How to support my bereaved 5yr old

[Willol]

Hello. Our beautiful 5yr old Coco died at the weekend and I’m very worried about her sister, Milky.
She really is very depressed- as I’d expect having read lots on here. I’ve put out some feelers to rescues, but I’m not sure how long it might take to find a match for her. She’s in the main room with us, and we’ll try to get her out for lots of cuddles, but realistically, how long can she be on her own?
At the moment, she’s eating when hand fed her favourites, but ignoring the hay. We’ve got some critical care, but she’s not loving it!
Thanks for any advice and I’m sorry for anyone who’s recently been through a similar loss x

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m so sorry for your loss

Switch to weighing her daily so you can monitor her and ensure she is getting adequate critical care.

A piggy who is coping being alone can be alone for around four weeks without issue. But, and provided piggy is ok, it is worth waiting to find a compatible friend, even if the wait is longer than four weeks.

A piggy who is going into acute pining (which is rare but it does happen) unfortunately can’t wait for a friend. That mean that waiting for rescue dating isn’t an option and purchasing a baby from a shop within a matter of days has to be the option take for the wellbeing of the bereaved piggy.

It is important to be aware that older sows who were strongly bonded and had been with their companion lifelong, can sometimes have a harder time accepting a new friend. Not always, some are happy to have a new friend, but we have seen rebonding older sows not always be straightforward.
This doesn’t mean they can be alone, but it can mean other options may need to be considered such as having another piggy (or indeed pair of piggies) in an adjoining cage. This can provide companionship through the bars but without the pressures of sharing territory.

Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig

 

[Wiebke]

Hello. Our beautiful 5yr old Coco died at the weekend and I’m very worried about her sister, Milky.
She really is very depressed- as I’d expect having read lots on here. I’ve put out some feelers to rescues, but I’m not sure how long it might take to find a match for her. She’s in the main room with us, and we’ll try to get her out for lots of cuddles, but realistically, how long can she be on her own?
At the moment, she’s eating when hand fed her favourites, but ignoring the hay. We’ve got some critical care, but she’s not loving it!
Thanks for any advice and I’m sorry for anyone who’s recently been through a similar loss x

Hi

BIG HUGS

I am so very sorry for your loss.

Have you switched from weighing her once weekly to weighing her daily first thing in the morning in order to monitor her food intake?

With any piggy that stops eating after a loss, please have them vet checked in case the shock/stress of a loss has lowered the immune and allowed an underlying issue to come up; especially in older piggies. However, like with humans, some guinea pigs can really struggle with being on their own and not cope well at all.

Essentially, you are looking at getting company sooner in the case a piggy is not coping at all, even if it means a pet shop trip. We are speaking of a 'pining' emergency situation and the usual rules go out of the window because time is of essence.

With an older sow and if you want to continue your guinea pig journey, I would recommend to get two young sows so you are not going through the same again in the not too far future. With two youngsters, it generally also makes acceptance more likely unless your old lady prefers just next door company; but then the youngsters have each other and she has both company but her own territory. Not all older sows will accept new company even they are not happy at all.

With pet shops you have legally that bit more customer protection than with for sale breeders or rescues that are not licensed since anybody can call themselves a rescue or a breeder in this country.

Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig

Rescues (Adoption and Dating), Shops, Breeders or Online? - What to consider when getting guinea pigs

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated Bonding Dynamics and Behaviours

 

[Merab]

So sorry for your loss.
I would echo the advice already given.

Be gentle with yourself as you grieve