Lost Pipkin last night.

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halfpenny

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Sadly Pipkin our longest resident guinea pig died overnight, I found her this morning. Pipkin was from a very inbred litter we fostered from the age of 4 days old, she would have been 4 next month. Apart from being gutted at losing her we are left with Nipper, her neutered male friend on his own.
We have a trio of pigs, 2 girls and a boy and I was wondering if it would be cruel to pair up Nipper with one of the girls.
 
Am so sorry you lost Pipkin, I am not too sure about bonding so will let someone else answer that.
 
I am so sorry for your loss! At least, Pipkin had the best and happiest of lives with you.

Personally, I wouldn't think that splitting up the girls will be bad, except in the case that they are extremely close and devoted to each other. Flintstones has split the sisters she adopted, and both are very happy with having a hubby each, but still being within hearing range of each other.

You may want to take out the undersow and pair her up with Nipper; that will cause the least disruption while providing the best chance of success
 
Sorry for your loss, if your paring up with another sow I think that would be fine:)
 
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Sorry to hear you have lost a much loved piggy. I would agree with others, maybe take out the underpig and pair her up with Nipper so he isn't lonely.
 
Thanks for the replies. I have just noticed, while putting my neutered male pair out for run time that Incy has some bites (not deep) on his back, I assume from Nookie. They have lived together for about 2 years so I am very concerned, I'm now wondering if something happened last night although everybody else is fine. They are in hutches in a block building, so nothing can get in to them and although it was cold it only got down to 7 inside.
What do I do about the boys, do I need to seperate them- then what!
 
I also meant to add that the trio are mother, daughter and son, which was why I wondered if it would be cruel to seperate them.
 
halfpenny said:
I also meant to add that the trio are mother, daughter and son, which was why I wondered if it would be cruel to seperate them.
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Check the boys for mites or fungal first, and if it turns out that it is bites, then separate, please.

In guinea pig society, it is the older sows running the group with a male in attendance. Younger sows can either stay with the group and try to work their way up the hierachy or - if they are more adventurous - they move off with a likely minded young bachelor boar (who are hanging around the fringes of the group waiting for their chance) to found their own herd. Moving off your daughter will imitate the second choice. Guinea pigs do not have family bonds the way we have. As long as mum and brother know that the girl has not died, they will be fine.
 
Wiebke said:
Check the boys for mites or fungal first, and if it turns out that it is bites, then separate, please.

In guinea pig society, it is the older sows running the group with a male in attendance. Younger sows can either stay with the group and try to work their way up the hierachy or - if they are more adventurous - they move off with a likely minded young bachelor boar (who are hanging around the fringes of the group waiting for their chance) to found their own herd. Moving off your daughter will imitate the second choice. Guinea pigs do not have family bonds the way we have. As long as mum and brother know that the girl has not died, they will be fine.
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Thanks for the reply. I will now feel much happier moving out Pheobe. They will still here her so that should be fine.

I did wonder if it was mites, I did notice Tansy looked like he maybe be scratching. I can't decide if it is bites or not, they shared their spinach this morning with not problems and both were in the bed bit this morning and when I went in a 12 to put them into the run. I have never noticed any agression between them and they are always in the runs on their own- don't put any girls next to them. I really hope it isn't fighting, they seemed very happy together. I'll have a proper look again ( I've never had guineas fight before so not sure what superficial wounds would look like ")) I was going to get mite treatment for them anyway because of Tansy, again I've never had any fungal problems. I know it may still happen but it just means I'm not sure what I'm looking at!
 
halfpenny said:
Thanks for the reply. I will now feel much happier moving out Pheobe. They will still here her so that should be fine.

I did wonder if it was mites, I did notice Tansy looked like he maybe be scratching. I can't decide if it is bites or not, they shared their spinach this morning with not problems and both were in the bed bit this morning and when I went in a 12 to put them into the run. I have never noticed any agression between them and they are always in the runs on their own- don't put any girls next to them. I really hope it isn't fighting, they seemed very happy together. I'll have a proper look again ( I've never had guineas fight before so not sure what superficial wounds would look like ")) I was going to get mite treatment for them anyway because of Tansy, again I've never had any fungal problems. I know it may still happen but it just means I'm not sure what I'm looking at!
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I would have your boys seen by a vet for a proper diagnosis, but bites can be selfinflicted if the itching is very bad.
 
Oh I'm so sorry to hear about Pipkin, goodnight little one xx
 
I spoke to Mike and he has never seen them fighting either, he has seen them grooming ( whenever they see me it means food and everything else is forgotten!). I've had another look and it looks like the hair around it has been barbered, so it may well be over zealous grooming.
I'll pop them into the vet tomorrow because I have a cat in for a blood test tonight and the vet is very concerned about her weight loss. Feeling very anxious.
 
Sorry about Pipkin, i hope the new pair become firm friends.

It does sound like it may be mites, one of my friend's pigs had what looked like bite wounds on him but he lived on his own, so unless there's an invisible guinea getting in and giving him a nip.... Treating him would be a good idea to be on the safe side xx
 
Whee are really sorry to hear about Pipkin 8...8...8...
RIP Pipkin run free at the bridge, enjoy the lush meadows and munching on dandelions and popcorning with new girlfriends, you'll be so sadly missed by your friend Nipper and family but NEVER forgotten xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))))))))))))) and lots of loves from us all xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Another little star now twinkling in the sky ........... :(

What a sad start for little Pipkin, i'm so glad she was able to live her life with you knowing love, caring and fresh food, you did all you could xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
Just thought I'd add a quick update to this thread.
Thankfully Nookie and Incy the neutered boars are still fine together, I think the injuries must have been mites because after treatment all cleared away.

I never got round to pairing Nipper with Pheobe, we were too busy trying to get the old animals through the winter.

Sadly, a couple of weeks ago we lost Nipper, we suspect to a heart condition although it appeared very quickly and I lost him after 5 days of nursing.
This left us with Nutmeg, who lost his mate Tansy in November to a ruptured ovarian cyst, and he has been very depressed since.
Today I took the plunge and put him and Pheobe together, things seem to be OK, although they are not really spending time together. I kind of finally decided to split the trio up because Pheobe seems to have been sitting outside the enclosed bit of the hutch lately, while Lola and Popcorn were inside.

While writing this a penny has dropped in my head. They have recently been treated for mites, but Lola still has hair loss- I'm now wondering if this points to ovarian cysts, I guess she'll be off for a scan next week just to check.
Funny how writing things down make your preceptions of things change.
 
Well we got good news at the vet, there are no signs of ovarian cysts in Lola, she got another mite treatment and if no better we will look into other possiblities- ie fungal.
 
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