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Recovery of a rescue piggie.

C

Charlieboom

New Born Pup
Joined
Jan 28, 2025
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Location
Australia
Hi Everyone!
I want to start this with the back story as I don’t want people to get the wrong idea, or believe I’m not fit to be taking care of this Guinea pig. I am a 20year old Business Manager in Australia; i work my own hours & when I’m not working I'm usually just relaxing with family. I have my own apartment, and home is a quiet, and peaceful place for me.

About 6 months ago, I noticed a Guinea pig living in my garden. How he got there was a mystery to me, as I live in the city, near motorways, shops, corporate buildings, & high rise apartments. I first of tried to catch him nurnerous times so that I could rehome him. However he loves to run, and of course always too scared to get too close to me.

He was happy in the garden, and I’d noticed a lot of burrows, and tunnels which I can only imagine took a long time for him to build. I fell in-love with him and his personality and whilst I still wasn’t able to capture him, would check on him multiple times daily, and give him Guinea pig pellets, treats & fresh fruit and veg to ensure he was receiving the vitamins and nutrients he needs.

I thought perhaps if I bought a Guinea pig of my own and he lived in a enclosure in my apartment, that once he got used to me I could take him to the garden and they could be friends and play in the garden together although the goal would be to rehome the wild one also.

However after getting back from the gym last night at 2am I heard him screaming outside which wasn’t normal so I went out and he was in a cats mouth ☹️. I scared the cat off and ofc was in shock and unsure of what to do as I thought he was going to pass however took him to an emergency vet, and was able to get him cleaned up and have been sent home with antibiotics, and pain relief to give him over a course of 7 days along with critical care feed to syringe feed him.

He is in a lot of shock, and I believe his a strong little guy and will hold in.. but could it be helpful to put him with my Guinea pig, or keep him seperate? I have him in his own little home at the moment, and checking on him constantly although this is new to me, and scary.
 
Charlieboom said:
Hi Everyone!
I want to start this with the back story as I don’t want people to get the wrong idea, or believe I’m not fit to be taking care of this Guinea pig. I am a 20year old Business Manager in Australia; i work my own hours & when I’m not working I'm usually just relaxing with family. I have my own apartment, and home is a quiet, and peaceful place for me.

About 6 months ago, I noticed a Guinea pig living in my garden. How he got there was a mystery to me, as I live in the city, near motorways, shops, corporate buildings, & high rise apartments. I first of tried to catch him nurnerous times so that I could rehome him. However he loves to run, and of course always too scared to get too close to me.

He was happy in the garden, and I’d noticed a lot of burrows, and tunnels which I can only imagine took a long time for him to build. I fell in-love with him and his personality and whilst I still wasn’t able to capture him, would check on him multiple times daily, and give him Guinea pig pellets, treats & fresh fruit and veg to ensure he was receiving the vitamins and nutrients he needs.

I thought perhaps if I bought a Guinea pig of my own and he lived in a enclosure in my apartment, that once he got used to me I could take him to the garden and they could be friends and play in the garden together although the goal would be to rehome the wild one also.

However after getting back from the gym last night at 2am I heard him screaming outside which wasn’t normal so I went out and he was in a cats mouth ☹️. I scared the cat off and ofc was in shock and unsure of what to do as I thought he was going to pass however took him to an emergency vet, and was able to get him cleaned up and have been sent home with antibiotics, and pain relief to give him over a course of 7 days along with critical care feed to syringe feed him.

He is in a lot of shock, and I believe his a strong little guy and will hold in.. but could it be helpful to put him with my Guinea pig, or keep him seperate? I have him in his own little home at the moment, and checking on him constantly although this is new to me, and scary.
Click to expand...

I have also arranged an appointment with a specialist vet for in a weeks time, so that I can get a full health check done and find out gender, age, desexing, vaccinations ect
 
I’m sorry to hear this. Well done for getting him to the vet.

Please keep him separate for now - particularly if you don’t know their sexes.
Bonding is a very stressful event and he is in no state to go through the stress of it.

Ideally he should be quarantined in a separate room to your piggy for the next two weeks - to ensure s/he doesn’t have any transmissible illness and to allow him to get over the shock of his previous situation.
Once he is on the mend, you can move their cages beside each other and they can live side by side.
They can stay like that permanently; or when both are ready you can attempt to bond them which could mean being separate for a few weeks for them to settle and get used to each other side by side.
Bonding is a specific event - you cannot just put them inside one of their cages together as it will cause fights. They have to meet on neutral territory and see if they are compatible and able to form a hierarchy.

As piggies should never be kept by themselves, you must make sure you permanently have two piggies. If they are compatible and bond then they live in the same cage (if they are two boys then the cage needs to be 180x60; two girls and it’s 150x60cm; or one of each and it’s 150x60cm) permanently. If they don’t bond and need to remain separate but side by side then each cage needs to be a minimum of 120x60).
If they aren’t compatible and don’t bond then they live separately but side by side permanently. This enables interaction and companionship through the bars without ever having to share territory.

If you have two boys or two girls, then nobody need to be desexed.
If you have one of each and intend to bond them then yes the male would need to be desexed and kept apart for six weeks after the neutering surgery as he will remain fertile for that time.

Do note that piggies do not do play dates so as well intentioned as it was they your piggy go and play with him, it would not have worked or have been the right thing to do. Piggies either have to be properly bonded and remain together permanently or be kept apart in separate but side by side cages. You must not put them together and then separate and then put them together again as that causes stress

For now, make sure you are weighing him every morning so you ensure he is getting enough syringe feed to keep his weight stable.
Make sure hay is constantly available.
Hay is the most important part is the diet, it makes up three quarters of their daily food intake. One cup of veg can be given every day. And just one tablespoon of pellets (these are the least important part of the diet). Please don’t feed fruit as it isn’t good for them - it’s too high in sugar and not something natural in their diet.

I have added guides below which will help you further but please do ask questions - we are all here to help

Wiebke

Thread 'Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support'

1 Weight and Weight Loss
- Why regular weight monitoring matters
- How weight changes over a lifetime
- How to weigh on your kitchen scales (with video)
- The weight loss rules
- How critical is the weight loss for my piggy?
- Possible causes for weight loss
2 Body Mass Index (BMI) or 'Heft'
- Why is understanding your piggy's weight so important?
- 'Average' weight vs. individual weight - the big trip up
- How to check for the BMI...
  • Like
  • Love
Wiebke

Thread 'All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures'

Introduction
1 Choosing the right place to medicate/feed your piggy
2 Guinea pig whispering and asserting your authority
3 Recovery products and emergency improvisation
4 Syringe recommendations
5 Weight monitoring: your biggest ally
6 Weight loss guidelines and when to step in with feeding
7 Syringe feeding amounts/frequency advice
8 Practical medication and syringing tips (incl. missed a dose)
9 Medicating and feeding cooperative guinea pigs (videos)
10 Medicating and feeding uncooperative guinea pigs (hold pictures and tips)
11 The line between...
  • Like
  • Love

Wiebke

Thread 'New Owners' Essential Information and Practical Tips Starter Collection'

Contents Overview
1 What This Collection Is About
2 Guinea Pigs as Pets
- Family and Classroom Pets
- Sourcing Your Guinea Pigs, Common Pitfalls and Your Customer Rights
- Human Pet Anxiety: Practical Tips for Sufferers and Supporters
- Naming and Finding Out the Breed
- Guinea Pig Facts: An Overview
3 Living Environment
- Housing (with sourcing tips)
- Bedding (with...
  • Like
Wiebke

Thread 'Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets'

1 The recommended ratio of food groups
2 Hay and fresh grass
3 Vegetables, fresh herbs and fruit with an illustrated balanced sample diet
4 Special dietary needs
- Urinary tract infections, bladder stones and sterile IC (non-bacterial interstitial cystitis)
- Diabetes and long term digestive problems
- Impaction in boars
- Pregnancy and nursing dietary tweaks (only visible to registered members who have accepted our no intentional breeding policy)...
  • Like

Wiebke

Thread 'Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated Bonding Dynamics and Behaviours'

1 Introduction
2 Pre-bonding
- Quarantine and sexing
- The need for a plan B
- The rule-breaker: Youngsters under 4 months (sub-teenage)
3 Setting up an introduction
- Getting to know each other
- ‘Buddy baths’ – why not
- Scent swapping - why not
- Setting up a neutral bonding area
- How to start the bonding
4 Acceptance phase: Do we like...
  • Like
 
Welcome to the forum and thank you for rescuing him/her, that must have been a shock.
Advice given on this forum is very good but also consistent. It would be lovely if you keep us updated on progress please.
 
Piggies&buns said:
I’m sorry to hear this. Well done for getting him to the vet.

Please keep him separate for now - particularly if you don’t know their sexes.
Bonding is a very stressful event and he is in no state to go through the stress of it.

Ideally he should be quarantined in a separate room to your piggy for the next two weeks - to ensure s/he doesn’t have any transmissible illness and to allow him to get over the shock of his previous situation.
Once he is on the mend, you can move their cages beside each other and they can live side by side.
They can stay like that permanently; or when both are ready you can attempt to bond them which could mean being separate for a few weeks for them to settle and get used to each other side by side.
Bonding is a specific event - you cannot just put them inside one of their cages together as it will cause fights. They have to meet on neutral territory and see if they are compatible and able to form a hierarchy.

As piggies should never be kept by themselves, you must make sure you permanently have two piggies. If they are compatible and bond then they live in the same cage (if they are two boys then the cage needs to be 180x60; two girls and it’s 150x60cm; or one of each and it’s 150x60cm) permanently. If they don’t bond and need to remain separate but side by side then each cage needs to be a minimum of 120x60).
If they aren’t compatible and don’t bond then they live separately but side by side permanently. This enables interaction and companionship through the bars without ever having to share territory.

If you have two boys or two girls, then nobody need to be desexed.
If you have one of each and intend to bond them then yes the male would need to be desexed and kept apart for six weeks after the neutering surgery as he will remain fertile for that time.

Do note that piggies do not do play dates so as well intentioned as it was they your piggy go and play with him, it would not have worked or have been the right thing to do. Piggies either have to be properly bonded and remain together permanently or be kept apart in separate but side by side cages. You must not put them together and then separate and then put them together again as that causes stress

For now, make sure you are weighing him every morning so you ensure he is getting enough syringe feed to keep his weight stable.
Make sure hay is constantly available.
Hay is the most important part is the diet, it makes up three quarters of their daily food intake. One cup of veg can be given every day. And just one tablespoon of pellets (these are the least important part of the diet). Please don’t feed fruit as it isn’t good for them - it’s too high in sugar and not something natural in their diet.

I have added guides below which will help you further but please do ask questions - we are all here to help

Wiebke

Thread 'Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support'

1 Weight and Weight Loss
- Why regular weight monitoring matters
- How weight changes over a lifetime
- How to weigh on your kitchen scales (with video)
- The weight loss rules
- How critical is the weight loss for my piggy?
- Possible causes for weight loss
2 Body Mass Index (BMI) or 'Heft'
- Why is understanding your piggy's weight so important?
- 'Average' weight vs. individual weight - the big trip up
- How to check for the BMI...
  • Like
  • Love
Wiebke

Thread 'All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures'

Introduction
1 Choosing the right place to medicate/feed your piggy
2 Guinea pig whispering and asserting your authority
3 Recovery products and emergency improvisation
4 Syringe recommendations
5 Weight monitoring: your biggest ally
6 Weight loss guidelines and when to step in with feeding
7 Syringe feeding amounts/frequency advice
8 Practical medication and syringing tips (incl. missed a dose)
9 Medicating and feeding cooperative guinea pigs (videos)
10 Medicating and feeding uncooperative guinea pigs (hold pictures and tips)
11 The line between...
  • Like
  • Love

Wiebke

Thread 'New Owners' Essential Information and Practical Tips Starter Collection'

Contents Overview
1 What This Collection Is About
2 Guinea Pigs as Pets
- Family and Classroom Pets
- Sourcing Your Guinea Pigs, Common Pitfalls and Your Customer Rights
- Human Pet Anxiety: Practical Tips for Sufferers and Supporters
- Naming and Finding Out the Breed
- Guinea Pig Facts: An Overview
3 Living Environment
- Housing (with sourcing tips)
- Bedding (with...
  • Like
Wiebke

Thread 'Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets'

1 The recommended ratio of food groups
2 Hay and fresh grass
3 Vegetables, fresh herbs and fruit with an illustrated balanced sample diet
4 Special dietary needs
- Urinary tract infections, bladder stones and sterile IC (non-bacterial interstitial cystitis)
- Diabetes and long term digestive problems
- Impaction in boars
- Pregnancy and nursing dietary tweaks (only visible to registered members who have accepted our no intentional breeding policy)...
  • Like

Wiebke

Thread 'Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated Bonding Dynamics and Behaviours'

1 Introduction
2 Pre-bonding
- Quarantine and sexing
- The need for a plan B
- The rule-breaker: Youngsters under 4 months (sub-teenage)
3 Setting up an introduction
- Getting to know each other
- ‘Buddy baths’ – why not
- Scent swapping - why not
- Setting up a neutral bonding area
- How to start the bonding
4 Acceptance phase: Do we like...
  • Like
Click to expand...
Thank you so very much! I really appreciate your help! And will look into the sources attached!
 
fluffysal said:
Welcome to the forum and thank you for rescuing him/her, that must have been a shock.
Advice given on this forum is very good but also consistent. It would be lovely if you keep us updated on progress please.
Click to expand...
Hi,
Thank you so much! I will definitely keep in contact with how he is doing, I’ve just medicated, and fed him for the second time today and he seems to be doing okay given his circumstances. I will also be working from home over the next few days, to ensure his wellbeing!
 
Welcome to the forum. Fingers crossed they make a complete recovery. Can’t wait to hear more about your piggies.
 
Welcome to the forum
Poor little guy what an ordeal he’s been through, but he’s a lucky he piggie, he’s got you and I’m sure he’ll pull through with your care
 
Wowee, poor piggy! He certainly picked the right garden to visit! Thank you so much for rescuing him - hopefully hell be all better in no time 🤞❤️
 
Hello Everyone!

I wanted to check in, to give you all an update on how the little guy is going! And he is doing amazing! On about day 3, there was visible difference in his energy levels, and he seemed to be moving around more.
Whilst he was definitely showing signs of getting better, I believe quite frightened to also be in my care, and contained in an enclosed home.. as his been roaming freely for quite a while from what I know off, and for him would be 6+ years which is a very long time.

Day 4 & 5 he wanted to fight me to get his medicine down. This was stressful and a worry at the time as I just wanted him to get better, but we got there in the end. Took a lot of patience, and trying to trick him via feeding food (critical care) and water in between (also in syringe).

Day 6 I was able to get his pain relief down and half of his medicine, however he really would not take is no matter how much I tried.. whilst this was a worry and at the time considered to go to a vet unfortunately this was on Sunday, and no general vets are open on this day. I did consider taking him to emergency vet so they could help get the medicine down but instead observed him through the day, and tried again later, with success. On this day he was also happy to eat some spinach leaves, and a bit of celery in the evening, which was incredible!

Yesterday was day 7 since his attack, and the first time I’ve heard him wheek 🥹 since being free in the garden.This was such a happy moment for me, and proud moment for him as it was a sign his health was improving significantly. Not only that but today his eaten carrot, celery, And some Mesclun salad mix.

Today he looks furthermore recovered, and he has been an absolute champion with his eating! His eaten carrot, celery, some Mesclun salad mix, hay, food pellets and little treat too! I have attached photo of the “treat” and food pellets.

Thank you everyone for all of your support, advice, and positivity! It means a lot! It tears me up to see how far his come and I am really so proud of him! I’ve named him Charlie, and whilst I’m still unaware of gender, we are headed to the specialist vet tomorrow to do a general health check up, and check up on injury and ect. He just gives boy vibes so I don’t mean to disrespect anyone when I refer to him as a he; but we will know tomorrow, and I will be sure to share!
 

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Charlieboom said:
Hello Everyone!

I wanted to check in, to give you all an update on how the little guy is going! And he is doing amazing! On about day 3, there was visible difference in his energy levels, and he seemed to be moving around more.
Whilst he was definitely showing signs of getting better, I believe quite frightened to also be in my care, and contained in an enclosed home.. as his been roaming freely for quite a while from what I know off, and for him would be 6+ years which is a very long time.

Day 4 & 5 he wanted to fight me to get his medicine down. This was stressful and a worry at the time as I just wanted him to get better, but we got there in the end. Took a lot of patience, and trying to trick him via feeding food (critical care) and water in between (also in syringe).

Day 6 I was able to get his pain relief down and half of his medicine, however he really would not take is no matter how much I tried.. whilst this was a worry and at the time considered to go to a vet unfortunately this was on Sunday, and no general vets are open on this day. I did consider taking him to emergency vet so they could help get the medicine down but instead observed him through the day, and tried again later, with success. On this day he was also happy to eat some spinach leaves, and a bit of celery in the evening, which was incredible!

Yesterday was day 7 since his attack, and the first time I’ve heard him wheek 🥹 since being free in the garden.This was such a happy moment for me, and proud moment for him as it was a sign his health was improving significantly. Not only that but today his eaten carrot, celery, And some Mesclun salad mix.

Today he looks furthermore recovered, and he has been an absolute champion with his eating! His eaten carrot, celery, some Mesclun salad mix, hay, food pellets and little treat too! I have attached photo of the “treat” and food pellets.

Thank you everyone for all of your support, advice, and positivity! It means a lot! It tears me up to see how far his come and I am really so proud of him! I’ve named him Charlie, and whilst I’m still unaware of gender, we are headed to the specialist vet tomorrow to do a general health check up, and check up on injury and ect. He just gives boy vibes so I don’t mean to disrespect anyone when I refer to him as a he; but we will know tomorrow, and I will be sure to share!
Click to expand...
So glad Charlie is doing so well, make sure Charlie gets plenty of hay at all times to keep his gut and teeth in good health. You’ve done an amazing job caring for him so well 👍
 
Ramia said:
My boys love those treats! What a remarkable rescue!
Click to expand...
Aren’t they incredible! My boy that I bought absolutely loves them also, hence why I have them.. Charlie wasn’t liking the critical care mix, so Id started to also crush 1 up, and mix in with his critical care, and he was much more willing to eat! Whilst I was syringe feeding him!
 
Good to hear Charlie is doing well.
When any of mine have been in need of syringe feeding I’ve mashed a small piece of banana into the mush.
I also put a small dish in the cage.
It’s always been very popular.
 
I haven’t wanted to bother him too much whilst in recovery. I keep him in a dark environment beside my piggies cage, and avoid turning lights or opening curtains around him.. I only go near his enclosure to feed or medicate him, and sometimes check on him also. I can get a photo at the vet tomorrow as he will of course be exposed to light, but even with my piggie, I always keep the environment around his enclosure quite dim (no lights, only natural lighting from open windows) and he is super happy to be running around and playing nearly all of the time.

These are photos from when Charlie was in my garden! 😊
 

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Charlie's lovely! Thank you for rescuing him/her! Previous owner dumped him/her in or near your garden is my guess. While that is a terrible thing to do to a guinea, this particular little piggy is very lucky that it was your garden.
 
fluffysal said:
Oh what gorgeous markings, he/she looks thin but I bet that won't last.
Click to expand...
Could he/she be not fully grown as well?

I was told that cats won't normally grab a guinea partly because guineas are too big, not being mouse-sized or even rat-sized (tho the latter are apparently gettign bigger), not that I'd trust a cat around my guineas...
 
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