So i started critical care through a syringe, and syringe water, called the vet and they said i could come in the next day if there was no improvement or to go to an emergency vet if they get worse.
Throughout the day Zayne seemed much worse so i took them both to an emergency vet where Zayne died literally in my arms. The vet confirmed that it was a kidney issue, and checked out Broly who seems healthy, just sad.
So i continued critical care with Broly the last few days bc the vet told me i needed to ensure he's eating and it took him a couple days to eat some clementine and celery and today he's eating his actual food but i might offer critical care still if he wants it to be safe.

I did take Zayne back and placed his body in the cage for about 20 minutes to help Broly understand what happened, and i left Zane's fleece in the cage (still in there) where Broly seems to be spending all his time.
Technically i should have done a cage cleaning yesterday, but i didn't want to shock Broly so i basically shifted everything with Zaynes scent to one half and put fresh fleece and some new toys on the other half of the cage to kinda get him used to the idea.

(I am a pretty new piggy owner, and i don't know if this is the best way to do it, but Broly is starting to perk up a bit today. I can tell he still misses his brother though)

As for the second question, I'm really not sure. I'm in the USA and its really looking like unless i rent a car to drive him 12 hours away there wouldn't be a chance of dating for my lil guy. So I'll likely be setting up an old cage next to Brolys and having to get them used to each other that way. I bet someone else might have some better info for you though!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Yes. So they both stopped eating on the same day last week. Both of them are usually so eager to eat and usually their bowl is empty when i wake up. It happened really suddenly but i noticed overnight that they hadn't touched their food, so i gave them some of their favorite treats (apples, grapefruit, clementines, romaine) and when they didn't want that i knew something was very wrong. So i started critical care through a syringe, and syringe water, called the vet and they said i could come in the next day if there was no improvement or to go to an emergency vet if they get worse.
Throughout the day Zayne seemed much worse so i took them both to an emergency vet where Zayne died literally in my arms. The vet confirmed that it was a kidney issue, and checked out Broly who seems healthy, just sad.
So i continued critical care with Broly the last few days bc the vet told me i needed to ensure he's eating and it took him a couple days to eat some clementine and celery and today he's eating his actual food but i might offer critical care still if he wants it to be safe.

I did take Zayne back and placed his body in the cage for about 20 minutes to help Broly understand what happened, and i left Zane's fleece in the cage (still in there) where Broly seems to be spending all his time.
Technically i should have done a cage cleaning yesterday, but i didn't want to shock Broly so i basically shifted everything with Zaynes scent to one half and put fresh fleece and some new toys on the other half of the cage to kinda get him used to the idea.

(I am a pretty new piggy owner, and i don't know if this is the best way to do it, but Broly is starting to perk up a bit today. I can tell he still misses his brother though)

As for the second question, I'm really not sure. I'm in the USA and its really looking like unless i rent a car to drive him 12 hours away there wouldn't be a chance of dating for my lil guy. So I'll likely be setting up an old cage next to Brolys and having to get them used to each other that way. I bet someone else might have some better info for you though!

Hay is obviously the most important part of the diet. Syringe feeding replaces the hay Intake, not veg or pellets. Once a piggy is eating enough hay to maintain their weight, then you can ease back on syringe feeding. If a piggy eats veg or pellets but not enough hay, then the veg simply doesn’t count as it isn’t a main proportion of the diet and you must continue to syringe feed.

Its fine to leave the scent of the other piggy in the cage. Obviously you need to do a clean eventually though.

In terms of bonding and setting up a cage next to broly, this is fine but it bonding isn’t a slow thing. Babies under four months of age need to be bonded with another piggy straight away as companionship for babies is essential and you forego any quarantine (Any piggy from a pet shop who is over four months of age should ideally be quarantined in a separate room for two weeks prior to bonding day).
this guide explains how to do a bonding - Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

 

[Shama]

Hay is obviously the most important part of the diet. Syringe feeding replaces the hay Intake, not veg or pellets. Once a piggy is eating enough hay to maintain their weight, then you can ease back on syringe feeding. If a piggy eats veg or pellets but not enough hay, then the veg simply doesn’t count as it isn’t a main proportion of the diet and you must continue to syringe feed.

Its fine to leave the scent of the other piggy in the cage. Obviously you need to do a clean eventually though.

In terms of bonding and setting up a cage next to broly, this is fine but it bonding isn’t a slow thing. Babies under four months of age need to be bonded with another piggy straight away as companionship for babies is essential and you forego any quarantine (Any piggy from a pet shop who is over four months of age should ideally be quarantined in a separate room for two weeks prior to bonding day).
this guide explains how to do a bonding - Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

Thank you so much! I definitely didn't know babies should share cages immediately. Zayne and Broly were already kept together when i got them- they were a month old.

I called the humane society and they said they see a vet and quarantine before they're available to adopt? They also told me they don't usually get many piggies. But coincidentally they have two more lone boars available today that are closer to Brolys age! I still need a little more time before i go look and see the piggies they have available but it's comforting knowing that theres a little more option than there was a couple days ago. Right now it's looking like an American 3m, or one of the two Abyssinian 2y8m.
Zayne was a satin Abyssinian, and Broly is the satin american in my pfp. (Their dad was a sneaky guy that got into my old neighbors female cage)
But I'm definitely not sure who his new buddy will be yet. I'm really trying to weigh the pros and cons of everything before i go look and adopt. And also take a short minute to myself over Zaynes passing before i go. (Although i probably won't actually know until I'm there and seeing them haha)

Broly is eating his hay now but yeah I'm still a little cautious to stop critical care just yet. I'm definitely being less insistant on it, but i feel like maybe i should keep offering it for a few more days... I might be being a little overcautious about it tbh, like he might actually be in the clear now, but I'd much rather play it a little bit more on the safe side just in case.

With cage cleaning do y'all think it would be okay if i sort of section it off for now? Right now i have new fleeces on one half and old on the other, would cleaning about 15-20cm at a time over the next few days and shifting new fleeces over be a good idea maybe? (His cage is about 1.6m in length) i usually change fleeces every 3 days and it feels a little weird letting him be around dirty fleeces, but i know it's important for the grieving process..

Also when i do get him a buddy and start bonding should Zaynes scent be out of the cage? Or would it be better to leave at least a little piece of Zaynes fleece?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thank you so much! I definitely didn't know babies should share cages immediately. Zayne and Broly were already kept together when i got them- they were a month old.

I called the humane society and they said they see a vet and quarantine before they're available to adopt? They also told me they don't usually get many piggies. But coincidentally they have two more lone boars available today that are closer to Brolys age! I still need a little more time before i go look and see the piggies they have available but it's comforting knowing that theres a little more option than there was a couple days ago. Right now it's looking like an American 3m, or one of the two Abyssinian 2y8m.
Zayne was a satin Abyssinian, and Broly is the satin american in my pfp. (Their dad was a sneaky guy that got into my old neighbors female cage)
But I'm definitely not sure who his new buddy will be yet. I'm really trying to weigh the pros and cons of everything before i go look and adopt. And also take a short minute to myself over Zaynes passing before i go. (Although i probably won't actually know until I'm there and seeing them haha)

Broly is eating his hay now but yeah I'm still a little cautious to stop critical care just yet. I'm definitely being less insistant on it, but i feel like maybe i should keep offering it for a few more days... I might be being a little overcautious about it tbh, like he might actually be in the clear now, but I'd much rather play it a little bit more on the safe side just in case.

With cage cleaning do y'all think it would be okay if i sort of section it off for now? Right now i have new fleeces on one half and old on the other, would cleaning about 15-20cm at a time over the next few days and shifting new fleeces over be a good idea maybe? (His cage is about 1.6m in length) i usually change fleeces every 3 days and it feels a little weird letting him be around dirty fleeces, but i know it's important for the grieving process..

Also when i do get him a buddy and start bonding should Zaynes scent be out of the cage? Or would it be better to leave at least a little piece of Zaynes fleece?

Piggies from reputable rescue centres in this country are vet checked and quarantined before rehoming so don’t need to be quarantined again. It’s only when you get them elsewhere that quarantine of piggies over four months ought to be done.

This guide should help you further regarding grieving
Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig
Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children

It comes down to character compatibility so you can never predict how these things will go.

When it comes to bonding, it must be done on neutral territory - somewhere broly does not see as his space - never carry out a bonding in the cage of an already resident piggy. If you do this , it will be seen as a territory invasion and will cause a fight,
Bonding is putting the two piggies in a neutral territory bonding pen with no hides, only hay, for several hours and allowing them to see if they accept each other and then start to work through the next phases of bonding. If all goes well, then after several hours and while they are still in the bonding pen, you thoroughly clean down the cage they are to live in so broly will no longer see if as his space and it is entirely scent free of all piggies. You can then move the piggies to the cage. It will them take a further two weeks for them to fully form their relationship and hierarchy.

The green link to the bonding guide I added explains how to carry out a bonding.

 

[Shama]

Piggies from reputable rescue centres in this country are vet checked and quarantined before rehoming so don’t need to be quarantined again. It’s only when you get them elsewhere that quarantine of piggies over four months ought to be done.

This guide should help you further regarding grieving
Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig
Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children

It comes down to character compatibility so you can never predict how these things will go.

When it comes to bonding, it must be done on neutral territory - somewhere broly does not see as his space - never carry out a bonding in the cage of an already resident piggy. If you do this , it will be seen as a territory invasion and will cause a fight,
Bonding is putting the two piggies in a neutral territory bonding pen with no hides, only hay, for several hours and allowing them to see if they accept each other and then start to work through the next phases of bonding. If all goes well, then after several hours and while they are still in the bonding pen, you thoroughly clean down the cage they are to live in so broly will no longer see if as his space and it is entirely scent free of all piggies. You can then move the piggies to the cage. It will them take a further two weeks for them to fully form their relationship and hierarchy.

The green link to the bonding guide I added explains how to carry out a bonding.

OMG i definitely misread your last post! I'm so sorry!
It definitely sounded wrong to be putting a new pig in a cage with my Broly that immediately, (he's very sweet but not  that sweet) but the reason it sounded wrong is probably because that isn't what you were saying at all! (I damn near swore off the baby as a candidate )

I promise ill follow the guide, i think i misunderstood because it's 3am here and I'm just a little too stressed right now to think totally clearly. I'm so sorry. I really really appreciate your being kind and patient with me! It means a lot that you'd write all this out when I'm being this scatterbrained!

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome
I am very sorry for your loss.

Unfortunately, rescue access is much more difficult in the USA where there are much less of them.
You also have to distinguish (unlike the UK) between non-kill rescues and shelters that provide a quarantine, medical care and may offer rescue dating and shelters which hold animals for a limited time but do not provide medical care or quarantine.
This link here explains the differences and what to expect and be aware of: Rescues (Adoption and Dating), Shops, Breeders or Online? - What to consider when getting guinea pigs

There is no problem with adopting from a shelter as you will quite literally save a life, especially with boars. You will need to conduct a quarantine yourself and be aware that the boys may not gel if their personalities don't match.
As long as you can keep them next to each other in a divided cage with enough minimal space for each boar, then this is a valid fall-back alternative if the bonding doesn't work out. We have got quite a number of boar pairs that nevertheless create a bond through the bars for mutual company and constant social stimulation; just with each boy having their own territory.

Here is more practical in-depth information on the points mentioned above:
- New Guinea Pig Problems: Sexing & Pregnancy; URI, Ringworm & Parasites; Vet Checks & Customer Rights (includes a link to quarantining and the most common issues that new guinea pigs can come with
- A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars (see especially the chapter on companionship
- A - Z of Guinea Pig Behaviours (you may find the entries on dominance, fear-aggression and territorial behaviours especially interesting)

All these links are part of our much more extensive information resource with lots of practical tips and helpful information on a wide range of topics. 15 years on this lively forum with literally tens of throusands of enquiries and half a century of our own ownership experience have gone into our guides.
You may want to bookmark this link, browse, read and re-read at need. Especially as you are in a quite different time zone to us, you may find access to information at any time helpful; I have taken care to ensure that the guides work anywhere in world beyond UK-local information.
We are of course always here to answer any questions you have but since we cannot repeat all the little how-to details or background information in every post, we do link our guides into our posts where applicable.
Here is the access link: Comprehensive Owners' Practical and Supportive Information Collection

 

[Free Ranger]

Even if your 'bonding' doesn't work out thru-the-bars neighbours are company and stimulation for each other. My boar pair had to be split when the dominant one became physically infirm and the other picked on him pretty mercilessly but they ate together at the bars and hung out together quite a bit once they were secure of their own space. One of our members has a roomful of single and paired boar neighbours!

 

[Shama]

Hi y'all! I seriously appreciate everyone's help!
I wanted to give an update on Broly.. and his new friend Ziggy!

Ziggy is from the same litter as Zayne was, so another satin Abyssinian but the same age as Broly! ( I told my friend that initially gave me Zayne and Broly that Zayne died and she offered to let Broly date some of her boars!)

They're getting along quite well and I've completely adopted Ziggy. Right now they're in seperated cages right next to each other, but we had another 2 hour bonding session today that went really well! No bites, lots of bum sniffing, grooming, and Broly is letting Ziggy mount! I think I'm gonna let them have one or two more bonding dates before moving Ziggy into Brolys big cage (after i do a good clean to get the cage nuetral) I'm actually feeling really optimistic and i think they're really gonna be great pals!

 

[Wiebke]

Hi y'all! I seriously appreciate everyone's help!
I wanted to give an update on Broly.. and his new friend Ziggy!

Ziggy is from the same litter as Zayne was, so another satin Abyssinian but the same age as Broly! ( I told my friend that initially gave me Zayne and Broly that Zayne died and she offered to let Broly date some of her boars!)

They're getting along quite well and I've completely adopted Ziggy. Right now they're in seperated cages right next to each other, but we had another 2 hour bonding session today that went really well! No bites, lots of bum sniffing, grooming, and Broly is letting Ziggy mount! I think I'm gonna let them have one or two more bonding dates before moving Ziggy into Brolys big cage (after i do a good clean to get the cage nuetral) I'm actually feeling really optimistic and i think they're really gonna be great pals!

Hi
Glad that the boys get on.

PLEASE do not interrupt any bonding; you abort the bonding process each time (extremely frustrating for the boys) and force the boys to start right back in square one every time you do it. Once you have started bonding (more than 10 minutes), you need to follow it throught to the end.
Here is the link to our step-by-step bonding guide, which has stood the test of time because it respects the complex bonding manual and their species wiring (which the short meetings bonding method does NOT): A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

As you have two satins now, I hope that you are aware of satin disease and the fact that it cannot be bred out and can resurface genderations later again?
For information on incurable Satin Guinea Pig Syndrome (SGPS aka satin disease aka fibrous osteodystrophy) see the links in the chapter on satin guinea pigs: What-breed-are-my-guinea-pigs? Picture-guide-to-common-pet-breeds.121399/