Boarding concerns

louie&Leo

louie&Leo

Junior Guinea Pig
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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.
 
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
 
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?
 
I'm very lucky. I board my piggies at the local Rescue where I adopted them from. Lilli is lovely and spoils them rotten and the often come home heavier than when they went. They settle in straight away and always have done from the first time they went. She has a designated piggy room and there are always other piggies for my 3 to have a chat to.
 
We have a member recommended boarding sticky at the top of the Rescue and Rehoming section. Since it is impossible for us to vet all boarders (as it is impossible to check all rescues or vets), we rely very much on member feedback. We could consider moving the sticky to the Travel section if that would make it easier to find.


Personally, with all my piggies, I have relied first on a neighbour, then on a local pet sitting service who would include small animals and later on a trustworthy teenager who liked guinea pigs (she went on to become a veterinary nurse). I wouldn't have been able to park 27-28 piggies at a boarder in the first place... and it was much less upsetting for the piggies. Piggies with medical issues were (thankfully and much appreciated) by a forum friend. There was often enough a last minute medical issue!

For practical holiday/shorter absences I have written a little guide on what to consider.
Tips For Organising Your Holiday Absence

Temporary Housing Solutions?

Travelling with guinea pigs
 
CTWC said:
That would be great actually for everyone as even today poor Carson has returned from a boarder not well at all 😥
Click to expand...
We've used our boarder around March 2025 for the first time and she was great that time. We board again with her June 2025 and no issues at all. But when we picked up the piggies March 2026 after a holiday, both Bodie and Carson lost a lot of weight. Carson the most, around 150 grams. But during that time, we thought it was the start of both of them having the UTI, hence our concern with her took a backseat. But not this time. She definitely stopped doing what we asked her to do. She was also rarely updating us and posting photos. Every time I asked her, her response was only "they are doing great".

So relying on boarders you previously used a few times is still not always a guarantee that they would do well/great. 👎

We found another boarder near us and obviously this time, we'll visit the place and talk to her about stuff and such. And this lady said she works (or worked) in a vet surgery. So hopefully she is more knowledgable.
 
I have a holiday and two day wedding to attend next year(i cant get out of) so I will definitely be doing more research and explore all my options,unfortunately you just dont no untill you try the last place we used had fantastic reviews but I felt the care lacking,and I also felt a massive amount of guilt for leaving them,extra cuddles and treats when we got them home.
 
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