Helping Your Guinea Pigs Deal With The Loss Of Their Companion

[Amberc321]

I'm sad to say and writing this with tears pouring down my face that today my baby Percy died. He had an abcess in his mouth and after syringe feeding him doing everything in my power to make him eat and going to the vets constantly doing everything they recommended he passed after developing further infection.
At this point in time I can't bare the thought of getting another Guinea pig. I've sat cuddling Elvis for the past hour and half but he seems at a loss and completely grieving.
I don't know what to do to help him and I know guienea pigs need companionship. I just really don't know.

 

[Poppy'sMum]

Oh I am so sorry I lost 2 of my trio last year, only 3 months apart, I thought I couldn't suffer grief that bad again My lone piggy left (In my pic) seemed ok afterwards, we brought her friend's body home for her to see, that is quite important, if you haven't done so I would recommend you let him see his friend to say goodbye. After that she seemed fine, eating well etc but she was quieter. After 2 months we decided it wasn't fair for her to be alone so we took her dating at a Rescue & now she has a new friend she seems to have been given a new lease of life, she is even popcorning again If you decide to take him dating I would try Milhaven, they are lovely there x

 

[Amberc321]

I know I honestly don't think I've ever felt this heart broken. He's seen Percy I think he knew what was happening as Elvis is normally running around trying to chew on anything but as Percy passed he just sat and watched quietly he sat next to his body for A while. But normally if I held him for that long hes we wriggling to be doing something but he's just been so still.

 

[Poppy'sMum]

Oh poor thing I think he will be quiet for a few days, that's natural, Keep an eye on his behaviour, poo output, eating & weight over the next few days just in case but hopefully he will pick himself up in a few days time x

 

[Wiebke]

I'm sad to say and writing this with tears pouring down my face that today my baby Percy died. He had an abcess in his mouth and after syringe feeding him doing everything in my power to make him eat and going to the vets constantly doing everything they recommended he passed after developing further infection.
At this point in time I can't bare the thought of getting another Guinea pig. I've sat cuddling Elvis for the past hour and half but he seems at a loss and completely grieving.
I don't know what to do to help him and I know guienea pigs need companionship. I just really don't know.

I am very sorry! it is always very difficult just after you have lost a piggy, especially suddenly or after a very hard fought battle.
You are a very caring mum. Sadly it is just at this time when human and guinea pig needs gap the widest.

Perhaps this thread here may help you? It addresses a number of the issues you are currently facing. Unless Elvis is not eating (i.e. pining acutely, in which case you need to find a companion asap), you can give it a bit of time to get your own composure back.

Personally, I have learned that I will ultimately happier myself to see a bereaved piggy happy again and that my own feeling can be sorted in my own time, even if in some cases it has taken me months to get over a special loss.

Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

That's really sad news! Sending hugs! xx

Piggies really do grieve for a lost friend. I always try and get them sorted with a new friend as soon as possible We sadly lost Captain Darling on Friday morning and I bonded his brother, Igor, with our new skinny resident immediately xx

 

[VickiA]

I'm so sorry that you lost Percy despite doing everything possible. It's heartbreaking to lose a piggy who's so well loved and who lives behind a partner. Elvis will be grieving, too. But guinea pigs are quite pragmatic and unless he stops eating completely you can take a little bit of time to find him a new companion. It's so hard as a piggy slave to think about getting another piggy. We experience a real mix of emotions - from guilt at "replacing" a much loved piggy, anxiety about settling in a new piggy and the bonding process, concern that the surviving pig may resent the new arrival, fear that we may not ever form a strong bond with the new piggy. But having gone through this several times, now, I know that the kindest thing for the surviving piggy is to find him a new companion. There are many rescues who carry out boar dating to help pair up boars. When you feel the time is right for you I hope that you can find all is a new companion.

@furryfriends (TEAS) sorry to hear about Captain Darling. He was such a lively character. Hugs.

 

[Freela]

I'm so sorry. I remember responding to your earlier posts about abscesses. I've had two pigs with abscesses- one pulled through and one didn't, so I've been where you are too. The fact that he was present and saw the body may help him to understand what happened. I know that when Frenzy was sick and kept having vet visits, Linney would continually look for her and run up to the bars whenever I went by, as if she was waiting for me to bring back her friend. After Frenzy passed in the cage with her, she was subdued but no longer looked for her like she expected her back. When Linney passed away last year, we let Sundae sit with her body after she was gone. Sundae clearly understood what was going on... it was hard to watch but I do think it was best to let her see. When to get another guinea pig is a personal decision- and of course depends on how well your remaining pig is doing alone. Linney seemed to cope better with losing a friend than Sundae did- maybe Linney was always the dominant pig. Sundae was very happy to be subordinate and seemed very anxious alone- wouldn't leave the cage, kept wheeking and calling out when she was in there alone. It seemed like she would be better off if we got her a friend sooner than later, even though I didn't feel ready emotionally. It's hard to get attached to a pig who isn't the one you lost, and I know getting a new pig under those circumstance I spent the first few weeks not really feeling that much for them, other than supervising to see that they were well, that bonding went okay, etc. That said, I did warm up to them and ended up loving them just as much.

((HUGS)) and so sorry for your loss.