Here we go again!

Sending you hugs @piggieminder we all feel like that sometimes. When both Ted, then Bill had dental problems I used to feel I had let them down somehow, but then I realised it’s just bad luck and one of those unfathomably things life hits you with x
 
Massive hugs @piggieminder, totally understand as I’ve felt like that so much this year, especially with Luigi’s eyes just after Jess, who lost hers three weeks after Pedro the year before! It’s like a recurring nightmare!
Hope Red shifts the infection quickly and gives you lots of cuddles xx
 
Quick update. Red seems to be doing well. He's not lost any weight and didn't react to the sulfatrim at all so didn't need to be syringe fed, which made my job easier! I didn't give him the Metacam this morning. I've been home all day monitoring him and he's not done a squeaky wee at all so it looks like he's getting better. He will have to put up with being manhandled for another week though until he's finished the course of sulfatrim. He's getting extra treats while he's on my lap, I'll make a lap pig out of him yet!
 
Red has always been very dominant and fear aggressive. Brillo just rubbed along with him and would stay out the way until Red's strop was over. It seems Brillo had got used to the quieter poorly Red and didn't appreciate the I'm back to normal Red. Tonight he retaliated when Red tried to chase him, Red has a bite on his neck, Brillo has one on his face and one under his front leg. It was a full on rolling over, hair flying fight. Red is very subdued back in their cage. I've sectioned off a bit of Caspy and Nuggets cage for Brillo while I figure out where to go from here, they obviously can't go back together. I have bathed all wounds with F10 antiseptic tonight and given them Metacam, fingers crossed they don't get abscesses.
 
I’m sorry they’ve now had a falling out. I guess Brillo had had enough ☹️
 
I guess Red being ill triggered it. Brillo's certainly happy munching away in his hay pile. Red's very subdued, he looks shocked. I think I'm going to have to get rid of some bedroom furniture and move them upstairs, hopefully they will live side by side without attacking the bars. I've got enough grids to make a big C&C cage it's making the room that's going to be a problem.
 
Thanks @eileen I didn't think they would go back after such a bad fight with blood drawn, you give me hope! It's so sad everyone seems to be in shock today, piggies and humans alike. They have lived together for over 2.5 years, whilst they've bickered they've always then gone straight to the hay pile and munched side by side. I've shifted my bedroom round and can just get 2 120cm commercial cages side by side. I don't really want to put them upstairs as they are so used to hearing the fridge etc, and watching us playing Scrabble in the evenings. When the Scrabble tiles rattle back into the bag it's veggie time! Besides that, getting access to anything in my bedroom is very difficult. Caspy and Brillo are doing a lot of bar biting at the moment trying to get at each other, I covered the grids earlier to give everyone some peace but that defeats the object of them having side by side company. Whatever I do is going to be a big compromise all round. These boars are more stressful than having 3 toddlers.
 
Aw, what a shock for you! Once Bill and Ted had a fight all because I put them in a beautiful 6ft x 2ft rabbit hutch we had gifted from our daughter. I thought the extra space would be wonderful for them, but no it was just too much change and fur flew! After an overnight separation I put them out into the run and they were as right as rain. They had the odd bicker every now and again but nothing like that, when we separated them they were literally hissing and lunging at each other. It’s probably worth a try. I’ve always found that any change in housing or health issues alters their relationship dynamics x
 
So sorry about the boys fight, hope everyone’s doing ok now and things have calmed down a bit. Really hope the boys will be able to bond again 🤞xx
 
Thanks @alpacasqueak
Unfortunately rebonding is not going to be an option. We had Brillo next to Red in separate cages and Brillo froze huddled in a corner and wouldn't move, when Red realised the was there he fluffed himself up into an angry ball, screamed, growled and threw himself at the side of the cage trying to get to Brillo. This is a bond that is very broken and I can't risk letting them get at each other again, I've found more puncture wounds on both of them, it was a really nasty fight even though it only lasted probably seconds, thank goodness we were both here. I have spent 2 days rearranging furniture, one day moving it all and one day moving it all back! Red is now next to Caspy and Nugget, he's been there for a few hours now and all is peaceful lovely sleeping piggies, fingers crossed it stays that way. Brillo is back in his and Red's cage a bit subdued. I can't leave him on his own and there's no way I can fit him next to anyone else so we are talking about getting in touch with rescues to see if we can find him a nice friend he can live in the harmony he deserves with! We have gone round and round the situation, Peanut is 6, a few months ago he was very poorly but now he's as bright as a button and could go on for another 2 years. Rusty is only 3 but has bladder problems and I don't think after the bad time he had last year with surgery I would put him through that again but he could be fine and go on for years. Oh! for a crystal ball and second sight!
 
piggieminder said:
Thanks @alpacasqueak
Unfortunately rebonding is not going to be an option. We had Brillo next to Red in separate cages and Brillo froze huddled in a corner and wouldn't move, when Red realised the was there he fluffed himself up into an angry ball, screamed, growled and threw himself at the side of the cage trying to get to Brillo. This is a bond that is very broken and I can't risk letting them get at each other again, I've found more puncture wounds on both of them, it was a really nasty fight even though it only lasted probably seconds, thank goodness we were both here. I have spent 2 days rearranging furniture, one day moving it all and one day moving it all back! Red is now next to Caspy and Nugget, he's been there for a few hours now and all is peaceful lovely sleeping piggies, fingers crossed it stays that way. Brillo is back in his and Red's cage a bit subdued. I can't leave him on his own and there's no way I can fit him next to anyone else so we are talking about getting in touch with rescues to see if we can find him a nice friend he can live in the harmony he deserves with! We have gone round and round the situation, Peanut is 6, a few months ago he was very poorly but now he's as bright as a button and could go on for another 2 years. Rusty is only 3 but has bladder problems and I don't think after the bad time he had last year with surgery I would put him through that again but he could be fine and go on for years. Oh! for a crystal ball and second sight!
Click to expand...
Oh I’m so sorry @piggieminder, was really hoping that you would have the option but sounds like they’ve decided it for you then :( Such a shame when they’ve had a couple of years of being a happy couple (other than the odd bicker). Hope Red stays happy with his lovely (and very handsome!) next door company and can relax a bit now. And Rusty can find a new friend soon then 🤞
I’m so sorry, these piggles do like to test our sanity at times I think! :doh: So glad gorgeous Peanut’s still doing well though and loving life again ❤xx
 
@alpacasqueak
It's Brillo that needs a new friend! It looks like rescue is out of the question. I can't email one they do it on messenger whatever that is. The other one wants to do video messaging to check us out as they can't visit due to covid and I can't do that. I'm a complete technophobe and can't even work out how to do photos with this new lap top. I'm sitting here with tears running down my cheeks listening to the sound of happy hay munching and feeling a complete failure.
 
piggieminder said:
@alpacasqueak
It's Brillo that needs a new friend! It looks like rescue is out of the question. I can't email one they do it on messenger whatever that is. The other one wants to do video messaging to check us out as they can't visit due to covid and I can't do that. I'm a complete technophobe and can't even work out how to do photos with this new lap top. I'm sitting here with tears running down my cheeks listening to the sound of happy hay munching and feeling a complete failure.
Click to expand...
Oh god, I’m so sorry, why do I always get your boys names mixed up!? :doh:🙄 Then again i keep calling my lot different names at the moment, too much happening, brain farts!:doh: I know which gorgeous boy I mean to say but sorry! 🙈
You are definitely not a failure, you are a bloody brilliant owner and if I were a piglet I wish I was at your house! Like you said to me not long ago, you deserve a trophy not a medal! None of this is your fault, just piggy troubles with illness etc, and none of it at all is anything you’ve done! xx
 
Sorry to hear about your boys! Glad you’ve managed to re-arrange the furniture to accommodate all the moving and changing of cages! These guinea pig boys eh? :doh::))
 
Sometimes the solution is staring you right in the face and you just don't see it.
The problem 2 traumatised piggies who were never going to get on again. No room to accommodate everyone with interaction through the bars, the split cage was too small for a pair. This morning I bonded Nugget and Brillo, they bumbled around together, shared a handful of grass and are now in Brillo's revamped cage, not a hump or rumble strut in sight! Long may this continue. Caspy and Red are back where they were 2 years ago, side by side, pinching each other's hay through the grids, rumble strutting along the divide and having a good grumble. These two used to live together until Red nipped Caspy and drew blood, Caspy would then huddle in a corner and was very unhappy so we divided the cage. They are side by side at the divider right now munching hay together, they really seem to enjoy all the drama of defending the boundary, the body language is so different to a scared piggy.
Phew! I was really afraid I would end up with 4 singles but as my OH said Brillo and Nugget are much better suited in temperament.
Red is really running out of options.
Caspy has been so busy with Red he's not looked for Nugget, it's like he's forgotten he existed.
 
piggieminder said:
Sometimes the solution is staring you right in the face and you just don't see it.
The problem 2 traumatised piggies who were never going to get on again. No room to accommodate everyone with interaction through the bars, the split cage was too small for a pair. This morning I bonded Nugget and Brillo, they bumbled around together, shared a handful of grass and are now in Brillo's revamped cage, not a hump or rumble strut in sight! Long may this continue. Caspy and Red are back where they were 2 years ago, side by side, pinching each other's hay through the grids, rumble strutting along the divide and having a good grumble. These two used to live together until Red nipped Caspy and drew blood, Caspy would then huddle in a corner and was very unhappy so we divided the cage. They are side by side at the divider right now munching hay together, they really seem to enjoy all the drama of defending the boundary, the body language is so different to a scared piggy.
Phew! I was really afraid I would end up with 4 singles but as my OH said Brillo and Nugget are much better suited in temperament.
Red is really running out of options.
Caspy has been so busy with Red he's not looked for Nugget, it's like he's forgotten he existed.
Click to expand...
Sounds like a win, win 😀 for you and all the lads x
 
flowerfairy said:
That sounds like the perfect solution.
Click to expand...

It would have been. Brillo just decided he didn't like Nugget after all, luckily Caspy was pleased to see him back. Tomorrow is another day, will have to think of something else! Anyone want a couple of boars. Very sweet, can't live together.
 
The boys are settling well into their new regime and all wounds are healing well. The living arrangements are not ideal but the best I can manage with the room I've got. The boys are all safe and well which is the main thing.
I was concerned a few days ago that there was very little poop in Brillo's cage. Whilst having a coffee break I sat by the cages observing the boys. During the change round I took the opportunity to renew the corex in Brillo's loft, he is sleeping a lot in the open up there. The piece of corex I had wasn't big enough to cover the whole loft and put sides all round so I left it flat at the front as I thought it would be nice for him to see out while lying down. Brillo's cage is on a table with Caspy and Nugget's cage below, I watched Brillo wriggle backwards until his bottom was pressed against the bars and then poop, the poop dropping down into the cage under him. Problem solved he doesn't need a trip to the vet, he's just making a statement on his thoughts about his neighbours. :))
 
I’ve just caught up with your boys’ shenanigans. You’ve done more moving than Pickfords and tried every combination. They really are incorrigible. But I’ve really laughed at the thought of dropping poops on your neighbours. Naughty Brillo!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top