Boarding concerns

[louie&Leo]

Sorry if this thread is in the wrong place I'm new to the guinea pig forum,I just wanted people's opinions and experiences when boarding there piggies,I recently went on holiday and boarded my then bonded boars for 10 days for the first time,unfortunately I dont think it was a good experience for them,they both lost weight and one lost hair,i did have them checked by a vet and was no medical reason,when we brought them home they started fighting and had to be separated,is it possible they were stressed,anxious and missing home,I'm reluctant to board them again.

 

[Merab]

Please don’t panic.
Mine go into boarding if we’re away and on the first couple of occasions both lost weight and Moses came home with a bald patch on his back.
New environment does unsettle piggies.
They have to re establish their relationship when they come home.
This time neither piggy lost any significant weight and Moses hardly lost any fur but they now know their boarder.
Mine are rescues and can be easily stressed but are becoming used to boarding occasionally.

Hope your 2 settle down soon

 

[thewheakybeans]

Boarding can be a stressful experience for anxious piggies. They don’t respond well to change. In my previous location, I found a fantastic boarding place which only took in a limited number of piggies and they would send me updates which helped me see how they got on while I was away (this helped me relax and enjoy my holiday too). Once I moved, in another boarding place I used, the person running it had too many animals in her care and my piggies lost a lot of weight and weren’t fed any of their nuggets while I was away. Since then, I’ve found a couple of local petsitter options. I pay someone to come in and tend to the piggies in the comfort of their own home so they aren’t stressed. There is also the added benefit that my bins get taken out while I’m away! Maybe this is an option you could explore?

 

[louie&Leo]

I never considered a petsitter so that is something I will look into,anything to make the situation less stressful for us all