Need A New Friend?

[Wiggymum]

Hi. This is my first thread and I'm a relatively new Guinea pig mum.
We got our 5 year old two girl guineas for her birthday last year.
Unfortunately celestia, one of our beautiful pigs, passed away yesterday :'(
Luna (our other pig) had attacked her, not for the first time. Celestia went off her food and had diarrhoea. Even with medication from the vet we couldn't save celestia and she died in my partners arms yesterday evening.
Luna is only 10 months old so I'm super worried about her being lonely. But I'm also anxious that if I get another pig she will attack them too. Our daughter is only young so can't really promise her another pig then take it away if they don't get along.
Does anyone have any advice?

 

[piggieminder]

Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig
Hello and welcome to the forum, I am sorry it's under such sad circumstances. The information in the above thread should help you. The Rescue Locator is the green bar at the top of the page. Taking Luna to a reputable rescue that offers bonding is the way to go so she can choose her own friend.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi. This is my first thread and I'm a relatively new Guinea pig mum.
We got our 5 year old two girl guineas for her birthday last year.
Unfortunately celestia, one of our beautiful pigs, passed away yesterday :'(
Luna (our other pig) had attacked her, not for the first time. Celestia went off her food and had diarrhoea. Even with medication from the vet we couldn't save celestia and she died in my partners arms yesterday evening.
Luna is only 10 months old so I'm super worried about her being lonely. But I'm also anxious that if I get another pig she will attack them too. Our daughter is only young so can't really promise her another pig then take it away if they don't get along.
Does anyone have any advice?

Hi and welcome

I am very sorry for your loss! You are welcome to post a tribute to Celestia in our Rainbow Bridge section if you think that this will help with your daughter.

Please be aware that Celestia's death has NOT been caused by Luna's behaviour. Loss of appetite and diarrhea are both signs of acute illness; it is good that you have had her seen by a vet as soon as you noticed. Whether it can be cured with antibiotics and gut stimulants depends very much on what has been causing the diarrhea.
Guinea pigs can go downhill very quickly, especially when they stop eating. In order to save them and get them through the critical period you need to switch to weighing daily, syringe feed and keep a guinea pig hydrated as soon as they start losing weight and stop eating. A guinea pig that doesn't eat for any length of time is unfortunately a dying guinea pig.
Guinea Lynx :: Diarrhea
Not Eating And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding

Bullying behaviour from a companion is often the first sign that a guinea pig is ill; generally with something that can potentially threaten the survival of the group as a whole. Normally an infectious ill guinea pig would remove itself from the group. In a cage setting this is not possible.
In turn, guinea pigs are usually very supportive of any disabled group members that are not infectious and that can keep up with the group.

There is a clear difference between normal dominance behaviour and bullying/non-acceptance behaviour. When you talk about attacks, are you sure that you have not just witnessed normal dominance?
Bonding: Illustrated Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics
Sow Behaviour

Please take the time to read this guide here. It deals with short term and long term support for bereaved companions and contains links to recommended rescues in several countries that offer dating at the rescue under expert supervision.
This means that you come home only with a new companion if acceptance has happened. The listed rescues will only rehome healthy/fully quarantined, properly sexed and guaranteed not pregnant piggies.

Please also wait for 2-3 weeks before you let Luna meet another guinea pig (quarantine) since Celestia has died from a potentially transmittable problem. You can use the time to do your research. With dominant sows (especially young ones), a neutered boar of any age or a younger sow are the best approach.
Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

Since we have members from all over the world, we find it very helpful if you please added your country, state/province or UK county to your details so we can tailor any advice to what is available and relevant where you are and help you with more local information towards finding the best way forward for you. Finding new suitable company for bereaved guinea pigs is very dependent on your local options.
Please click on your username on the top bar, then go to personal details and scroll down to location. This makes it appear with every post you make. Thank you!

 

[Merab]

So sorry for your loss.
Great advice already given.
Please keep in touch and let us know how you decide to find a companion for Luna.

If rescue dating isn’t a possibility for you could you consider 2 already bonded sows who could be bonded with Luna but still live together if the bonding doesn’t work?
That’s the route I went down when my Merab lost her cage mate. Fortunately they did bond well so I have a happy trio but there was Plan B of a pair sharing a room with Merab
It will be lovely to see pictures of Luna

 

[Wiggymum]

Thankyou for the advice.
Celestia had a sizeable chunk of fur ripped out and a 2 inch long gash where she had been bitten. The first time it wasn't quite so bad and it healed up nicely. The vet said the tummy upset could be caused through stress, pain and potentially an infection in the bite?
Would there be a reason that Luna kept being aggressive? She was a bit quiet this morning and didn't wheek at breakfast time as usual but seems fine in herself this evening.
I felt very guilty having to leave her alone today so I bought her a cuddly toy. No idea if it will provide any comfort or not?

I agree. I think a few weeks wait would be best. Both to see how Luna is coping, and to check that nothing infectious could possibly spread.

I feel so sad to have lost celestia so young she deserved so much more life ahead of her.

 

[Betsy]

A cuddly toy will give Luna something to cuddle up with so is a good idea.

 

[Wheekallweek]

A cuddly toy will give Luna something to cuddle up with so is a good idea.

Our old ladies love their cuddly dog toys!

 

[Wiggymum]

Also what does it mean if Luna is quite nippy with us? She will be happily wheeking and seemingly enjoying her cuddles then she will start nipping at us.
Is this normal?
Celestia never bit us but she was a lot more chilled.

 

[Betsy]

Nipping is usually a sign that a piggy has had enough and wants to go back in the cage or they need a wee.

 

[Cavy Kung-Fu]

So sorry for your loss I have a few piggies who get a bit nippy but it's my own fault for having them out for too long or not providing enough veg and I need a telling off

Did the vet say it was Luna's fault? I've never heard of that before.

 

[Wiggymum]

The vet said the trauma of the bite was likely what caused the tummy upset. We were giving her antibiotics and recovery in a syringe but she just didn't improve. The diarrhoea stopped but she wasn't interested in eating and was just so limp.

I feel so broken she was my daughter's pet but I took care of the main care. I keep expecting to see her in their run :'(

 

[Cavy Kung-Fu]

The vet said the trauma of the bite was likely what caused the tummy upset. We were giving her antibiotics and recovery in a syringe but she just didn't improve. The diarrhoea stopped but she wasn't interested in eating and was just so limp.

I feel so broken she was my daughter's pet but I took care of the main care. I keep expecting to see her in their run :'(

Oh you poor thing, it's remarkable how they get into your heart isn't it? Sending hugs your way

If it's any consolation I highly doubt the bite had anything to do with the diarrhoea, it was likely to be bloat of some kind or another illness.

 

[Wiggymum]

Just

Oh you poor thing, it's remarkable how they get into your heart isn't it? Sending hugs your way

If it's any consolation I highly doubt the bite had anything to do with the diarrhoea, it was likely to be bloat of some kind or another illness.

Is there a way of avoiding this happening again? We hadn't changed their diet in any way.

I rang up a local rescue center earlier. They said they should be getting a few female piggies in over the next few weeks and offer a bonding service. So we may end up pairing Luna with another pig. I just can't stand the thought of her being solo, especially with us at work so often.

She's had plenty of cuddles today though and made her some enrichment stuff.

 

[Cavy Kung-Fu]

Just


Is there a way of avoiding this happening again? We hadn't changed their diet in any way.

I rang up a local rescue center earlier. They said they should be getting a few female piggies in over the next few weeks and offer a bonding service. So we may end up pairing Luna with another pig. I just can't stand the thought of her being solo, especially with us at work so often.

She's had plenty of cuddles today though and made her some enrichment stuff.

Not really, I'd certainly advise weighing them weekly to see any early signs of illness and obviously changes in behaviour. It's the only way to tell if they're poorly sadly Are they indoor piggies?

I just noticed where you're based and I live near-ish, which rescue did you contact? If it's Raystede I can highly recommend them as they're fab! I've had piggies from them myself

 

[Wiggymum]

Not really, I'd certainly advise weighing them weekly to see any early signs of illness and obviously changes in behaviour. It's the only way to tell if they're poorly sadly Are they indoor piggies?

I just noticed where you're based and I live near-ish, which rescue did you contact? If it's Raystede I can highly recommend them as they're fab! I've had piggies from them myself

Yes it was raystede they said they offer the dating service for guineas. Have you ever used it?

Our piggies were currently indoor for the winter. We brought them in about November and were thinking of transitioning them back outside around Easter. Bit now Luna is solo I'll be keeping her indoors until we get our new piggy settled and introduced.

 

[Freela]

I'm so sorry for your loss! Not to argue with the vet, but I wouldn't necessarily think that a nip from a cagemate would be enough to cause stomach upset and subsequent death. I wonder if Celestia was coming down with something and this provoked the aggression (sometimes herd animals will react badly to a sick member of the group- attempting to drive them out because a weak or sick animal in the wild will draw predators and thus put the whole herd at risk.) I've not seen it with my guinea pigs personally, but have seen it with other small animals and have had a pig react very badly to another pig's injury (basically trampling her in an effort to get as far away from her as possible after she tore a nail and was bleeding effusively.)

It is probably for the best to look into another pig, and having found a rescue that will help with bonding is definitely the best way to go. I would suggest a quarantine period just to be sure that Luna hasn't caught any sort of contagious illness first. Providing her with lots of attention in the meantime can help to bridge the gap in guinea pig company.

Lots of luck with introductions, and again, I'm so sorry for your loss!

 

[Cavy Kung-Fu]

Yes it was raystede they said they offer the dating service for guineas. Have you ever used it?

Our piggies were currently indoor for the winter. We brought them in about November and were thinking of transitioning them back outside around Easter. Bit now Luna is solo I'll be keeping her indoors until we get our new piggy settled and introduced.

No I haven't, I've done the introductions from home which is fair more stressful haha. I would definitely recommend giving the dating a go. Did they suggest a quarantine period first?

 

[Wiggymum]

No I haven't, I've done the introductions from home which is fair more stressful haha. I would definitely recommend giving the dating a go. Did they suggest a quarantine period first?

No they didn't but they said it will be a few weeks until their girls are rescued, health checked and ready to go.

We go on holiday in 3 weeks :/ my mum was going to come over to feed the girls. I'm in a quandry, it's just such bad timing. I don't want Luna to be lonely for 5 days while we are away. But I don't want to get another one for the company and not be here to keep an eye on them.

 

[Cavy Kung-Fu]

No they didn't but they said it will be a few weeks until their girls are rescued, health checked and ready to go.

We go on holiday in 3 weeks :/ my mum was going to come over to feed the girls. I'm in a quandry, it's just such bad timing. I don't want Luna to be lonely for 5 days while we are away. But I don't want to get another one for the company and not be here to keep an eye on them.

Is your mum alright with handling her? It is bad timing but 5 days isn't too long. If you're worried, could Raystede look after Luna and keep an eye on her for a donation? I don't know if they would be happy to do that or not but it may be worth an ask

 

[Betsy]

Is your mum alright with handling her? It is bad timing but 5 days isn't too long. If you're worried, could Raystede look after Luna and keep an eye on her for a donation? I don't know if they would be happy to do that or not but it may be worth an ask

They can only say no and with luck the may say yes.

 

[Wiggymum]

Is your mum alright with handling her? It is bad timing but 5 days isn't too long. If you're worried, could Raystede look after Luna and keep an eye on her for a donation? I don't know if they would be happy to do that or not but it may be worth an ask

I will ask. They may be able to do the dating in that time to find her a friend.

 

[Wiggymum]

**update**
We found a rescue place with a single female. But unfortunately Luna and ger did not get on. The other girl was slightly older, not sure if this would make a difference? But they spent 6 days trying to bond.
The other girl kept chasing and trying to bite Luna, and Luna became very wary of her
So for now she is back at home alone.

 

[Wiebke]

**update**
We found a rescue place with a single female. But unfortunately Luna and ger did not get on. The other girl was slightly older, not sure if this would make a difference? But they spent 6 days trying to bond.
The other girl kept chasing and trying to bite Luna, and Luna became very wary of her
So for now she is back at home alone.

The other girl was obviously the more dominant.

However, what you report is normal dominance behaviour. Nipping is a very carefully judged gesture of power where a higher ranked piggy lets the underpiggy just feel the teeth but without breaking the skin or hurting. The appropriate response from the lower ranked piggy is submission squealing, which inexperienced people mistake for pain. But if the dominance behaviour is not gradually dying down, then the two are obviously not happy with each other.

Have you tried Worthing Guinea Pig Rescue or Raystede Centre? They are our closest recommended guinea pig rescues and offer dating/bonding at the rescue.
Guinea Pig Rescue Centre Locator

 

[Merab]

Sorry the bond didn’t work out.
Hope you find a suitable companion soon

 

[Wiggymum]

The other girl was obviously the more dominant.

However, what you report is normal dominance behaviour. Nipping is a very carefully judged gesture of power where a higher ranked piggy lets the underpiggy just feel the teeth but without breaking the skin or hurting. The appropriate response from the lower ranked piggy is submission squealing, which inexperienced people mistake for pain. But if the dominance behaviour is not gradually dying down, then the two are obviously not happy with each other.

Have you tried Worthing Guinea Pig Rescue or Raystede Centre? They are our closest recommended guinea pig rescues and offer dating/bonding at the rescue.
Guinea Pig Rescue Centre Locator

I used a local guinea pig rescue. The lady who runs it came highly recommended so I assume she would have known if the chasing and biting was within normal behaviour or not. Apparently over the 6 days it didn't calm down and Luna was getting very wary. Not ideal.

I tried raystede but they currently have no single girls

 

[Cavy Kung-Fu]

Are you able to get to Uckfield at all? She's not a recommended rescue as she's just a small piggy rescue from home but she normally has loads of piggies looking for homes. It may be worth contacting her and I can PM you her details

 

[Wiggymum]

Are you able to get to Uckfield at all? She's not a recommended rescue as she's just a small piggy rescue from home but she normally has loads of piggies looking for homes. It may be worth contacting her and I can PM you her details

Is it grinny pig rescue? That's who we tried last week she has loads of boys in at the moment but only one single girl.
I did ask her to keep us in mind though if she gets another one in

 

[Cavy Kung-Fu]

Is it grinny pig rescue? That's who we tried last week she has loads of boys in at the moment but only one single girl.
I did ask her to keep us in mind though if she gets another one in

Yea that's her, oh what a shame! Hopefully she'll keep you posted. I'll keep my fingers crossed!