Guinea Pig Grieving

[Bobby&Frankie]

hi, i know i haven't been on here in ages but i've been swamped with uni.

Basically this morning Bobby was squeaking a little when he was breathing and within an hour he had a fit or something (Frankie then legged it) and unfortunately passed away :-( We think it could have been a heart defect (found out shortly after i got them, their mother was 4 when she had them :-O ).
Anyway i'm feeling better now but it seems to have hit Frankie after i put him in his cage (did a full clean and disinfect just in case). After Bobby passed i left him in the cage for about ten minutes just to allow Frankie to understand what had happened (the poor thing watched his brother have the fit). They're not even 2 yet (21 march).
He is eating when i put food in front of him but every time i open the cage door and go to stroke him he turns away so i've been leaving him alone and offering a bit of food every now and then. He hasn't really moved apart from turning away from me since about 4 so i'm assuming he's mourning and i don't blame him.

How long does this usually last? I just want to give him cuddles (i need them to!) but as he's turning i don't want to push it.
How long would be safe before getting another piggie (i really don't want him to be alone and he is quite submissive by nature), i've had a look on google and i've heard two things:
sooner rather than later to 'distract' them and leave them to grieve first and then get another so just thought i'd get advice from owners who have expeerienced this.

He doesn't seem happy alone and he completely doted on Bobby - Bobby always rumbled as Frankie was always following him and trying to groom him.

thanks in advance.

 

[piggyfan]

I am so sorry for your loss. I would look for a friend right away. By the time you contact rescues and arrange boar dating it will be a few weeks anyway. I would start cuddling Frankie tomorrow as it sounds like he needs your love. In the meantime you could give him a soft toy suitable for babies to snuggle up to.

 

[Jerrybelly]

I'm so sorry to hear this. This link has some helpful advice for grieving piggies: http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/looking-after-a-bereaved-piggy.110463/

You are more than welcome to leave a lasting tribute to Bobby in our Rainbow Bridge section.

 

[Helene]

I can empathise with how you must be feeling right now. My little piggie lost her sister the other day and she has been very quiet, sitting in the back corner of her cage and hasn't eaten much since then. I've been taking her out for cuddles often and have introduced her to a wee snuggle toy (on advice from the link above) while she's been having a wee nibble of carrot but so far she's not really interested. I've put the toy in the cage with her tonight and will be interested to see if she moves it. Let us know how things progress with Frankie. Best wishes.

 

[Bobby&Frankie]

Thanks for the replies (that link is great!).
He was a bit more friendly yesterday morning although didn't want to be handled, i took him out of the cage (with slightly more protest than normal) and put him in his carrier (got a dog) for him to watch wrestling (he loves it) and occasionally got him out for cuddles.
This morning he is a lot more active and is even wheaking at me a little when i go in my room so definitely think he's on the mend. When i clean the boys out, i used to put them in cat carriers and put Bobby's blanket in the cage as well as a hooded bed he used to use. The day Bobby died, Frankie barely left the bed but is now moving around and chewing on his toys again.

Unfortunately i have looked for rescues in my area and the only one i have access to is RSPCA in Shrewsbury however they don't have any single boars able to in with other boars, so it looks like i may be stuck going to my local pet shop (best pet shop i've ever known - never had a sick animal from there and one of my hamsters was 4 1/2 when he died so i do trust them).

If he doesn't accept another boar, my dad said i can bring the hutch in the house and just have them side by side instead.

 

[Wiebke]

I am very sorry for your loss! I lost one of my girls yesterday, si I am going through the same.

Can you get to Walsall by train? You have to change at Birmingham New Street, but I managed to do it that way from Coventry. The RSPCA Walsall will bond any rescue born baby boars of theirs even if they don't offer full boar dating. They can be a bit slow in answering the phone, but they will come back to you.

You can also get on the train to Kidsgrove (change in Stafford) for boar dating. I went there last week to date a neutered boar of theirs, and I don't have a car.

 

[Bobby&Frankie]

Thanks for that, i will look into it.
He's doing a bit better now as i've left my tv on for him. Hopefully it won't be too long until he gets a new friend!

the thing i've always liked with Frankie is he tries to be dominant but he always submits after a nose off - a bit cheeky as i remember he tried to bite Bobby's ear once, Bobby looked at him and Frankie legged it haha.

Sorry to hear about your piggie to.
Think it's sometimes harder seeing how their companions react

 

[Wiebke]

The best way is to ring around and see what any rescues you can get to that have suitable piggies or have some coming up for adoption soon. Windwhistle Warren is another specialist good standard rescue just outside Cheltenham, so that could be another place you could get to fairly straight forward on the train.