BIG HUGS!
I am ever so sorry for your loss! You have made the right decision; severe bloat is unfortunately one of the nastiest things that a piggy can come down with and it is always a toss up wether they can make it or not.
I have lost piggies to sudden severe bloat myself, like most long term owners on here, and I can reassure you that you have NOT killed Smudge by introducing a new boar on the other side! Stress can sometimes be an additional factor in the case of bloat, but only if there is already an underlying issue. It usually happens at any time out of the blue to perfectly healthy guinea pigs. Having a new neighbour is not enough stress in itself to kill a piggy.
It is however very normal for any loving, responsible owner to have strong feelings of guilt and failure whenever we lose a beloved pet; this is usually worse in the case of a sudden, unexplainable death or pts in an emergency situation, as our hearts need a lot more time to catch up with our heads. We all exerience those kinds of feelings as they are a normal part of the onset of the grieving process.
You have done for Smudge what you could and as much as any caring owner can do (including the gift of letting him go when his suffering got too bad), and you have not failed him in any way! Smudge could not have had a better mum, whatever you are feeling now. Why I know? Because you are feeling so strongly! It is the other side of the same coin; we have to grieve as much as we love.
Please keep Gizmo and Pie next to each other for the next few days to give Gizmo time for grieving, unless Gizmo is not eating, in which case I would strongle recommend to introduce asap. We have got lots of tips and information about bonding at the top of our behaviour and bonding section, which you may want to read through first. And please don't blame neither Pie or yourself for what has happened; that would be unfair to both of you!
Here are our tips what you can do for Gizmo right now:
Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig
