new with questions (loss involved)

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Photini83

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Hello, all. We got two guinea pigs "secondhand" from a local woman who couldn't care for them. She'd gotten them from the local pet store chain, but I'm not exactly sure when. She had them less than a year, for sure, and we got them in March 2020. I'm not sure about breed, either. My son just discovered one of them had died. The recent batch of Timothy hay wasn't very popular with them, so we're not sure if Truffle starved himself or got sick. Their cage is 2x4. My son thought he was napping in his house yesterday, so he probably died 1 1/2 days ago (we did a total cage cleanout).

I know that unless they were at the pet store for years, this is young for a guinea pig, so I'm curious if it was starvation, cage stress, or illness and if our other guinea pig, Peanut, is at risk. And should we get a companion for him immediately?

I'm sorry to start off with a sad topic and appreciate any guidance. I should have found this forum much earlier.
 
Welcome and I’m so sorry for your loss.

I'm afraid we can’t know why he died but it would be worth popping Peanut along to the vet for a health check in any event. Make sure you weigh him daily for now until you can be sure he is definitely maintaining his weight and therefore eating enough hay. If and once you are satisfied he is eating enough hay and maintaining his weight daily, then ensure you weigh him once a week as it is the only way to know he is getting enough hay.
If there is an issue with the current batch of hay and weight is being lost, then it would be a good idea to replace the hay but be prepared to step in with syringe feeding in case it is a health issue rather than just an undesirable batch of hay.

A piggy won’t starve themselves on purpose but they may stop eating enough hay due to a health issue - digestive problems, dental issues, other medical issue, infections etc. Other illnesses strike so quickly you may not have time to get to a vet even if there were signs, other times there are no signs.

Weight - Monitoring and Management

In terms of getting him a new friend, the best way to do it is to see if you have a rescue centre near you who can help find a compatible friend for him. If you have to get another piggy without the help of a rescue there is a risk that they may not get on so have a back up plan to live separately. Peanut will grieve but provided he is eating, maintaining and his weight and is otherwise ok, you have some time to find him the right friend. If he appears at all like he is struggling being alone then obviously finding him a new companion becomes more of an urgent issue.

If he is not neutered and therefore needs a male companion then I would suggest, if at all possible, that you look to extend the cage to be a 2x5 c&c (180cm) before finding him a new male companion. A 2x4 c&c is the smallest size two boars should be in and while Peanut and Truffle may have been ok in it, it would be best to ensure as much space as possible for a new male companion, particularly if a new companion is a youngster and not yet been through his teens.
The alternative is to neuter peanut, have the six week post op wait for him to become infertile and then he can be bonded with a sow. A 2x4 c&c is fine for a neutered boar/sow pair.

Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig

If have to bond the two piggies yourself, then this guide explains how to carry out the neutral territory bonding.

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
 
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Hello and welcome to the forum. I’m so sorry you lost your piggy. I’m sure it wasn’t anything you did wrong. They do hide their illnesses so well. Weight changes are the first thing that shows up when they are unwell so definitely weigh them regularly. I hope you find a friend for your remaining piggy.
 
I'm really sorry for your loss. Unfortunately, there's no way to know exactly what happened to cause your piggie's death. Sometimes young pigs will die abruptly of a heart problem that may not have had any symptoms. Pigs are also very good at hiding symptoms, so it's possible that there was an underlying illness that wasn't very noticeable. Pigs also can go downhill very quickly, so it's possible he developed an illness and passed very quickly (the last piggie we lost appeared fine in the morning, slightly subdued in the evening, passed that night.) Pigs won't starve themselves to death even if the hay isn't peak quality, so it's far more likely to be an underlying health issue or an acute illness.

It is in your pig's best interest to find another friend, as they really are wired to be in pairs or groups, but I know how hard it is in North America to find rescues, let alone rescues that allow your pig to choose a companion. In that case, you may be looking at finding a friend who he hasn't met, with a backup plan to divide the cage into two large-enough areas should the introduction not go smoothly. Pigs who cannot live truly together without fighting can get socialization through the bars and live side by side as a compromise.
 
Thank you all for the kind words and great info. I appreciate it! We got a different brand of hay and that seems to be going over better. There is actually a rescue within an hour of us, so I'll call them soon. Until then, I'll read the links @Piggies&buns posted and poke around the newbie section of the forum.
 
Welcome to the forum
So sorry you’ve lost Truffle, I hope Peanut is ok, keep an keen eye on him while he grieves x
 
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