And Then There Were Three! New Member Of Our Tribe!

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Strawberries

Strawberries

Junior Guinea Pig
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I have a new guinea pig!

My two guinea pigs...Honey Bee and Penny, are now 3.5 years old and since they are getting up into their senior year/s I thought it was time to add a piggy, so when the inevitable happens, I don't end up with a single lonely pig.

So I bought a new little girl. She is about 5 months old...maybe 4.5 months old...
It's been a rough start...there are no rescue's around here...so I got her the same place I got my first two girls. They are a better than average pet store, very clean cages...it's a chain and each store only carries either boys or girls...so there is no accidental mixing...always fresh hay...and they have a vet who shares space with them and cares for any sick animals they may have.

So anyway...I tried to pick a girl with an outgoing personality from a group of about 6 adorable little ones. I took her home and put her in isolation...

After 5 days in isolation, she developed upper respiratory infection. She got really lethargic, and had goopy eyes, and a snotty nose and her eyes were closed mostly. She was still eating, but not much...I noticed her declining on a Tuesday night and the next day...Wednesday, she got worse fast so I got her back in time to see the vet Wednesday evening before they closed....She was still "under warrantee" so I took her back to the pet store where you formally return them and get your money back (I guess for legal reasons), and then they see the vet and the pet store pays for it, and the vet gave her a 10 day course of antibiotics and the pet store kept her and took care of her during the time she was sick...she kept her appetite and actually gained weight while she was being treated with the antibiotics...she must be a strong little girl...and on about the 11 or 12th day I got her back. I really didn't expect it...I thought she would not make it, she looked so terrible when I brought her back to the store...I read so many horror stories on here about antibiotics...anyway, I did catch it early...I know exactly what to watch out for thanks to all of you and she came through it like a champ. The kept her a few days after her antibiotic course and then I got to buy her again (and I get another 14 day "warrantee" in case anything else goes wrong, and I'm really impressed with the care they gave her when she was ill...they absolutely would have hand fed her if she would have required it, they brought it up even without me having to ask).

I've had her back over a week now (in isolation again because I don't really trust that she wasn't re-exposed to something while she was there, better safe than sorry) and she is doing really well...she doesn't come out and explore much...she still keeps much to herself, but her eyes are bright, her poops are normal...and she loves her pellets, carrots, and vit c tablets. I can't wait to introduce her to Penny and Honey next weekend. I'm so glad I kept them apart and that Penny and Honey were not exposed. The little pig is letting me pet her head and scratch behind her ears while I feed her carrots...so that is a good start...and I know she explores and eats when no one is looking...I see all her trails and poops all over the cage...even if she is always in the pigloo when I peek in at her. I tried to specifically pick and outgoing piggie this time. She still doesn't have a name...not until she has passed her isolation period and seems to be getting on OK with the girls....then I'll name her. Right now I'm leaning towards the name Nutmeg but Clover is in the running too.

IMG_5840.webp IMG_5842.webp

Here are pigtures of the sweet little thing...I'm so glad she didn't pass over the rainbow before I got to get to know her better...
 
Lovely la'al piggy, hopefully the two old girls will accept her with little fuss. ;)
 
She's beautiful, and what a little fighter. Hope the bonding goes well once she has the all clear.
 
Hi it is nice to see you back and know your girls are doing well. Congratulations on your new baby. I hope the bonding goes well.
 
What a little cutie and fighter! What is her name?

Please keep her next to your girls for a few days, so they can meet through the bars. That will hopefully cut down on any hostiility and stress dring the intros.

If things don't go quite well, as two well bonded middle aged piggies sometimes don't take to an intruder into their cosy twosome, would you consider getting another young girl to help form a mini group with different dynamics - acceptance is much more easily obtained than with just a single addition. Please be aware that any youngsters are usually put into place quite, quite by adult sows and that youngsters can be very vocal and dramatic, especially when it comes to submission screaming and broadcasting any feelings!

You may want to have a good read through our guides in preparation to the intros:
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/introducing-and-re-introducing-guinea-pigs.38562/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/sow-behaviour.38561/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/dominance-behaviours-in-guinea-pigs.28949/
 
Wiebke said:
What a little cutie and fighter! What is her name?

Please keep her next to your girls for a few days, so they can meet through the bars. That will hopefully cut down on any hostiility and stress dring the intros.

If things don't go quite well, as two well bonded middle aged piggies sometimes don't take to an intruder into their cosy twosome, would you consider getting another young girl to help form a mini group with different dynamics - acceptance is much more easily obtained than with just a single addition. Please be aware that any youngsters are usually put into place quite, quite by adult sows and that youngsters can be very vocal and dramatic, especially when it comes to submission screaming and broadcasting any feelings!

You may want to have a good read through our guides in preparation to the intros:
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/introducing-and-re-introducing-guinea-pigs.38562/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/sow-behaviour.38561/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/dominance-behaviours-in-guinea-pigs.28949/
Click to expand...

Thanks for the links Wiebke...I have them all bookmarked. (I've been reading about bonding for a couple years now :)

My girls have never been what I would call "close"....I've always felt a little sorry for them...it's like they tolerate each other, but that's about it. Hopefully the new girl will bring some closeness and companionship to one or the other...
 
Strawberries said:
Thanks for the links Wiebke...I have them all bookmarked. (I've been reading about bonding for a couple years now :)

My girls have never been what I would call "close"....I've always felt a little sorry for them...it's like they tolerate each other, but that's about it. Hopefully the new girl will bring some closeness and companionship to one or the other...
Click to expand...

Best of luck! You are going to see more dominance from the undersow, as she has to make sure that the newbie is not climbing past her in status. That has nothing to say how they will get on later once the hierarchy has been settled.
 
Wiebke said:
Best of luck! You are going to see more dominance from the undersow, as she has to make sure that the newbie is not climbing past her in status. That has nothing to say how they will get on later once the hierarchy has been settled.
Click to expand...
Penny is the undersow...and I am really interested in how she is going to react...she is a real wimp when it comes to interpiggy dynamics....my guess is that she will be fine until the new piggy hits puberty in a few months, then Penny is probably going to be challenged by the new girl...and she will probably be booted to lowest status of the three.

That's my current guess....we'll see what happens...I'm not sure what kind of personality the little one will really have yet. Penny is still my funny girl, she may be 3.5 years old but she still popcorns around the cage like she was a little one and she is super athletic and has good muscle tone, runs fast, stands on her hind legs without support, curious about everything. Honey, my dominant sow, has always been very serious and scared of everything (including me), no popcorning, no running around, no stretching up to the top of the hay for the best piece, fat and lazy...she is like a wet noodle.

I really can't figure out why Penny (the athletic one) lets Honey (the wet noodle) boss her around like she does...it is obvious Penny is stronger and faster and more outgoing with people, let's everyone pet her, even strangers...but she is easily intimidated by a rumble strut. They are like night and day...It will be interesting to see what happens with a 3rd girl.
 
Strawberries said:
Penny is the undersow...and I am really interested in how she is going to react...she is a real wimp when it comes to interpiggy dynamics....my guess is that she will be fine until the new piggy hits puberty in a few months, then Penny is probably going to be challenged by the new girl...and she will probably be booted to lowest status of the three.

That's my current guess....we'll see what happens...I'm not sure what kind of personality the little one will really have yet. Penny is still my funny girl, she may be 3.5 years old but she still popcorns around the cage like she was a little one and she is super athletic and has good muscle tone, runs fast, stands on her hind legs without support, curious about everything. Honey, my dominant sow, has always been very serious and scared of everything (including me), no popcorning, no running around, no stretching up to the top of the hay for the best piece, fat and lazy...she is like a wet noodle.

I really can't figure out why Penny (the athletic one) lets Honey (the wet noodle) boss her around like she does...it is obvious Penny is stronger and faster and more outgoing with people, let's everyone pet her, even strangers...but she is easily intimidated by a rumble strut. They are like night and day...It will be interesting to see what happens with a 3rd girl.
Click to expand...

Sow dynamincs are very different to boar dynamics, as unlike boars, they are wired to live as a group and bring up any babies between them. That is why fall-outs are pretty rare compared to boars once initial acceptance and integration has happened. They also wait longer until they take over compared to boars, and a move past can be very gentle, if it is to a beloved and respected but ill/elderly companion.
 
Aaaawwww what a pretty little lady, such beautiful colouring! She is so young to have been through so much.
 
Oh, and to your earlier question...Adding a 4th isn't out of the question...so it's an option if things don't go well...to get the new girl a new little friend...but I'll see what happens...Ideally, I would like to have three...and then when one of my older girls passes, get another girl, and maintain a group of three...and so on...so no one get's left alone when a piggy crosses the bridge.

Wiebke said:
Sow dynamincs are very different to boar dynamics, as unlike boars, they are wired to live as a group and bring up any babies between them. That is why fall-outs are pretty rare compared to boars once initial acceptance and integration has happened. They also wait longer until they take over compared to boars, and a move past can be very gentle, if it is to a beloved and respected but ill/elderly companion.
Click to expand...
 
Strawberries said:
Oh, and to your earlier question...Adding a 4th isn't out of the question...so it's an option if things don't go well...to get the new girl a new little friend...but I'll see what happens...Ideally, I would like to have three...and then when one of my older girls passes, get another girl, and maintain a group of three...and so on...so no one get's left alone when a piggy crosses the bridge.
Click to expand...

You have to see what works. ;)

Generally, it is easier to expand from a bonded couple by adding a younger bonded couple of sows in order to avoid any outsider issues to which trios are particularly prone to. From 4 piggies onwards you get to see group dynamics.
 
Wiebke said:
You have to see what works. ;)

Generally, it is easier to expand from a bonded couple by adding a younger bonded couple of sows in order to avoid any outsider issues to which trios are particularly prone to. From 4 piggies onwards you get to see group dynamics.
Click to expand...
Right, it's just like a group of any 3 women or girls...even when I was growing up, I had two neighbor girls I was friends with...we always broke off as 2 against 1...although the girl who was left out rotated for whatever reason, it was never a stable 3some. You never know...I'll keep my fingers crossed :)
 
Strawberries said:
Right, it's just like a group of any 3 women or girls...even when I was growing up, I had two neighbor girls I was friends with...we always broke off as 2 against 1...although the girl who was left out rotated for whatever reason, it was never a stable 3some. You never know...I'll keep my fingers crossed :)
Click to expand...

It all depends very much on the individual character mix. If you can say one thing is that you can never make any predictions about which bonding works out in the end and which not - and i have nearly half a century of bondings under my belt! I have had very happy trios, but they have usually been a neutered boar/2 sows constellation, which is not so common in your country due to the much higher operation cost.
 
Wiebke said:
It all depends very much on the individual character mix. If you can say one thing is that you can never make any predictions about which bonding works out in the end and which not - and i have nearly half a century of bondings under my belt! I have had very happy trios, but they have usually been a neutered boar/2 sows constellation, which is not so common in your country due to the much higher operation cost.
Click to expand...
Oh what I wouldn't give for a neutered boar! My girls would be sooooooo HAPPY! I think Honey (the wet noodle) would have been an entirely different pig if she could have had a huspig to settle her nerves...instead she's just becoming a bitter neurotic old spinster, ha!

Although Penny is actually probably is happier without a huspig making demands on her now that I consider it...that girl...I think she would be happiest with only a carrot as a cage mate and an ever changing maze of pillows to explore...she is a free spirit.
 
Just wanted to say I love your avatar picture strawberries....
It make me smile every time I look at it.
 
Hey Strawberries, I am in the same situation as you were. My Guinea Pig didn't seem as bad as yours, but I noticed he had heavy breathing. So I took him back to PetSmart where I got him because I just got him Friday. And they said they would give me my money back for legal reasons as well and that they would get him medical care from a Vet and when he is all better they will call me and I can come buy him back. They told me they would also call me and tell me about what the Vet told them. Wiebke told me about your thread and that you were in the same situation recently.
 
GuineaLover21 said:
Hey Strawberries, I am in the same situation as you were. My Guinea Pig didn't seem as bad as yours, but I noticed he had heavy breathing. So I took him back to PetSmart where I got him because I just got him Friday. And they said they would give me my money back for legal reasons as well and that they would get him medical care from a Vet and when he is all better they will call me and I can come buy him back. They told me they would also call me and tell me about what the Vet told them. Wiebke told me about your thread and that you were in the same situation recently.
Click to expand...
Yep, all my girls are from one of the same stores, the one near us has a very good vet and they treat their piggies relatively well (better than the other two pet store's around me, one of those is another chain, and one is independently owned, but even those two do way better than some of the horror stories I see on here about pet stores).

Hopefully they will fix up your new little pig just fine. Since the vet share's space at the back of the store where I got mine , I got to talk to the vet (well, not her, but one of the other girls working there) and they said all the right "keywords" I wanted to hear...things I had heard from the forums here...like "we'll give her Baytryl" sp? and critical care if she needs it...etc...so I felt confident leaving her there. They are so little and fragile...I called to check on my pig every 2-3 days...catching it early and acting fast is a great thing...you did the right thing...now it is up to the fates.
 
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