New Pigs, Not A New Owner..

[kerry]

I have had guinea pigs for years but always from babies due to circumstances, not a choice.

However I just adopted two guinea pigs from a lady who was going to have them put to sleep because she did not have enough time for them. I had a spare cage and she thinks they are girls so I plan on bonding them with my two to live in their large hut and outdoor enclosure.

The lady thinks that the guinea pigs are around 18 months old and girls. Now I am 99% sure that my two are girls from looking at the Cavyspirit website pictures. They are only young so I have never had a reason to take them to the vet to get it confirmed. I briefly looked at the new guinea pigs and they all look the same so I am guessing that the new ones are girls as well. I will be taking them all to the vet next weekend just to be 100% sure before I start the bonding process because we do not want babies.

The new ones looks quite healthy, they are round and have bright eyes. Their claws are really over grown so I will let them settle in for the evening and then clip them tomorrow afternoon. The ginger one has a bald patch between its ear, which I know is common but I just want to double check that it is not mites. I will treat them all for mites before they are bonded.

I have included a picture for you guys. I think the ginger one is a rosette

 

[kerry]

Also is there anything else I should check for to make sure they are healthy. Apparently they were not fed vegetables so I will introduce those slowly in small amount as to not upset their stomachs. I have yet to check their teeth because they are really nervous at the moment.

 

[Winifred]

Well done you for taking them in. That bald patch behind the ear looks pretty normal to me and treating them all before bonding is a good move. The ginger one looks like an Abyssinian to me but if I'm wrong I'm sure a piggy expert on here will correct me

 

[helen105281]

The bald patch behind the ear is normal but my Mabel currently has a yeast infection there so it is always best to check. I would quarantine for 2 weeks before introducing them to your girls. Also look out for any fluoresced skin, greasy hair (doesn't fall back into place when brushed the wrong way), lice or mites, scratching, crusty eyes, laboured breathing. I am not far from you if you wanted anthing checking out but is good that you are getting them all checked at the vets. There is a good piggy savvy vet in Broxbourne should you need one more experienced in pigs.

 

[kerry]

The bald patch behind the ear is normal but my Mabel currently has a yeast infection there so it is always best to check. I would quarantine for 2 weeks before introducing them to your girls. Also look out for any fluoresced skin, greasy hair (doesn't fall back into place when brushed the wrong way), lice or mites, scratching, crusty eyes, laboured breathing. I am not far from you if you wanted anthing checking out but is good that you are getting them all checked at the vets. There is a good piggy savvy vet in Broxbourne should you need one more experienced in pigs.

Oh brilliant, thank you for the vet tip. I have yet to take my pigs to the vet so I cant judge if they are good or bad yet, only next weekend will tell.

 

[helen105281]

I have no experience of the vets in Stevenage except my family cat goes to the one in Great Ashby but no idea what they are like with pigs.

 

[kerry]

Oh br

Well done you for taking them in. That bald patch behind the ear looks pretty normal to me and treating them all before bonding is a good move. The ginger one looks like an Abyssinian to me but if I'm wrong I'm sure a piggy expert on here will correct me

Oh brilliant, ive heard and read conflicting things about bald spots behind ears, some say its normal others say not. My two pigs are really long haired so their hair flops all around behind their ears and its not as apparent as the new girl

 

[kerry]

I have no experience of the vets in Stevenage except my family cat goes to the one in Great Ashby but no idea what they are like with pigs.

Our dogs are registered to the great ashby ones and they are brilliant with them. Ill see what they are like next weekend when I take all the pigs for a check up

 

[helen105281]

Have a look at my thread for comparisson, think it is called Yeast Infection photo.

 

[kerry]

Well done you for taking them in. That bald patch behind the ear looks pretty normal to me and treating them all before bonding is a good move. The ginger one looks like an Abyssinian to me but if I'm wrong I'm sure a piggy expert on here will correct me

I have wanted to add to the herd and these two came along at the right time. Ive only ever had two at a time so it will be a new experience for me and my original girls

 

[Winifred]

I have wanted to add to the herd and these two came along at the right time. Ive only ever had two at a time so it will be a new experience for me and my original girls

Mine were long haired till they had their spring trim yesterday. They look like little puppies again. Lol

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome!

The bald patch looks very normal and healthy. I have a ginger (golden) aby (or abyssinian; that is what rosette piggies are now called) and several ginger cresteds myself. However, having your new girls MOTed by a vet and quarantining them for two weeks, is always a good idea. Most nasties have got an incubation period of up to two weeks.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/importance-of-quarantine.108034/
We have got a piggy savvy UK locator to help our members: https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/pages/guinea-pig-vet-locator/

 

[kerry]

Hi and welcome!

The bald patch looks very normal and healthy. I have a ginger (golden) aby (or abyssinian; that is what rosette piggies are now called) and several ginger cresteds myself. However, having your new girls MOTed by a vet and quarantining them for two weeks, is always a good idea. Most nasties have got an incubation period of up to two weeks.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/importance-of-quarantine.108034/
We have got a piggy savvy UK locator to help our members: https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/pages/guinea-pig-vet-locator/

Brilliant, thank you. I will quarantine them for two weeks to make sure they are okay and definitely take them all for a check up. If the checkup is all okay, do they still need to be quarantined?

 

[helen105281]

Yes they do in case there is something that hasn't materialized yet.

 

[kerry]

Hi and welcome!

The bald patch looks very normal and healthy. I have a ginger (golden) aby (or abyssinian; that is what rosette piggies are now called) and several ginger cresteds myself. However, having your new girls MOTed by a vet and quarantining them for two weeks, is always a good idea. Most nasties have got an incubation period of up to two weeks.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/importance-of-quarantine.108034/
We have got a piggy savvy UK locator to help our members: https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/pages/guinea-pig-vet-locator/

Its good to know that the ear patch is normal! After quarantine for one week and if the vet check is completely fine, should I still quarantine for another week?

I was thinking of bathing them all next weekend after the vet check if everything is fine? Or shall I just wait for two weeks, have the vet check and treat them all for mites. I do not want to rush things with bonding them all.

 

[kerry]

Yes they do in case there is something that hasn't materialized yet.

Okay thanks for the advice. Ill wait two weeks just to be on the safe side. Does this mean they cant take turns in sharing the outside run. Id put the new ones out in the morning and then get them in in the afternoon and then put the original out? Or just be safe and not put the new two out in the run yet?

So many things to think about! I'm so glad that I found this forum and everyone is so lovely!

 

[helen105281]

I personally would not risk it unless you can discinfect it well in between. You could give your new girls floortime inside instead.

 

[Wiebke]

Its good to know that the ear patch is normal! After quarantine for one week and if the vet check is completely fine, should I still quarantine for another week?

I was thinking of bathing them all next weekend after the vet check if everything is fine? Or shall I just wait for two weeks, have the vet check and treat them all for mites. I do not want to rush things with bonding them all.

Please quarantine for the full 2 weeks in case something is still latent. Ringworm (fungal) for instance has got a 10-14 day incubation period, so it may only show later. Better be safe than sorry! I always give any fungal/ringworm piggies of mine a two weeks remission period before they are allowd to rejoin their friends, and any new piggies from less than optimal background that has undergone quarantine upon arrival at a rescue does have to undergo a quarantine at my home. This is to protect my other piggies. Take your time; it will help to settle in your newbies.

Also give them a few days next to your other girls so that they can meet through the bars after the end of the quarantine. We have got bonding tips at the top of our behaviour section. Be aware that whether they will get on depends on whether the two top girls can gel and sort out who comes top without going to war!

 

[madguinealady]

congratulations on your new girls. You will notice such a difference with a few. I have a group of six and a group of 4 and love watching them interact with each other. Wanted them in a group of ten but one in each group hates each other so it cant happen

 

[kerry]

Please quarantine for the full 2 weeks in case something is still latent. Ringworm (fungal) for instance has got a 10-14 day incubation period, so it may only show later. Better be safe than sorry! I always give any fungal/ringworm piggies of mine a two weeks remission period before they are allowd to rejoin their friends, and any new piggies from less than optimal background that has undergone quarantine upon arrival at a rescue does have to undergo a quarantine at my home. This is to protect my other piggies. Take your time; it will help to settle in your newbies.

Also give them a few days next to your other girls so that they can meet through the bars after the end of the quarantine. We have got bonding tips at the top of our behaviour section. Be aware that whether they will get on depends on whether the two top girls can gel and sort out who comes top without going to war!

Okay I will do everything correctly, as you said its better to be safe than sorry . I will reread everything about bonding and hope that it all goes to plan. If they do not get along then their hutches are big enough not to worry about it and they can just share the run with bars.

I was planning on putting up a temporary run in a patch of the garden than the original girls have not been on, that way it will be new to all 4 of them.
I will separate both pairs in the run so that they can only see and sniff each other. If it looks like they will be okay I will put a plate of veggies down and take the division out and hope for the best!

I will keep their hutches separate for a few days though because I wouldn't want them fighting if I am not around to intervene.

After a few meeting sessions I will bathe them all together so they smell the same and then leave it up to them if they want to sleep and share the hutches together.

Phew, it takes a lot of planning to ensure that everyone will be happy

 

[Wiebke]

Bathing is not necessary with sows. It is only helpful when re-introducing hormonal boars that are reeking from testosterone.

With sows, you usually have a fairly short accpetance period, which is immediately followed by the dominance/hierarchy phase. This can last a few days to two weeks. It generally comes down between the two top ladies about who gets the new top spot. Please let them spend as much time as possible in one go, so they can really work through the dominance and establish a new hierarchy. As time goes on, this travels down through the hierarchy. You usually the strongest dominance behaviour against the piggy just below in the hierarchy. Use your common sense in when they are ready to go together, but make sure you have a clean, neutralised and rearranged hutch. This can be straight away or after one separate night. If tension levels are still very high on the second day and cannot be worked through, you are likely facing problems with the merger; generally with sows, tension should be noticeably less on the second day if things are going well.

 

[kerry]

Bathing is not necessary with sows. It is only helpful when re-introducing hormonal boars that are reeking from testosterone.

With sows, you usually have a fairly short accpetance period, which is immediately followed by the dominance/hierarchy phase. This can last a few days to two weeks. It generally comes down between the two top ladies about who gets the new top spot. Please let them spend as much time as possible in one go, so they can really work through the dominance and establish a new hierarchy. As time goes on, this travels down through the hierarchy. You usually the strongest dominance behaviour against the piggy just below in the hierarchy. Use your common sense in when they are ready to go together, but make sure you have a clean, neutralised and rearranged hutch. This can be straight away or after one separate night. If tension levels are still very high on the second day and cannot be worked through, you are likely facing problems with the merger; generally with sows, tension should be noticeably less on the second day if things are going well.

Thank you so much for all of your help . I will probably be surprised as to who takes the top dominance position. For the next two weeks I will just focus on getting the new ones to trust me and the originals to keep being great

 

[Wiebke]

As you are getting to know the newbies, you will probably have a better idea who is top and who is bottom, and how dominant the top lady is!