A bond fallen apart

[Jess565]

My two boys have fallen out, it's my first ever bond fail. I thought they were happy together as they were bonded back in June and I have had no issues. I'm thinking it's possibly because Maurice has an underlying health problem? He's seemed fine health wise despite his diagnosis and was the submissive one of the relationship and never contested it. He's a very chilled guy and I am guessing alot older the a Vinnie. Anyway they picked the worse night to do it.
I've not been very well and struggling coping with that and last night I has an allergic reaction to an antibiotic I had been put on. I felt very unwell and was stressed out on the phone to 111 (as much use as a chocolate tea pot!) and then the guineas kicked off fighting! I have only separated them with a divide that they both have spent the night chewing. Vinnie looks like he just wants to get back to normal but Maurice is not having it and is furious when he sees him, he's not letting it lie. Poor Maurice has a cut to his lip but I couldn't see any other injuries. I've spent to night down stairs having to get up to chase them off the divide at one point it was breached so I had to reinforce it. Today I will check them over and separate the cage into two. I'm quite mad with them at the moment to feel sorry for them and I'm tired but I'm sure I will feel sad because the loved to snuggle and Vinnie relied on Maurie as support because hes so scared of everything.
I know the outcome to a failed bond, I'm just venting about my naughty pigs!

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry to hear about your boys bond - it’s so sad when it happens.
and to hear about your allergic reaction. I discovered I’m allergic to penicillin and remember having a rough few days when my allergy came to light. I hope you feel better soon

 

[Claire W]

I’m so sorry that their bond has failed I also hope you feel better soon x

 

[Jess565]

Thank you! Yes it was not a nice experience. Just very poor timing for me to deal the the guineas rolling around when I was feeling so unwell. I am usually a very attentive piggy owner but felt last night was a slapdash make do situation!

 

[Siikibam]

Firstly I’m sorry to hear about your allergic reaction to the meds. How unpleasant and horrid for you! And to top it off your boys misbehaving. Sorry they’ve fallen out. I hope you can get some rest once you’ve sorted them out. If the divider chewing continues you could cover them with something till they calm down. Then you can slowly remove and see if they’ve stopped.

 

[Jess565]

The out come of last night's fight! I had to break down their shared house and we only just have enough grids for two 2x3's with stands this will have to do in the short term. Poor Vinnie looks very lost and scared but he was the trouble maker.

 

[Jess565]

Hi guys, I thought I would post an update on my boys situation.
They are still apart, Vinnie looks like he wants to be with Maurie but Maurie is not interested at all (he's also in the end stages of his life with an huge tumor in his tummy) I did let them meet a few weeks ago because it looked like that's what they wanted. It was a full blown fight straight away. I dived between them before any damage but it was not nice for either of them.
They are housed next to each other but poor Vinnie looks like he would like contact company. Or does he? I'm not sure if he's just being territorial. Being in lock down again my options are limited and I'm not sure if it's a good idea to get more pigs when Maurie is so ill I don't want to distress him with more smells and annoying bouncing pigs trying to get his attention.
I'm thinking possibly getting Vinnie castrated so he can have a wife, as he is a wild card but loves a good snuggle buddy, boys can be hit and miss weather they like snuggles in bed together. I'm worried about him going alone to the vets and also the operation as our vets are not very specialised in exotics.
My next issue is no where local does piggy dates(when out of lockdown) in the past I have just gone to our rescue and picked blindly and I was just lucky to pick right but I think Vinnie will need to choose for himself, he's very closed to read his personality.
Do you think rescues further afield would consider us to adopt to so that he can meet some candidates? And do you think the mix of male and female bonds are more secure?

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry they aren’t getting on and for Maurie’s prognosis.

Sow/boar bonds do tend to be more stable but of course finding the right wife does still depend on character compatibility.
How old is vinnie? if you can find a good vet you can trust to neuter him, then that would be a good option. It is definitely worth looking to reaches further afield. Lockdown is of course making things much harder but if you were to neuter vinnie, then he has to have his six week wait to become infertile before he can even look to find a wife, so you’ve got time to see what it is happening lockdown wise.

Vet Locator
Rescue Locator
A Closer Look At Pairs (Boars - Sows - Mixed)

 

[Jess565]

We adopted Vinnie at the end of May and our rescue said he was about a year and a half but I don't know if I believe that as he was very small and very under weight, you know the feeling from the body shape of young pigs and compared to how solid Maurie was but it could have been because he was so underweight and he feels like he has grown in length and bulk.
I feel heartless thinking of a friend for Vinnie when Maurie is here, but I think he made it easy for us by rejecting him. I wish I was thinking of ways to help him rather than just making him comfortable. It's a difficult dilemma, but I have both of their welfares to consider before my own.

 

[anyar.dris]

I’m sorry to hear about your boys bond - it’s so sad when it happens.
and to hear about your allergic reaction. I discovered I’m allergic to penicillin and remember having a rough few days when my allergy came to light. I hope you feel better soon

I'm allergic to penicillin too! Unfortunately they found it out when I was little and was confined in the hospital for measles I think. My mum was furious with the doctors because she said I "ballooned" out! Anyway, so there, penicillin and ampicillin are banned for me.

Sorry @Jess565 for what you are going through at the moment. Hopefully at least the piggies can settle with themselves eventually. Get well soon!

 

[Jess565]

I'm allergic to penicillin too! Unfortunately they found it out when I was little and was confined in the hospital for measles I think. My mum was furious with the doctors because she said I "ballooned" out! Anyway, so there, penicillin and ampicillin are banned for me

Oh no, I've never had any issues in the past but it was some strange antibiotics I was put on, I even had to go into hospital for a small operation but I'm thankfully now fully recovered! This year has just been the worst on record. And having sick and fallen out pigs is just the icing on the cake!