Not Sure What To Do For My Bereaved Boar

[emeraldjones]

Hi all,

Sadly I lost one of my piggies, Pippa, last night very suddenly. Not sure what happened, he was fine earlier in the evening and then I happened to find him in the middle of the night on his side unable to get up. I lifted him out and he died about a minute later. They were a bonded pair of boars aged 4.5 years and have been together all of their lives.

I would like to get a companion for Rhino, my boy I still have. He doesn't seem to be grieving at all, he is eating and behaving normally which is good but I don't want him to be lonely. I just don't know how best to go about it! Really I would prefer to try and get an older boar to live with him but there aren't any rescues near me I don't think (north london)- and similarly with a baby boar I wouldn't know where to get one either, I think I read that pet shops guinea pigs are a bit past the optimal age for this type of pairing... and the thought of an hormonal youngster giving him a hard time I'm finding a bit difficult!

Any advice really appreciated

 

[1GuineaPig1]

I'm so sorry for the loss of your boy. Do you have any idea what might have caused his death? A sickness, perhaps? To me, it sounds a bit like a stroke, but you can never be completely sure.

Regardless, you should keep a sharp eye on Rhino for a few weeks before getting him a buddy, to ensure that he doesn't have any sicknesses that the new pig could catch or vice versa. A young boar is an option, though, as you said, a younger pig would be entering the hormonal stage of his life. I am by no means an expert on this kind of thing, but I agree with you, an older boar would be a good choice.

I don't live anywhere near you, so I'm not sure if there is anything that you could adopt a pig from. Perhaps you could ask around, maybe on Facebook if you have it, for an older boar. As long as your remaining pig is still eating and drinking normally, a friend isn't an immediate necessity. If you would be willing to drive, some rescues even several hours away from you might have foster homes that are closer, and you could possibly meet them halfway.

 

[Data's Piggies]

I heard that the best thing to do is get a young piggy companion if your other one crosses the bridge. I am a new piggy mom myself, so I would definitely wait for someone with experience with griefing piggies to give you better advice. That's just something I heard on the grape vine, watching YouTube tips for guinea pig owners.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi all,

Sadly I lost one of my piggies, Pippa, last night very suddenly. Not sure what happened, he was fine earlier in the evening and then I happened to find him in the middle of the night on his side unable to get up. I lifted him out and he died about a minute later. They were a bonded pair of boars aged 4.5 years and have been together all of their lives.

I would like to get a companion for Rhino, my boy I still have. He doesn't seem to be grieving at all, he is eating and behaving normally which is good but I don't want him to be lonely. I just don't know how best to go about it! Really I would prefer to try and get an older boar to live with him but there aren't any rescues near me I don't think (north london)- and similarly with a baby boar I wouldn't know where to get one either, I think I read that pet shops guinea pigs are a bit past the optimal age for this type of pairing... and the thought of an hormonal youngster giving him a hard time I'm finding a bit difficult!

Any advice really appreciated

Hi! I am very sorry for your loss; it sounds like severe stroke to me. Sadly, they can strike at any time out of blue.
You are welcome to post a tribute to Pippa in our Rainbow Bridge section if or whenever it feels right for you.

You may want to contact Hazelcroft Guinea Pig Rescue in St. Albans and see whether they may be able to help you. Just getting a youngster doesn't work necessarily; not every boar and baby click. As with adult boar-boar dating, it takes about two tries on average to hit on the right friend (plus you need to count in a 2-3 weeks quarantine unless you rehome from a good rescue with a mandatory quarantine).
Guinea Pig Rescue Centre Locator

Guinea pig react very differently to the loss of a companion, but they generally appreciate the stimulation of another guinea pig, whether that is as a cage companion or in case you can't find a new datable friend, one or two next door mates with interaction through the bars.
Here are more tips: Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

 

[emeraldjones]

Thank you all for your replies.

I will contact hazelcroft wiebke thanks for that. I guess I'll see what come up in a few weeks once I'm sure Rhino is well. Have booked him in for a check up next week too.

With the quarantine of a new pig, do I have to keep them separate for 2 weeks? Do they have to be in separate rooms?

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you all for your replies.

I will contact hazelcroft wiebke thanks for that. I guess I'll see what come up in a few weeks once I'm sure Rhino is well. Have booked him in for a check up next week too.

With the quarantine of a new pig, do I have to keep them separate for 2 weeks? Do they have to be in separate rooms?

If you adopt from one of our recommended rescues (you can find more in the London area via our rescue locator), then they come already quarantined and health checked/vet cleared and they can go together straight away; it is one of the major advantages for going rescue. Otherwise, I would strongly recommend to quarantine to prevent a new unquarantined and vet cleared piggy from carrying in a problem, which can develop in the two weeks of arrival in the case of ringworm etc which has got a period of 10-14 days between infection and outbreak, for instance. The stress of coming into new surroundings is especially tough for young guinea pigs with a not yet fully developed immune system.

 

[emeraldjones]

Thanks again Wiebke! Will definitely follow your advice if hazelcroft don't have any suitable guinea pigs at the moment.