Help!

Soak the pellets in hot water. But you have to let them cool. Read the guide I’ve linked above.
 
@Wiebke can you help? I’m unsure whether it’s worth trying to syringe feed given the condition of the piggy.
 
Hi!

Please put your piggy back in the cage, keep him warm (but not hot) and allow the friend to be with him or follow from a distance what is happening.

A dying guinea pig won't be able to swallow anymore and will refuse to eat. You can't give more than 0.1 ml (1/10 of a small syringe) and see whether that is going down or not.

I am copying this information from our emergency guide across as it is already a long way past midnight here in the UK:
Signs that your guinea pig could be dying
  • Removing itself from the group and facing a corner. This is a signal that your guinea pig is feeling critically ill.
  • Heaving breathing from the sides where every breath is a real struggle means that there is a dangerous fluid build-up in the chest or lungs and that the heart is straining.
  • Feeling cold to the touch means that the blood circulation is no longer working properly and that the body has likely started to close down.
  • Fighting syringe feed well in excess to its weakness is often a sign that your guinea pig is no longer able to process any food.
  • Decrease in the amount of syringe feed it can process.
  • Apathy and difficulty to raise the head. Too weak/unable to swallow.

When to see a vet for euthanasia if at all possible
  • Salivating is a sign that there is a blockage somewhere in the digestive tract from the mouth through the oesophagus right down to the guts and that not even the saliva, which is continuously produced, can pass anymore. It is not pleasant at all. See a vet asap, if only for euthanasia.
  • Any screaming, twisting with pain or grunting is a sign of severe pain and the need to race your guinea to the vets as quickly as you can.
  • If bloating is developing very fast and the belly is not just tight but feeling like concrete, then you may be dealing with a twisted gut. It is extremely painful. Please take bloated guinea pig that is grunting with pain to the vets asap.
  • Multiple organ failure is a complex process that varies depending on the order the organs shut down and how healthy/strong they are. It can go quickly in just an hour in a very frail guinea pig or it can last for several days. If you feel at any point that your guinea pig is in discomfort or fitting longer than 15-30 minutes (which often happens in the last stages when oxygen deprivation is setting in), please contact a vet ASAP.

    Otherwise keep your guinea pig as comfortable and warm (but NOT hot) and as much as you can in their familiar surroundings.
    Please also respect the right of any companions to accompany this process. Remove a guinea pig only if has removed itself from the group, otherwise leave them with their friends.
Putting your guinea pig to sleep (i.e. euthanising) is the most heart-breaking, but at the same time the most precious and loving gift we can give any suffering pet. Please put the needs of your beloved one before your own fears of loss.
The knowledge that you are doing the right thing will give you the strength to see it through, I promise you!

Further information and resources on what to expect, what you can do and where you can get support during and after a loss:
A Practical and Sensitive Guide to Dying, Terminal Illness and Euthanasia in Guinea Pigs
Human Bereavement - Grieving, coping tips and support links for guinea pig owners and their children
Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig
 
Do you have a shelter near you? Do you want to keep them or him. If you do not have a shelter maybe contact friends and ask. I'm sorry you are in this tough position. For the mean time just care for them with love and snuggles until you know!
 
Pretzelpigs said:
Do you have a shelter near you? Do you want to keep them or him. If you do not have a shelter maybe contact friends and ask. I'm sorry you are in this tough position. For the mean time just care for them with love and snuggles until you know!
Click to expand...
I want to keep them I juss didn’t know where to put him
 
Four-piggies said:
I want to keep them I juss didn’t know where to put him
Click to expand...

I'm sorry for your loss.

his friend can stay in the cage they always lived in. he will need time to grieve but then he will need a new friend in the next few weeks
This is the guide which tells you how to look after a grieving piggy
Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig
 
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Ive just remembered you have another pair of piggies - you can put your now single piggy in his own cage but out his cage beside the other pair. If the two cages are next to each other the single piggy will be able to talk through the bars to the pair so he won’t be lonely. Do not put your single piggy in the same cage as the pair - this will cause fights

you will need to get bigger cages though as the measurements for the ones you have fall very short of welfare requirements

do you weigh your piggies every week as part of routine care? If not, then please do so as any drops in weight can alert you to a health problem and allow you to step in and support feed. Even if they still appear to be eating , you cannot judge hay intake by eye and as hay is the main diet if they stop eating as much then their weight drops (even if they still seem to be eating veg and pellets - as veg (to be fed one cup per day) and pellets (to be fed just one tablespoon per day only) are only a tiny snack for them, they don’t contribute a lot to their weight so any weight losses are due to reduction in hay intake)
 
Piggies&buns said:
Ive just remembered you have another pair of piggies - you can put your now single piggy in his own cage but out his cage beside the other pair. If the two cages are next to each other the single piggy will be able to talk through the bars to the pair so he won’t be lonely. Do not put your single piggy in the same cage as the pair - this will cause fights

you will need to get bigger cages though as the measurements for the ones you have fall very short of welfare requirements

do you weigh your piggies every week as part of routine care? If not, then please do so as any drops in weight can alert you to a health problem and allow you to step in and support feed. Even if they still appear to be eating , you cannot judge hay intake by eye and as hay is the main diet if they stop eating as much then their weight drops (even if they still seem to be eating veg and pellets - as veg (to be fed one cup per day) and pellets (to be fed just one tablespoon per day only) are only a tiny snack for them, they don’t contribute a lot to their weight so any weight losses are due to reduction in hay intake)
Click to expand...
I’m getting them new cages in March because I haven’t been able to find any good cages at pet stores and I’m moving soon so I didn’t want to order a new one
 
Four-piggies said:
I’m getting them new cages in March because I haven’t been able to find any good cages at pet stores and I’m moving soon so I didn’t want to order a new one
Click to expand...

A lot of cages in pet shops aren’t big enough and certainly finding commercial cages big enough for boars in pet shops is a problem - two boars need a huge amount of space - a cage measuring 180x60cm so c&c cages are often the way to go.
You need to ensure you follow the guides on how to transfer them to a new cage, as it will constitute a change in territory and the piggies will need to reestablish their relationship and hierarchy
please do read the guides that have been linked in as they explain how to transition smoothly using soiled bedding to minimise disruption to their bond. You are highly likely to see An increase in dominance behaviours

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

Do you weigh your piggies weekly?
Weight - Monitoring and Management
 
When I move my pigs will have their own room where I’m going and I’ve been looking at cages to get them and it’s really hard to find any good ones and ones big enough
 
I’m sorry for your loss. Please put the single boar’s cage next to the other pair so he can still have interaction.

Do you weigh them weekly?
 
Four-piggies said:
When I move my pigs will have their own room where I’m going and I’ve been looking at cages to get them and it’s really hard to find any good ones and ones big enough
Click to expand...

I am very sorry; it sadly looked to me that he was already dying when I posted my last advice very late at night here. :(

Have you looked into C&C grid cages? They can be made in all sorts of sizes and also allow non-standard solutions. You can find lots of information, including US providers, via this link here: All About C & C Grid Cages Around The World
I use them for my own piggy room so I can change the layout at need with a varying number and combination of piggies.
IMG_2111_edited-1.webp

For the time being, your companion should be OK if he has got interaction through the bars. In the long term you may want to find him a new
mate of his own.
You can find our tips on what you can do for him right now and in the coming days in this practical guide here: Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig
 
the one who had passed was the always the loudest when I would walk into the room he would always interact with me and he was never scared of me like the others I didn’t know it would hurt so much to lose one
 
They take a little piece of your heart when they go, but that's how we remember all the wonderful things they brought to our lives 💕
I'm sorry for your loss x
 
Wiebke said:
I am very sorry; it sadly looked to me that he was already dying when I posted my last advice very late at night here. :(

Have you looked into C&C grid cages? They can be made in all sorts of sizes and also allow non-standard solutions. You can find lots of information, including US providers, via this link here: All About C & C Grid Cages Around The World
I use them for my own piggy room so I can change the layout at need with a varying number and combination of piggies.
View attachment 167948

For the time being, your companion should be OK if he has got interaction through the bars. In the long term you may want to find him a new
mate of his own.
You can find our tips on what you can do for him right now and in the coming days in this practical guide here: Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig
Click to expand...
Did you make that cage yourself?
 
Four-piggies said:
Did you make that cage yourself?
Click to expand...

Yes. Just as an example of what is possible with C&C grids.

The tables are cheap Ikea tables with a table top of 75 x 150cm accommodating a cable tied 2x4 C&C grid table and the ground pens are all all C&C grids sitting on a cheaply bought offcut of linoleum.

My husband made me some of wooden piggy furniture.
 
So I have questions you all have been very helpful and I am ordering new stuff for my piggies starting with a weight scale and I’m going to pet smart Saturday to stock up on hay and more food and I’m looking at cages also. But when would it be appropriate for me to get my pig a new roommate I have moved his cage next to the other pair of piggies but I feel he is lonely because he only comes out of his house to eat
 
Four-piggies said:
So I have questions you all have been very helpful and I am ordering new stuff for my piggies starting with a weight scale and I’m going to pet smart Saturday to stock up on hay and more food and I’m looking at cages also. But when would it be appropriate for me to get my pig a new roommate I have moved his cage next to the other pair of piggies but I feel he is lonely because he only comes out of his house to eat
Click to expand...

He won’t be lonely because he has interaction through the bars. He is eating which is a good thing - it’s When they stop eating through grief then that is a serious problem and they must have a friend immediately.
You can wait a few weeks to find the right character compatible friend as long as your piggy continues to eat, however, it may be that he would be happier to have a live in friend.
Its best if you can contact a rescue centre to find him a new friend via dating if they are able to offer it currently with covid restrictions.
If you buy a piggy from a pet shop to put with him, then you are taking a risk that they won’t be compatible. Character compatibility is vital for them to be able to form a bond and a hierarchy - if they cannot do that then they will fight and cannot live together. If you do get a piggy from a pet shop, then you will need to be prepared for a failure in bonding and they will have to live separately in side by side cages. There is also a procedure you must follow to be able to bond piggies properly - you need a neutral territory bonding area

please read all green links below for more information on how to go about things

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

Dont forget a boar pair need a cage measuring at least 150x60cm, 180x60cm is beat and you are unlikely to find commercial cages that size in pet shops.
 
Piggies&buns said:
He won’t be lonely because he has interaction through the bars. He is eating which is a good thing - it’s When they stop eating through grief then that is a serious problem and they must have a friend immediately.
You can wait a few weeks to find the right character compatible friend as long as your piggy continues to eat, however, it may be that he would be happier to have a live in friend.
Its best if you can contact a rescue centre to find him a new friend via dating if they are able to offer it currently with covid restrictions.
If you buy a piggy from a pet shop to put with him, then you are taking a risk that they won’t be compatible. Character compatibility is vital for them to be able to form a bond and a hierarchy - if they cannot do that then they will fight and cannot live together. If you do get a piggy from a pet shop, then you will need to be prepared for a failure in bonding and they will have to live separately in side by side cages. There is also a procedure you must follow to be able to bond piggies properly - you need a neutral territory bonding area

please read all green links below for more information on how to go about things

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

Dont forget a boar pair need a cage measuring at least 150x60cm, 180x60cm is beat and you are unlikely to find commercial cages that size in pet shops.
Click to expand...
I was looking to combine cages and trying to make one big cage seeing they will have their own room when I move and where I’m from they don’t have guinea pigs that I can rescue I would have to buy them from a pet shop and where I’m living now doesn’t have much space which is why I’m moving so my pigs can have all the space they need it’s very hard but I’m trying and losing one is making me want to do everything sooner
 
Four-piggies said:
I was looking to combine cages and trying to make one big cage seeing they will have their own room when I move and where I’m from they don’t have guinea pigs that I can rescue I would have to buy them from a pet shop and where I’m living now doesn’t have much space which is why I’m moving so my pigs can have all the space they need it’s very hard but I’m trying and losing one is making me want to do everything sooner
Click to expand...

what do you mean by combine cages so it’s one big one? As you have three, soon to be four, boars, they cannot live in one big cage - they must be kept in two separate cages with one pair to each cage.
And they must have cage sizes as appropriate - keeping boars in too small of a cage is a problem as they are territorial and lack of space can cause them to fight. You need two separate 180x60cm cages for each pair, there’s no way around that
 
Piggies&buns said:
what do you mean by combine cages so it’s one big one? As you have three, soon to be four, boars, they cannot live in one big cage - they must be kept in two separate cages with one pair to each cage.
And they must have cage sizes as appropriate - keeping boars in too small of a cage is a problem as they are territorial and lack of space can cause them to fight. You need two separate 180x60cm cages for each pair, there’s no way around that
Click to expand...
That’s what I mean they are going to kept separate because if they aren’t departed they fight and the pair of pigs that are together are aggressive
 
Four-piggies said:
That’s what I mean they are going to kept separate because if they aren’t departed they fight and the pair of pigs that are together are aggressive
Click to expand...

So what do you mean by ‘combine the cages to make one big cage’?
As long as each pair has a 180x60cm cage to themselves and cannot get access to the other pair, then that is fine.

The two piggies that are together - are they fighting with each other?
 
Piggies&buns said:
So what do you mean by ‘combine the cages to make one big cage’?
As long as each pair has a 180x60cm cage to themselves and cannot get access to the other pair, then that is fine.

The two piggies that are together - are they fighting with each other?
Click to expand...
No they don’t fight each other but when they were all together in the cage before I separated they were aggressive towards the other two
 
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