Coccidia

[Jess95]

Last night my pig Fred lost his battle with coccidia after fighting it since Monday. I've tried reading up on the disease but I can't really find much about it, does anyone know what the cause is? I'm beating myself up wondering if there's anything I could of done to prevent this happening he was only 5 months old

I have his brother Colin who seems perfectly fine in his health he doesn't seem to bothered that his brother his gone although he is a bit more vocal than usual, he is quite dominant and boisterous and I'm not sure how to go about getting him a friend?

 

[VickiA]

Hello and welcome to the forum.
I'm so sorry that you have lost Fred. I'm afraid I don't know anything about the disease/infection but I, like all of us on here, understand the pain of losing a beloved piggy and dealing with our own grief at the same time as worrying about the surviving piggy.
Here is a thread about looking after Colin while you decide what to do for the best for him
Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig
Can you please add your location so we know where you are in the world/UK? It helps with recommendations. Have you considered taking him to a rescue and dating him with another boar? Several of our approved rescues do boar dating.
You are welcome to post a tribute to Fred in our Rainbow Bridge section.

 

[Elwickcavies]

I'm so sorry to hear about poor Fred. Coccodiosis is caused by an intestinal parasite and isn't that common in Guinea pigs. They can carry this organism with no symptoms, but when they grow in numbers they destroy the intestinal tract and it's very difficult to save the guinea pig. While they won't infect humans, you should keep an eye on Colin and thoroughly clean and disinfect the cage and surrounding areas to try to kill any spores that might still be around.

I agree with Vicki's advice regarding finding a pal for Colin. There are some brilliant rescues that will help out with all aspects of boar dating, or you could consider getting him neutered so he can have a lady friend or two.

 

[Wiebke]

I am so sorry for your loss! Coccidiosis is thankfully pretty rare in guinea pigs; @Elwickcavies has given you the relevant information. Please don't feel like you have failed Fred; you have done what you could being very much up against the odds. Sometimes you just come up against a real nasty.

I second the advice about thoroughly disinfecting etc. especially if you plan to re-bond Colin. Windwhistle Warren near Cheltenham have got lots of baby boys coming up for adoption in the next few weeks in the wake of a recent massive rescue, so they would be a good place to look for a new friend for Colin.
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