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Losing a friend

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chelle

Hi every one,
I'm new to this so please bear with me.
I have owned Pig for just over 3 years and last wednesday he became very ill. We took him to the vets everyday for 3 days and we finally agreed that it would be best if he was put to sleep. It has broke my heart, he was a proper darling. The vet knew us as we had been in a few months before because he had got mange from a baby guinea pig that we had bought. They both got through that thankfully. Anyway, the vet advised me that i would need to get a new guinea pig to keep Squinny company as he would pine for Pig and they need company. So off i went and got Piglet from a local pet shop.
The thing is i'm having a bit of a problem, Squinny seems very resentful towards Piglet and i'm worried that they will not get on, does anyone have any advise for me? I'm no guinea pig expert i just love my animals and want what is best for them.

Thanks for looking, Chelle
 
Hi Chelle welcome to the forum ;D

How old is Squinny now?

So sorry about Pig :( x x

Bev x x
 
Hi

Welcome to the forum ;D

So sorry to hear about pig.

Love
Claire
x
 
Squinny is 4 months old.
I had had Pig by himself for 3 years, think that maybe why he was so friendly cus me and my little boy was his companions. Letting him go was one of the hardest decisions i have ever had to make, but like my little man says, he's better now.
I told my little boy that my grandma had come and fetched him from the vets while he was asleep, so he knows he will be looked after and he is not in pain anymore. :'(
 
Welcome to the forum :)

So sorry to hear of you loss.

If you persevere a little more with the 2 boars, I'm sure they would get along fine in the end? How have you introduced them together? Have you just put them straight in together?

xx Kelly xx
 
I held Piglet and let Squinny come and say hello, they seemed fine so i put him straight in... was that the wrong thing to do?
They don't fight or anything like that although Piglet has mysteriously lost a chunk out of his ear! Squinny is always growling at him though and chasing him, but it doenst seem nasty. But saying that he was a little monster with Pig but he was big enough to argue back just worried that Piglet is so tiny!
I dont think that Squinny is normal....bless him, when i got him from a pet shop they told me he was 7 weeks old. after a couple of days i ended up at emergency vets with him because he had what looked like cold sores develope all over his eyes. On the way to the vets he had a fit, and then a couple more whilst the vet was treating him. The vet then asked me where his mum was as he was only about 3-4 weeks i nearly died! I really do think that his bad start to life has given him mental problems.
I know no 2 pigs are the same but he is worlds apart from Pig. Pig used to sing to me every morning, he would play with his toys in the middle of the night and keep me awake he was the sweetest! But Squinny seems so with drawn and doesnt play, he is still very timid and just runs and hides. I'm not one for picking them up all the time and man handling them i like them to want to come to me and just be stroked. Pig had the happiest life like this and i really want the same for Squinny and Piglet, i just want them to enjoy the life that Pig had.
 
There is a chance that he is mourning still for his friend. Best thing to do is give lots of attention. Although you said you don't hold them often. It will help him out loads if you can pay him a little more attention then you do already (please don't think I'm having a go at you for not holding them as much, cos I am not).

The best way to introduce them is on neutral territory - a clean hutch with fresh bedding and new smells, or a run.

They need some time and space to get used to each other.
There will be some rumbling noises, but that often comes from boars. They are trying to work out who is the dominant one - the leader.

This is fine. As long as there is no fighting, which is when they should be separated.

Baby boars should be separated from their mothers at around 3 weeks, so he has not had a bad start in life at all. Though you say he has mental problems - he could well have been an inbred pig.

Some piggies are just naturally quiet and wont play. It's just the way that they are. One of my sows, Peanuts, is very timid and will always run off! Yet she gets on with others just fine


xx Kelly xx
 
I did make sure that when i put them in together that everything was clean, as soon as i lost Pig i disinfected everything any way as the vet didn't know why he was so ill so i didn't want to risk Squinny getting infected.
I will give Squinny a few cuddles then to see if that helps his grief.

Thanks for advise Kelly x
Ill let you all know how we get on.
 
Hi Chelle,

first of all so sorry for your loss he sounded a Gorgeous piggy.

There are a couple of other things you could try,
give them both a bath and once dry you can put a bit of baby talc on them this helps to mask any by smells
and also a little dab of Vicks the menthol rub under each of their chins.


just keep trying you are doing all the right stuff

good luck

Karen
 
Hi there, I am sorry about Pig. I have been in this situation myself and it does work but it takes patience. Rudi passed away before xmas and so Zubin was lonely so we got him Griff who sadly also passed away but now we have Eddie, I put them together in my sisters room as this was neutral and they just sniffed etc then by the wednesday (i got ed on the saturday) they where together and r buddys now!

Zubin became very withdrawn after Rudi died but Eddie perked him up so much hes a new pig!

the younger the new boar the better it works i have found as inbetween gettin Griff and Ed we got Harry who was 10 weeks and trust me thats too old they have never got on and harry has to live alone however he quite likes it!

x
 
There is fantastic information about bonding piggies on the Barmy4Boars website. I have used the techniques from there many times with my rescue work.

PM me if you need a link or it should come up from a search engine.
 
I gave the boys a bath tonight!
Squinny really suprised me i thought i was really going to struggle with him but he was a star! he loved it. Piglet was so keen.
How often should i bathe them from now on, cus i reckon squinny would have one every day!
They seem to be getting along alot better now, think i was worrying over nothing!
 
chelle said:
I gave the boys a bath tonight!
Squinny really suprised me i thought i was really going to struggle with him but he was a star! he loved it. Piglet was so keen.
How often should i bathe them from now on, cus i reckon squinny would have one every day!
They seem to be getting along alot better now, think i was worrying over nothing!
Click to expand...

I'm not sure how often you should bath pigs some one else on here may be able to answer that, but I know that most pigs like water.
I am so glad they are getting on better

karen
 
Chelle, it's up to you on how often you should bathe your pigs. My boys have one at least once a month, maybe more. Some bath them more than this, some less and some not at all, really is your preference.

Two of my girls, Icey and Tiny have them a little more than that due to them being white pigs and getting dirty a little more.

Like Karen said, some really enjoy water. Mine aren't too fussed as long as they can hold on to me! ;D

In the winter, it's best not to bathe them as often as you normally do as they get cold really quick. But again, it's up to you.

xx Kelly xx
 
With the chasing in the cage, i got a shoe box and cute a hole big enough for Ed to get in and out but not Zubin so if Zub has a off day ed can retreat into his little box while Zub rumbles on with his piggie moods!
 
thanks for the advise all of you.
with it being quite warm at the moment i think i will bathe them probably every 2 weeks one to cool them down a little and two to get them used to it, i wont push it on piglet tho cus he really didnt like it.
The idea about the shoe box is a brilliant idea (only cus it means i got an excuse to buy more shoes lol, not really). I don't think i will need to do thisd now though as they seem to be getting along fine ;D.
I know this is going off the subject slightly but how do i add photos to the pics section? i would love to share my babies with you all. ;D
 
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