Older boar.

[n3ss]

I don't know if this is in the right section - if it is i apologise!

Basically, a friend of mine had a beautiful pair of boars, they are around 5-6 years old. A lemon agouti and the other a sheltie.

I noticed that her one guinea (the agouti) was moving a little awkwardly and had lost an incredible amount of weight (700g whereas his friend was 1.2). His head was slightly tilted but she wasn't sure how long it had been tilted for. She took them straight to the vet and they said not to hold out much hope for the smaller one, he had a problem with his teeth and they had developed strangely and it had been kept at bay by giving him lots of things to gnaw on but as he got older he preferred not to chew on tougher things and they'd become a problem for him.

Sadly the next day he really did take a turn for the worst. His eyes were going pinker round the edges and he wasn't passing any bowel movements so she made the decision that if she kept him she'd be being cruel - so she let him go to sleep. Poor little sweetie

Now the problem my friend has now is that the other pig is depressed and she doesn't want to leave him alone as he's been so dependant on his partner. I said maybe she should get him neutered and find him a wife, but the vet advised against it because of his age.

Is this accurate? any suggestions of what she can do? (she doesn't have the internet at the moment - hence me posting this on her behalf)

Would it be worth introducing a male or letting him find his own friend? - I know i've posted questions like this before on behalf of my girls, but i didn't know if it would be different for males and because of his age.

 

[The Source of Cucumber]

I was in a very similar situation to you recently. Roddy had to be put to sleep due to his defective jaw that couldn't be successfully operated on, leaving his brother alone. I deliberated over getting Scoffer a young companion, but was worried about his age (over 5) and having to adapt. He has tumours and the vet only gave him a few months to live (that was nearly a year ago!)

I decided to leave him on his own, but to bring him into the kitchen and give him loads of treats, conversation and attention. He seems happy, but it is difficult to know whether I did the right thing.

 

[piggyfan]

I personally would not get him neutered due to his age but there is no reason why he cannot be taken boar dating were he can choose his own boar as a friend. All the rescues on here would let that happen. It is better he chooses his own friend as there is less chance of any falling out.

 

[Wiebke]

Your friend's boy is too old now to be neutered, frankly - any operation on an older piggy is risky. However, boar dating is always an option. There are adult boars in rescue, not just younger ones, but it may take a bit of ringing round and travelling.
Here is a list of recommended guinea pig rescues. Please note that the RSPCA Walsall does not offer boar dating, only sow-sow or sow-neutered boar dating.
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=209994852075231951564.0004b8fd9391b4257d8eb&msa=0

RNGP Welfare in Rugby is the only rescue I know that spays any incoming sows as a matter of policy; there can be a bit of a wait though. It is always worth enquiring, though, especially as she has just had a lot of (mainly pregnant) sows dumped on her drive not so long ago!
http://www.rngp.org/

 

[n3ss]

Thank you all so much
I shall pass all of this on! Thank youuuuu