Sudden death

[Jonny the cat]

My kids two Guinea Pigs were 7 weeks old when bought from the pet shop. 2 months on and sadly one of them developed diarrhea this afternoon and has passed away almost within the hour. She was fine the previous day very active and eating normally. Our kids are devasted. Diet consisted of hay, dried food, greens. All the good stuff but not excessive. Plenty of water.
The other piggy is fine.

What should be our next steps?

 

[Bradshaw Piggies]

I’m so very sorry for your loss.
Unfortunately these things can happen and happen quickly (piggies as prey animals hide illness well).
Unfortunately pet shop bred piggies can come with a whole range of issues. I would be tempted to have your other piggy checked out by a vet following the illness and death of their cage mate. That way if there is a problem you can get on top of it fast for her.

Your piggy is still very young and will need to find a new friend ASAP. Are there any rescues local to you that you can contact? They can assist in finding a friend.

Again, I’m sorry for your loss. Thinking of you all at this sad time.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I am so sorry for your loss. Its such a shock when things happen so fast.

The guides below will be of help to you - the first is how to look after your remaining piggy, what signs to watch out for etc. She will also be grieving. A vet check would be a good idea.
She will need a new friend much quicker than you are likely to be ready for a new piggy though.

The second guide will be of help to you and your children.

Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig
Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children

 

[Jonny the cat]

Thanks for your kind words. I'm goingbto getvthe other one to the vet tomorrow to check her over. Ill getvthe cage cleaned out thoroughly. Ill look into getting a new friend for cookie.
Would you go for one a similar age if available?
If none available should I just get another pet shop one.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thanks for your kind words. I'm goingbto getvthe other one to the vet tomorrow to check her over. Ill getvthe cage cleaned out thoroughly. Ill look into getting a new friend for cookie.
Would you go for one a similar age if available?
If none available should I just get another pet shop one.

Character compatibility and mutual liking is the most important part of a bond, not age. A successful bond relies on one piggy being dominant and one being submissive. A rescue can help find a suitable friend - may be an older piggy or it could just as easily be a similar/younger piggy.

If you cannot find a rescue nearby, then yes a pet shop piggy is going to the next place to look to. There are things you need to know though if you do get a pet shop piggy
- ensure you check the sex of the new piggy yourself. Pet shop missexing happens and you don’t want to find you’ve brought home a boy and then you’ve got a complicated situation on your hands
- you cannot quarantine a guinea pig under four months of age and must go through the neutral territory bonding procedure as soon as you bring the new piggy home.
- bonding piggies is a specific procedure - you cannot just put a new piggy into the cage with your existing piggy. This guide Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics explains the process. You need a neutral territory pen, put the piggies in it for several hours and watch them and ensure they like each other. Clean down the cage they are to live in so your current piggy no longer sees it as her territory and if the meeting in the bonding pen is successful, then after a few hours you can move them into the cleaned out cage to live together from then on.

 

[weepweeps]

I’m so sorry for your loss. I hope you find a friend for cookie soon. . I had a very young piggy pass away late last year. It was just before the second lockdown so while most people were panic buying loo roll I had to panic buy a piggy friend. Best of luck.

 

[tabelmabel]

If you cannot find a rescue nearby, then yes a pet shop piggy is going to the next place to look to.

This is interesting - would you recommend pet shop over a breeder? I know the forum is anti- breeding and I'm not a breeder myself but when my lone adult sow failed to bond at the rescue, i put all my efforts into finding a breeder. I ruled out p@h entirely, not wanting to support that market at all.

Not wanting to cause any argument/debate - just curious as to the forum's order of recommended sources really


I know your advice is always spot on so this has surprised me . . .


Sorry you lost one of your piggies so quickly, OP. Wishing you all the very best in finding a compatible companion soon.

 

[weepweeps]

Pets at home wouldn’t sell me a lone piggy. I tried three different stores in my area. Which I thought was really annoying at the time. But looking back I can understand why they wouldn’t. Even though I told them it would be living with my existing piggy. So I ended up using a breeder. You gotta do what you gotta do. Worked out ok in the end.

 

[Siikibam]

I’m sorry for your loss. I hope your girl will get the all clear at the vets. I hope you can find him a friend soon.

@tabelmabel the recommendation is always a rescue, if you have access to any and your bereaved piggy can wait. But in the interest of their welfare, it is sometimes necessary to go to a breeder or pet shop. They both have their downsides so I don’t know that one is preferable over another. The difference is that if you get a piggy from a pet shop that falls ill within a certain time frame (usually two weeks I think) then you are well within your rights to chase them for vet fees etc.

 

[Bill & Ted]

I’m so sorry for your sudden loss, sending hugs x
Sleep tight little piggie

 

[tabelmabel]

Thanks for the explanation @Siikibam. I really, really tried to get belle a companion at the rescue but she was having none of it! So all the pigs i have had so far (6) have been from breeders.

Maybe i was lucky, the breeder who bred my original rex pair in particular was an absolute mine of info and remained on hand right through their lives.

I just would have expected breeder pigs to be healthier - they definitely wont mis sex them anyway

Maybe things have improved with p@h? I saw that programme years ago on their pigs and where they came from and that has stuck in my head as something i dont want to buy into.

Though i was getting pretty desperate for belle; she was such a choosy madam. The breeder i got ebony from did offer to take her back if the bonding failed and didnt charge me until the fortnight had passed. Then just took £20 for her which is probs similar to a pet shop.


I will definitely be heading to the rescue again though in future and one day I'm sure i will be able to home some rescue pigs

 

[Siikibam]

Thanks for the explanation @Siikibam. I really, really tried to get belle a companion at the rescue but she was having none of it! So all the pigs i have had so far (6) have been from breeders.

Maybe i was lucky, the breeder who bred my original rex pair in particular was an absolute mine of info and remained on hand right through their lives.

I just would have expected breeder pigs to be healthier - they definitely wont mis sex them anyway

Maybe things have improved with p@h? I saw that programme years ago on their pigs and where they came from and that has stuck in my head as something i dont want to buy into.

Though i was getting pretty desperate for belle; she was such a choosy madam. The breeder i got ebony from did offer to take her back if the bonding failed and didnt charge me until the fortnight had passed. Then just took £20 for her which is probs similar to a pet shop.


I will definitely be heading to the rescue again though in future and one day I'm sure i will be able to home some rescue pigs

The thing is that anyone can call themselves a breeder. It’s not regulated and I think there have been instances of pregnant or missexed piggies hence suggesting you proceed with caution.

 

[Black piggies]

Sorry for your loss. I got a piggy from the adoption area of Pets at Home. He'd been there alone for many weeks, and I felt that was kind of rescuing him. My local shop used to have more piggies out the back as well as in the front areas.

 

[Piggies&buns]

@tabelmabel
I feel It’s kind of six of one and half a dozen of the other. Pet shops are a business, the piggies are still from breeders. Breeders can also be breeding because they are actually into showing and instead just want to dispose of the ones which don’t make the standard. One isn’t better than the other, I didn’t mean it to come across that way. I personally would choose a shop over a breeder though because of the rights a shop has to offer to a customer in case of problems/vet care/missexing etc.
Piggies being sold in larger chain stores can come from rodent mills. Piggies sold in smaller non chain local shops can to, but not always. The shop local to me get their piggies from one local breeder whom the shop staff know, and know her welfare standards etc.
We see many posts from people who have problems with breeder direct piggies - they do mis-sex them, they do sell them with fungal infections, they do sell sows who end up being pregnant after not being separated from their brothers in time etc.

 

[tabelmabel]

Thanks @Piggies&buns - that is so interesting. The only pet shop we have around my area that sells live pets is p@h which i always think of as 'rodent mill'

I think i struck very lucky. It was my vet that put me in touch with the rex breeder. I really didnt know much about pigs at all when i went to meet her but she was very knowledgable and told me so much info about the rex breed plus actually demo of how to clean the boar bits, the importance of weighing, all over weekly health check. Fantastic.

She stayed in touch and was always just a phone call away for any worries. I later had a baby dutch boar from her (mike, who i lost at christmas just past) and again she was very good. She was totally against me getting him neutered and travelled to the vet with me and quizzed him thoroughly before deciding he knew what he was doing!

This is the kind of breeder lifetime support i have had with my 2 dogs as well so i just had in my head that guinea pig breeders, like breeders of quality pups that breed dogs for showing and/or working were breeding pigs of a higher health quality than a pet shop (puppy farm equivalent?)

Little ebony that i have now was from a breeder and not up to show standard as she has red hairs in her black coat. In actual fact, i had her at the vet already as she was a bit chesty so it will be interesting to see how she goes health wise.



As for a breeder mis sexing - i am really surprised and shocked at that part. I would have thought basic pig anatomy would have been an absolute doddle for any serious hobby breeder


I think id always go breeder over pet shop but that is because i have so far had very positive experiences with breeders. But rescue for sure as a first choice!

 

[Jonny the cat]

Wee update. We buried Fudge yesterday. Kids decorated a wee box and put some messages on it.
Cookie is doing fine. Being given loads of attention.
Papers submitted for adoption for new buddy for Cookie. Thanks again for your support and kind words.