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Acute grieving after 2.5 weeks?

piglette

piglette

Junior Guinea Pig
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Location
Southern Moreton Bay Islands, QLD, Australia
My old girl, Fudge, lost her cage-mate about 2.5 weeks ago (Bunny had a bladder tumour and was put to sleep).

Fudge is my only female. She seemed to be doing fine alone in her own cage, with two friendly old males in the next-door cage for companionship (they are separated by two C&C grids and can touch noses, etc.). However, over the past few days Fudge has gone downhill - to the point where she's now not eating or engaging with anyone.

I have an appointment for Fudge with a vet this afternoon. I'm also preparing for syringe-feeding and have started searching for finding a baby female I could bond Fudge with.

Could this be acute grieving - or is this unlikely after 2.5 weeks?
 
It could be grief/depression, but you are definitely smart not to assume this and to get her a full workup to check for a medical cause that could be underlying her lethargy and generally seeming unwell. Best of luck at the vet and please let us know what the feedback from the appointment is!
 
Many thanks for your replies, @Freela and @Betsy.

Feedback from the vet was tentatively positive - the vet said possibly Fudge’s teeth are a little overgrown and her urine a little sludgy, but there’s nothing major/obvious wrong. The vet was so thorough.

The plan is to start syringe feeding now, start meloxicam tomorrow if she hasn’t picked up, then have her re-checked by the dental specialist plus X-rays on Friday if she still hasn’t picked up. I think that’s reasonable?

I haven’t had any luck finding a young female pig - amazing really. I even started searching Gumtree and petshops, which was harrowing :no:
 
Do you have have any pet shops near you with an adoption centre in it? Pets at Home here in the UK have an adoption centre where they put all there unsold piggies cos people only seen to want to buy the babies.
 
I've read on the forum about the Pets at Home adoption centres, but unfortunately there's nothing similar in Brisbane. I think I found some little pigs in a petshop about 1.5 hours away, so that's potentially option tomorrow. It's evening here now so I'm just focused on the syringe-feeding - the worst but most important job!
 
Sorry you lost Bunny and Fudge seems to be grieving x
Are the rescues in Queensland too far away from you? In another thread The Fox Residence GPR and Miss Piggys GP Rescue are mentioned.
 
Thanks everyone - the first syringe feed went quite well, though the first one always seems to be the easiest, after that the pigs seem to get a bit more savvy :)

Fudge also munched down a handful of parsley, which I'm thrilled about! Unfortunately we're in drought and parsley is the hardest and most expensive veg to get :)

@Qualcast&Flymo - Thanks, The Fox Residence is close but has no youngsters. Miss Piggy's is about a 7-hour round trip, though a possibility. There are also a few others (e.g. the Gold Coast GP Rescue, the Cavy Cottage) - all about a 3-hour round trip but also options. They're on the list to contact tomorrow :)
 
So sorry for your loss.
Fingers crossed and sending healing vibes to Fudge.
Hope she is feeling better soon and you can find her a little friend.
Hugs.xx
 
I hope she is feeling better soon. It's so hard when symptoms are vague and hard to pin down. :(
 
piglette said:
My old girl, Fudge, lost her cage-mate about 2.5 weeks ago (Bunny had a bladder tumour and was put to sleep).

Fudge is my only female. She seemed to be doing fine alone in her own cage, with two friendly old males in the next-door cage for companionship (they are separated by two C&C grids and can touch noses, etc.). However, over the past few days Fudge has gone downhill - to the point where she's now not eating or engaging with anyone.

I have an appointment for Fudge with a vet this afternoon. I'm also preparing for syringe-feeding and have started searching for finding a baby female I could bond Fudge with.

Could this be acute grieving - or is this unlikely after 2.5 weeks?
Click to expand...

Hi! Good that you have Fudge vet checked. Before you diagnose depression you always need to cut out the medical angle as the stress of losing a long term friend and being alone lowers the immune system.

Please step in with syringe feeding asap as soon as piggy is losing their appetite and switch from the regular weekly weigh-in to a daily one at the same time (this to eliminate as much as possible the 30-40g weight swing over the course of a day). You can use mushed up pellets in an emergency as long as you cut off the syringe tip as shown in our guide to allow fibre to come through. It is vital to keep guinea pig guts going.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

It is less acute grieving at this point, but like with humans, some piggies can handle being on their own better than others. Old and bereaved piggies are however never too old for company, as my Calli has shown. She came here from a local friend aged 7 years when she became depressed in the wake of losing the last of her life long mates. She struggled to bond for a while before moving in with my 6 year old diva Tegan, but even the company of others though the bars meant a new zest for life. Calli lived for another 1 1/2 years and was able to celebrate her 9th birthday - something neither my friend or I expected! We both think that this is only because of her having companionship.

Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig
 
Hope you can find a little friend for Fudge and so sorry for the loss of little Bunny x
 
. You doing really well and keep up the hard work. you have received great advise and I'm not experience enough to add. I will send you my best wishes and to Fudge.
So sorry you lost a loved piggie also x
 
Thanks again for your advice and encouragement, everyone - hugely appreciated.

Fudge is so much brighter today, is eating about 1/3 of her normal intake independently (I'm still syringe-feeding Critcal Care), she is pooping semi-normally again and she has put on 30 grams (she lost 70 grams altogether). She's doing better than me - I am completely exhausted from the syringe feeding around work!

We're still looking for a little female, but other than that I'm feeling reasonably positive. @Wiebke, thanks so much for the story about Calli, it gives me hope!
 
piglette said:
Thanks again for your advice and encouragement, everyone - hugely appreciated.

Fudge is so much brighter today, is eating about 1/3 of her normal intake independently (I'm still syringe-feeding Critcal Care), she is pooping semi-normally again and she has put on 30 grams (she lost 70 grams altogether). She's doing better than me - I am completely exhausted from the syringe feeding around work!

We're still looking for a little female, but other than that I'm feeling reasonably positive. @Wiebke, thanks so much for the story about Calli, it gives me hope!
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Glad that Fudge is better again.

I know for a fact that Gold Coast Guinea Pig Rescue does rehome similar age companions for older guinea pigs pending an introduction at the rescue so you come home only with a new companion if acceptance has happened. They are your closest good standard guinea pig rescue from what I can see and well worth contacting - you and Fudge will be in very experienced and safe hands with Alex!
You can look at another sow, a neutered boar or two younger sows. Mutual linking beats age anytime, by the way.
Gold Coast Guinea Pig Rescue in Pimpama: https://www.facebook.com/goldcoast.guineapigrescue/
Alternative: The Fox Residence Guinea Pig Sanctuary, Brisbane: https://www.facebook.com/thefoxresidents/

Travelling with guinea pigs
 
Just caught up with this thread.
Good to hear Fudge is improving.
Hope you can find her a companion soon.
Just a thought - if you're getting youngsters have you considered a pair so that you don't get left with one when Fudge passes away as she's older?
I did that when my 3 year old Merab lost her cagemate and she was really happy with the 2 baby girls.
 
Thanks @Wiebke, that's excellent to know. I could definitely use a hand with the bonding process as I have limited experience with sows and Fudge is fussy, so I will follow up with the Gold Coast GP Rescue. I was only peripherally aware of them before this process, but I read their website last night and they look so excellent and ethical. It's so hard to find good support/advice in Australia, it's a terrifying minefield.

@Merab's Slave - Yes, I've definitely considered a pair of pigs as companions for Fudge (she was originally in a happy group of three, before the older girls passed). I'm really trying to control my herd size (I have 13) but might have to rethink that! I will do some more research and see what we can come up with that works.

Thanks again everyone, so greatly appreciate your time :)
 
piglette said:
Thanks @Wiebke, that's excellent to know. I could definitely use a hand with the bonding process as I have limited experience with sows and Fudge is fussy, so I will follow up with the Gold Coast GP Rescue. I was only peripherally aware of them before this process, but I read their website last night and they look so excellent and ethical. It's so hard to find good support/advice in Australia, it's a terrifying minefield.

@Merab's Slave - Yes, I've definitely considered a pair of pigs as companions for Fudge (she was originally in a happy group of three, before the older girls passed). I'm really trying to control my herd size (I have 13) but might have to rethink that! I will do some more research and see what we can come up with that works.

Thanks again everyone, so greatly appreciate your time :)
Click to expand...

I would never recommend a rescue I had concerns about without mentioning them and only if there was really no other alternative within reasonable reach. ;)

Gold Coast GPR is a rescue I have been following for some years now and Alex knows me, both from my rescue friendly fb page Wiebke's Tribe but also from being the rescue coordinator of Guinea Pig Magazine. I can vouch for her and her ethics, as well as her experience - there is little about piggies she doesn't know! She has piggies of all ages in rescue, so Fudge should be able to find a friend of some sort - even if it is a live alongside option. ;)
 
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