help...new owner...think my piggy has had a stroke! :(

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yeh the vet said to really clean the cage out n keep an eye on Rex for 7-10 days before introducing him to another piggy. :(

Rex is so much chunkier and skittier than Ham was though.

i cant believe hes not here now! i had to walk out the vets n leave him in his little box :(
 
I am so sorry to hear about little ham :(

Give Rex lots of attention he will be missing his brother, hope you and Rex are ok x
 
I posted at the same time as you.

I know it will all feel very raw just now, but if you are thinking about a friend for Rex please think about rehoming from a reputable rescue. Members on here will be able to give recommendations x
 
twopiggies,

i was hoping to get a young one the same age as rex.....
luckily with working at a petshop i know a man who says he breeds them to show them? so maybe a little guinea from him will be better than buying from a shop?

no guinea pig can replace Ham though....we might of only had him for such a short time, but he definately had a character shining through already, he was the brave one who used to have a good nosey around when we held him.
 
nuttymummy said:
twopiggies,

i was hoping to get a young one the same age as rex.....
luckily with working at a petshop i know a man who says he breeds them to show them? so maybe a little guinea from him will be better than buying from a shop?

no guinea pig can replace Ham though....we might of only had him for such a short time, but he definately had a character shining through already, he was the brave one who used to have a good nosey around when we held him.
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I'm quite new to here really, but I believe boars are often better bonded at different ages, because of hormones etc, I know some rescues will offer for you to take your boar to meet different residents, to see who they get on best with. Our new piggies are from a rescue, one is 6 months and the other 14 months, and they get on brilliantly.
 
You can get youngsters from rescue too. It may be a better idea to get an older boy as they then won't hit puberty at the same time so this will lower the chances of them falling out.

I hope that Rex is ok :).
 
I am pretty sure that the best thing to do with a baby pig is introduce it to an older pig which has already been through the hormonal stage. If you get another young pig there is a chance they will fall out when they both reach the hormonal stage.

This a rescue friendly forum so the majority will recommend getting a new pig from a rescue. This ensures they are healthy and have been quarantined.

If you were to get a piggie from shop or breeder he would need quarantined before being introduced to Rex.

No one will ever take Hams place :( x
 
thanks everyone.

I'm not sure where my nearest rescue centre is?
post code is OL13

wont rescue piggies be abit nasty if they have been treated bad? i have a 4 year old and wouldnt want him to be bitten

x
 
From my experience rescue pigs are the friendliest.

Others with more experience can give more advice.

Boar dating can also be done to ensure Rex gets the best friend :)
 
nuttymummy said:
thanks everyone.

I'm not sure where my nearest rescue centre is?
post code is OL13

wont rescue piggies be abit nasty if they have been treated bad? i have a 4 year old and wouldnt want him to be bitten

x
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A rescue will advise you on temperament etc, but most just need lots of love and very few nip as far as I know, I have an almost 3 year old and a 15 month old, and the piggies we've had have all been lovely, the two new boys we've got were from a rescue and were neglected out in a shed, yet after only 2-3 days Fitz, the 14 month old, would sit on my daughters lap and take veggies from her hands, the younger one, Roy is still more nervous, so at the moment I'm not letting the kids hold him until I get him more confident, but he'll cuddle into a fleece on my knee.

Not all rescue pigs have been badly treated, some have been handed in because of falling out with a cage mate etc.

You can find details of piggies in your area here http://www.guineapigrehome.org.uk/gp/search_form.asp or someone in here might be able to help
 
:( r.i.p ham 8...

so sorry for you hun, and for little rex too :(
 
I'm so sorry to hear about Ham - what a stunning little piglet he was

RIP

I'd def consider a rescue hun, considering most may of had a poorly past they are one of the friendliest and don't loose hope in finding a loving owners - its so much more satisfying too.
 
Hello I'm so sorry to hear your sad news. Popcorn free little one.
The best option would be to find a rescue who can offer a boar dating service. You can then take you piggy to choose their own friend and the rescue will make sure they're bonded before coming home. It's as much about the temperment of the piggies as it is the age. I have three of lovelist soppy piggies from rescues and one wild thing! Bob was born at the rescue, George and Gerry were bought for kids who got bored of them after 6 months and we don't know much about Hector other than he'd always been on his own, hence him being very excitable about having friends and not used to being handled. The rescues will have a quarantine period so they'll get to know their characters and that they're healthy before they are put up for adoption. This will help you to find a good match.

Let us know how you get on.
 
I was also going to suggest Suzanne, at Small Paws - she's in Stretford in Manchester, not far from the Trafford Centre.
Out of the 5 guinea pigs we've had/have, 3 have been from rescues and we've never had nips/bites from any of them. I have young children too, as does Suzanne, so she'd be able to reassure you about a specific piggy if you contacted her.
 
aww that link is so sweet! how they tell you the temprement, age, etc.
Though the trafford centre is quite a drive from me and didnt want to stress Rex out too much.

Hes not too keen to be handled at the moment (Ham was always the easiest one to hold) it takes FOREVER to chase him round the cage to catch him, but once weve got him he sits very still to be stroked. Once we go to put him back in his cage, if he spots it, he will wriggle and make a leap for it! whereas Ham was much happier to be out.

I'm working on Rex though n hopefully he'll get used to being handled and come to enjoy coming out.

I feel so sorry for him though......he is ALWAYS out and about laid in the hay out front popcorning like MAD, whizzing around his cage and wheeking......since this morning he just stayed in his hut :(
 
might just be my piggies but they dont mind going in the car, i collected my boy billy and he was in the car for an hour and a half and he went to sleep, 2 of my girls came from norfolk and took just over 2 hours and they didnt mind either.
 
hes probably lost abit of his confidence as hes now alone and may wonder whats happened to Ham.

Pigs are fine in the car- when I moved mine from Wiltshire to Suffolk that was a 4 hour trip :)
 
Rex will be wondering where Ham has gone :(

When my piggie Bob died we left his body in the cage with Sam for a short time so he could see Bob was gone. I don't know how much understanding they have but Sams character dramatically changed, he definetly said goodbye to Bob and he did miss him....he wasn't the same pig, very quiet and made a crying type noise :(

Is Milhaven guinea pig rescue near you? http://www.milhaven-rescue.com/
 
Oh no.....I am so sorry to hear the sad news about Ham......RIP little piggy. You must be devastated.....

I rushed back from work and logged right on here to check on him and I am gutted for you all.......

(((((EXTRA BIG HUGS)))) for Rex

xxxxxxxx
 
So sorry to hear about your piggie. We went through something similar with our first boar, he had a stroke when he was only 6 months old and we'd only rescued him 2 months before that. I know how devastated you will be feeling right now. I walked out of my vets without paying I was so distraught...luckily they know me well!
We went on to rescue another boy, Buddy, to join our sows and although you never forget it does get easier. Sending hugs...

We got 3 piggies from Becklen who had no problem travelling for an hour plus in the car.
 
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I am sorry to hear about Ham

I have to say i do hope you consider rescue pigs over breeder / pet shop pigs and go for an older pig not a baby (to minimise the chance of fall out later in life) and have the rescue bond them.

You sound very reluctant to go down that route, when in fact it's the best way you could go. Rescue pigs are usually mites treated, free of fungal and lice and really do need a nice kind home to look after them. There are WAY too many pigs in rescues to justify pet shop selling of them and if you run into problems further down the line with your pigs you can't go back to a breeder or a petshop (they wash their hands of you after a week or so) but a rescue will always help out.

It's VERY unusual to find a pig that bites. Rescue pigs aren't a compromise or a second best option. Just the opposite in fact.
 
Awwww I'm so sorry to hear about Ham RIP little man.

I agree with others about going to a rescue over buying from a breeder or pet shop. They will be able to advise you on a piggies temperament & character and they will also have had them in for long enough to know if they have an illness etc... so you will have a lot lower chance of getting a sick piggy.

I saw this somewhere and it's so true
Please don't breed or buy while rescue pigs die
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If a rescue is too far sometimes a piggy train can be organised where people will help transport a pig for you.

None of my piggies have ever minded going in the car though, as long as the carrier is packed full of hay and they have veggies to eat lol
 
yeah its because i know very little about rescued animals......i always base them on dog ones....where i know you can get dogs with very angry temprements...i think I'm just expecting it to be the same.

Rex has been out for a cuddle tonight with my partner.....he kept 'nibbling' his fingers....i know they do this young to test things....but how do we teach him not to do it, i dont want him to start actually 'biting' by thinking the nibbling is acceptable?

i really do want to thank you all for you messages and help during all this, youve all given great advice and support .")

how long would you leave it before getting a partner for him, i dont want him to be kept on his own too long just incase he gets really lonely.

alot of the rescue places are giving away piggies in pairs or groups....i could do with just a male on his own really.
I used that guinea pig finder thing, and got no results back in my area :(
 
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