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Going to have my first little girl piggie! Eeeek!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jayne.
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Jayne.

I have a boar trio (some of you may know) but unfortunatley it hasn't worked out. :0

We've now split their C&C cage in half & poor Toby's been left on his lonesome. :(

Anyway, we've booked him in for neutering on Monday & we're going to get him a little girlfriend (we don't think he'd get on with any boar as he is so dominant,, a sow seems the perfect option).

So I'm sooooo excited! :)) We're going to get a sow this weekend & keep her in a separate cage for the month or so needed after Toby's been neutered,, to check she's not carrying any infections.

Yippie! :p
 
Oh that is so exciting. You will be able so see how a sow can be different from a boar. I have only had sows so I do not know myself. I cannot wait to see pictures of her.
 
Can I ask where you're getting her from that she needs to be quarantined?

Also, 6 weeks minimum post neuter :)
 
Oh, I'd read it was only 4 weeks. I'll check with the vet on Monday!

We're going to Pets at Home. We had a terrible experience in June. We got Timmy from Pets at Home & had a respiratory infection (obviously we didn't know) & our 2 older piggies caught it & both died within 2 weeks of Timmy's arrival. Timmy survived it as he was just a carrier with a touch of the illness. A few days later, we got Freddy (for Timmy) & he had an awful eye infection & had to go to the vets immediately.

It was so traumatic that I'm terrified of bringing a new baby into the place. So I want the vet to give her the once over & keep her separate for a few weeks. I couldn't risk that happening again. We're going to a different Pets at Home too.

I'll post lots of pictures when I find my little girlie! x)
 
Looking at all the problems you've had - have you not considered going to a rescue for a little girl? Rescues ensure every pig has gone through a quarantine period and so WILL be free of any illnesses - plus you can be assured they will be sexed properly and any females are not pregnant...

It really is worth considering - personally if id been through what you had, i wouldn't ever go near another pets at home....
 
Please wait for the full 6 weeks after neutering. The little baby in my avatar is a surprise "present" from a boar who was considered safe at over 5 weeks post op. While it is rare, there is a crucial difference between "pretty safe" and "100% safe"!

I would also ask you to please consider your decision to get a girl so early and from a pet shop. Make sure that your boy is getting through his operation first and is recovering well before you think about getting another piggy.

And in view of p@h's record (have a look in our pregnancy section), I would like to ask you to consider rehoming from a reputable guinea pig rescue. They rehome only guaranteed healthy and non-pregnant piggies. Some rescues will allow you yo bring your boy, so you can date him to find the girl he really clicks with for a very happy "marriage" indeed!

PS: Here are tips for post op care. Please read through them; it can make a huge difference if things don't go smoothly. Weigh your boy daily throughout the whole 6 weeks post op wait. have him seen asap if he goes off food, loses weight and if you notice any swelling in the groin/testicle area. Complications like abscesses can happen weeks after the op. I have been there myself and had a very close shave with my Hywel. http://www.guinealynx.info/postop.html
 
oh you must be really excited have you tried looking at rescues i think its a safer option especially if your buying a female :)
 
i agree with Wiebke, there are so many beautiful girls that need rescuing and i would never buy from a pet shop again when i can help a guinea pig that has not been wanted from a previous home.

Sorry if this becomes a double post as that keeps happening to me at the moment x
 
i agree with Wiebke, there are so many beautiful girls that need rescuing and i would never buy from a pet shop again when i can help a guinea pig that has not been wanted from a previous home.

Sorry if this becomes a double post as that keeps happening to me at the moment x
 
I have already looked at my guinea pig rescue centre (North Shields, Tyne & Wear) & all of the guinea pigs are boars, a pair (boar & sow) & a group of 3 sows who are needing fostering not adopting & I only have the space for one sow.

So except for Pets at Home (different store) I'm all out of ideas! rolleyes

I'll definitely wait the whole 6 weeks then. I don't want any babies hehe! Hopefully Toby won't get lonely. That's my worry.

Oh & in my area I only know of 2 pet shops that sell pets & both of them have been reported in the past for the bad conditions,, so I don't even know of a nice none PaH pet shop.
 
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By the time your boar is ready to be introduced to a sow a rescue piggy might have come up for adoption. If you contact Layla http://www.northeastguineapigrescue.co.uk/ and explain you are looking for a sow in about 6 weeks or so.
Also please bare in mind that a sow you choose for your boar, ie from a pet store, might not be compatible, they might not get along, therefore you will be in a predicament again.
Rescues certainly have the benefits of being able to let your own piggy choose his own friend.

Also, you have said you have a c&c with 2 boars that get along in one side and Toby in the other. What you've got to be careful about is that the sow might set of your bonded boys to fight when they smell her come into season. @)

If Toby didnt get on with the other 2, which is perfectly understandable given that a trio of boys rarely work, it might also be worth thinking about taking him boar dating so he can choose his own cage mate rather than get him neutered. Good Rescues that offer this service and are experienced in doing so have great success rates in bonding boars that match each others personalities.
 
Thank you all for the advice,, it was very appreciated! xx>>>

I did decide to bring home a sow from PAH, mainly because it was so upsetting seeing Toby try to bite his way back through to his brothers all day & night. I was extremely worried, given what everyone had said, but so far I'm very glad I made the decision I did. :)

We brought Blossom home 11 days ago. She was double the size of the other babies in her pen, so I'm guessing she's a few months old. She's fitted right in & never stops squeaking & being naughty! :))

Toby had his operation 10 days ago & it's healing perfectly. We had Blossom checked over at the vets on the same day & she got a full bill of health!

The main thing is that Toby & Blossom love each other! xoxo We have split the C&C cage completely in half with wood down the middle, so Freddie & Timmy will never see Toby & Blossom. Blossom is in a cage right next to Toby (for the next 5 weeks) & they squeak to each other all the time. Blossom & Toby have 'play time' a few times a day in Toby's cage (watched obviously,, but Blossoms to fast for Toby anyway :)) ) & they both just run around jumping and purring & squeaking! So I'm sure they're going to be the best of friends.

Pics will follow!
 
I truely hope she is just chubby, rather than being pregnant like many other pets at home girls.
 
Miss Blossom, white tan & black sheltie ...Toby's fiancee x)

IMG_2507.jpg
 
Blossom & Toby have 'play time' a few times a day in Toby's cage (watched obviously,, but Blossoms to fast for Toby anyway :)) ) & they both just run around jumping and purring & squeaking!
Click to expand...

Please stop this NOW!

You've done the responsible thing in getting Toby neutered, and having them separated for the 5 week period but next to each other to talk to each other but honestly, it will only take you to be distracted for seconds and it's too late, if it isn't already!
 
Congratulations on your new piggy. I wouldn't run them together until Toby is definitely in the clear if I were you. Its not recommended to get them from pet shops but I'm so glad they get along and look forward to seeing more of this beauty!

x) x) x)

Amy
x
 
She is beautiful x) Congrats, would definatley follow Amanda's advice, no sense in taking a risk. They'll soon be together.
 
GOOD LUCK on their intro's :)

Love it would be best not to let them have 'play dates' it takes the boars a milli second to get the sow pregnant :{

Miss Blossom is very very pretty x)xoxox)xoxo i do hope she and Toby have a wonderful life together for many years.
 
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