This text is part of an article series I have written for Guinea Pig Magazine issues 44 and 46 (May and September2018).
It is the propriety of GPM and is being shared on here with the magazine's permission.
Guinea Pig Mag
Overwiew
I Depression
- Acute Pining
- Loneliness
II Bullying
III Hormones and Aggression
- Boars: the teenage months
- Sows: ovarian cysts
IV Fear and Stress
- Prey animal default setting
- Fear-aggression
V Antisocial and disabled guinea pigs
It is impossible to compare human and cavy mental health directly, firstly because guinea pigs are a different species with different behaviours and social needs and secondly because they cannot speak directly about their feelings and issues to us.
Nevertheless, this article addresses some areas where guinea pigs can struggle and that can impinge on their social interaction and health.
Part I: Depression
Depression can only ever be a diagnosis by default after you have seen a vet and have excluded a medical issue; be aware that some problems can not cause any visible symptoms until very late!
Here are some aspects that can cause or contribute to depression in guinea pigs.
Acute pining
Acute pining is thankfully rare; but especially in long term closely bonded pairs it can happen that when one of them dies, the other gives up on life, too.
We speak of acute pining when a freshly bereaved guinea pig turns its face away from the world and stops eating and drinking. This especially when a death has happened suddenly and unexpectedly.
Sometimes it can help if you step in with syringe feed and watering to kick start the survival instinct in order to encourage a bereaved guinea pig to eat on its own again.
The shock of the loss of their mate does impact on the immune system and can cause underlying issues to suddenly come to the fore. It is important that you see a vet promptly to make sure that your remaining guinea pig is not ill, even more so when a guinea pig has died from an infectious illness.
Apart from syringe feeding support, new company in this case can be literally a life saver, irrespective of your own feelings. Just a new face in an adjoining cage can make all the difference while you sort things out as quickly as possible. If you have more guinea pigs, placing your bereaved piggy next to another cage can help. It is perfectly OK to put a single boar next to sows since he hasn’t got anybody to fall out with.
Normally I strongly recommend quarantining any new arrivals that have not undergone a mandatory quarantine/health care at a good rescue for 2-3 weeks in another room, but you have to waive this in the case of acute pining. The sooner you can introduce your piggies on neutral ground, the better. Acceptance is generally very high in the case of acute pining even if your bereaved piggy is complaining – but it is definitely no longer depressed and giving up on life!
Loneliness in single or bereaved guinea pigs
Most guinea pig will be withdrawn for a few days, but still eat and drink before they pick up their life again; just without their usual sparkle. The survival instinct in guinea pigs is much stronger than in us humans; guinea pigs don’t feel any less deeply, but they have to get on with life again much sooner than us.
Some guinea pigs can however be seemingly unaffected by the loss of their mate. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they would not appreciate company, whether it is a new mate or at least some next door company for ongoing stimulation.
The other way that loneliness can manifest, not just in bereaved but also in single guinea pigs is clinginess as a result of their round the clock need of companionship.
This can then develop into annoying attention seeking behaviours, like nightly bar chewing for instance – basically anything that gets a reaction and anything that keeps your attention focused on them for that bit longer. Guinea pigs are very good at working out which buttons to push!
They are also quite good at stopping any shenanigans you do not react to fairly quickly; so the best way is to stay tough and sit it out. But keep in mind that attention seeking behaviour is a result of your guinea pig being starved for companionship in the first place!
Very unhappy single guinea pigs can just close down in themselves and refuse any interaction with a human.
Practical tips in these guides here:
Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig
Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities
It is the propriety of GPM and is being shared on here with the magazine's permission.
Guinea Pig Mag
Overwiew
I Depression
- Acute Pining
- Loneliness
II Bullying
III Hormones and Aggression
- Boars: the teenage months
- Sows: ovarian cysts
IV Fear and Stress
- Prey animal default setting
- Fear-aggression
V Antisocial and disabled guinea pigs
It is impossible to compare human and cavy mental health directly, firstly because guinea pigs are a different species with different behaviours and social needs and secondly because they cannot speak directly about their feelings and issues to us.
Nevertheless, this article addresses some areas where guinea pigs can struggle and that can impinge on their social interaction and health.
Part I: Depression
Depression can only ever be a diagnosis by default after you have seen a vet and have excluded a medical issue; be aware that some problems can not cause any visible symptoms until very late!
Here are some aspects that can cause or contribute to depression in guinea pigs.
Acute pining
Acute pining is thankfully rare; but especially in long term closely bonded pairs it can happen that when one of them dies, the other gives up on life, too.
We speak of acute pining when a freshly bereaved guinea pig turns its face away from the world and stops eating and drinking. This especially when a death has happened suddenly and unexpectedly.
Sometimes it can help if you step in with syringe feed and watering to kick start the survival instinct in order to encourage a bereaved guinea pig to eat on its own again.
The shock of the loss of their mate does impact on the immune system and can cause underlying issues to suddenly come to the fore. It is important that you see a vet promptly to make sure that your remaining guinea pig is not ill, even more so when a guinea pig has died from an infectious illness.
Apart from syringe feeding support, new company in this case can be literally a life saver, irrespective of your own feelings. Just a new face in an adjoining cage can make all the difference while you sort things out as quickly as possible. If you have more guinea pigs, placing your bereaved piggy next to another cage can help. It is perfectly OK to put a single boar next to sows since he hasn’t got anybody to fall out with.
Normally I strongly recommend quarantining any new arrivals that have not undergone a mandatory quarantine/health care at a good rescue for 2-3 weeks in another room, but you have to waive this in the case of acute pining. The sooner you can introduce your piggies on neutral ground, the better. Acceptance is generally very high in the case of acute pining even if your bereaved piggy is complaining – but it is definitely no longer depressed and giving up on life!
Loneliness in single or bereaved guinea pigs
Most guinea pig will be withdrawn for a few days, but still eat and drink before they pick up their life again; just without their usual sparkle. The survival instinct in guinea pigs is much stronger than in us humans; guinea pigs don’t feel any less deeply, but they have to get on with life again much sooner than us.
Some guinea pigs can however be seemingly unaffected by the loss of their mate. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they would not appreciate company, whether it is a new mate or at least some next door company for ongoing stimulation.
The other way that loneliness can manifest, not just in bereaved but also in single guinea pigs is clinginess as a result of their round the clock need of companionship.
This can then develop into annoying attention seeking behaviours, like nightly bar chewing for instance – basically anything that gets a reaction and anything that keeps your attention focused on them for that bit longer. Guinea pigs are very good at working out which buttons to push!
They are also quite good at stopping any shenanigans you do not react to fairly quickly; so the best way is to stay tough and sit it out. But keep in mind that attention seeking behaviour is a result of your guinea pig being starved for companionship in the first place!
Very unhappy single guinea pigs can just close down in themselves and refuse any interaction with a human.
Practical tips in these guides here:
Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig
Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities