We have had our 2 little piglets for about 3 months now and sadly Burdock passed away I believe from heat stroke last night. She lost a lot of weight rapidly and the vet prescribed antibiotics and a vitamin supplement but she couldn't eat or drink at all and kept collapsing onto her side. She died in my arms last night.
Dandelion her cage mate is now a lone piglet and we would like to get her a friend as soon as possible. I have contacted a local rescue to see if they have any lone sows needing rehoming but might another baby be better?
Dandelion is still eating and drinking and has been out for cuddles more often than normal today.
I've read the guide on here and will read up more on bonding, I have another cage for them to be side by side before living together.
Really my question is what age piggy will be best to be a new cage mate and how long should I wait before getting a new piggy? X
Hi and welcome
I am very sorry about your loss! The record heat last week has sadly cost the lives of far too many guinea pigs.
You are welcome to post a tribute to Burdock in our Rainbow Bridge any time it feels right for you if you wish to.
Please give Dandelion time to grieve. Unless she herself is becoming depressed/not eating/drinking asnd a vet cannot find anything wrong with her, the best time to introduce a new friend is about 1-4 weeks; personally I find 1-2 weeks ideal to do my . Age and gender is secondary to mutual liking and character compatibility; i.e. it doesn't matter whether you are looking at another sow or a neutered boar; what matters that they get on for a happy bond. The best place to date Dandelion and allow her to make her own choice as to who she wants to be happy with is one of our recommended rescues. You are also guaranteed that any piggy is fully quarantined/vet cared and healthy when put up for adoption. Any incoming sows will have undergone a pregnancy watch, so you do not have to worry about mis-sexing or unplanned pregnancies.
Here is our list of recommended, carefully vetted UK guinea pig rescues we can vouch you and any piggies are in safe and experienced hands. Since anybody can call themselves a rescue or a breeder without licensing or control, we can't vouch for any other place.
Ideally you contact all rescues you can get to. Please accept that they are all run by volunteers in their limited free time, so you may not immediately hear back. Then start with the rescue that either has the largest number of potential candidates or the most promising candidate. Keep an open mind.
Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues
Looking at a neutered rescue boar is actually not a bad idea because at Dandelion's age acceptance is pretty guaranteed; you have her instincts fully on your side. Cross gender bondings are the most stable of all piggy combinations.
PS: Please make sure that you have measures in place to prevent any future heat strokes/minimise the risk; sadly we have to get used to more heat spikes like the recent one or prolonged heatwaves like last summer's, and that is a huge worry for us all - especially for any piggies that have known or unknown underlying issues.
Here is our heat stroke and hot weather information, which also includes tips and measures on how you can try to keep your house as cool as possible and not just your piggies:
Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike
