New companion

[JenC84]

We lost our little Nugget last night when he was only two years old Now I'm worried about his brother...he's snuggles up in nuggets blanket and not drinking although he is still eating. When should we find him a new companion and how old they should be? Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m so sorry for your loss. Sending you hugs

The amount piggies drink varies widely (some drinking hardly anything and others drinking a lot ) but it is important to note that the need to drink comes before the need to eat. Therefore, if he truly isn’t drinking anything then he also won’t be eating enough.
Consequently is he is eating, then he is going to be drinking.

Either way, switch to daily weight checks so you can more closely monitor his hay intake. This means you can step in quickly with syringe feeding if there is to be an issue with hay intake.

Where a piggy is otherwise ok - eating, maintaining weight - then you have time to come to terms with your loss and for your boy to grieve. Generally you have around four weeks to find a new friend.
If a bereaved piggy goes into acute pining (which is rare), stops eating, loses weight, then (assuming illness is ruled out), getting a new friend then becomes urgent and needs to happen asap.

Generally, a baby/younger piggy is best as they will not challenge the hierarchy. However the primary consider in any bond is character compatibility.
The best way to find a friend is with the help of a rescue centre who can help character match with a new friend. That isn’t always an option for everyone (and in the case of acute pining, you probably wouldn’t have time to go through the rescue process anyway) so if you need to buy a piggy and then do the bonding process yourself, it is wise to have a plan b for living arrangements (living in separate but side by side cages) if the bond fails.

I’ve added a guide below to help you further

I hope that helps.

Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig

 

[Roselina]

Hello I’m sorry little Nugget has died - it’s a shock and hard for you and your family and of course for Nugget’s brother
Piggies&buns has given you great advice and I’m sure with reading the guide it will help you.
One of my piggies (Bobby ) died in October after treatment for a uti then surgery for a bladder stone.
I was so upset and worried about Geoff ( Bobby’s friend) - luckily Geoff was eating and drinking and his weight remained stable but I could see he was lonely .
I contacted local rescues and it was really hard to find a single male to try to bond Geoff with. There were none.
I was considering a baby as the need for a companion was becoming more urgent - luckily Piggies&buns told me about Wood Green and when I contacted them, they had a lone boar. They did the bonding for me and both Geoff and Freddy were friends from the start. So it was easy for me - I still miss my Bobby but seeing a Geoff and Freddy together is a comfort.
Keep in touch on here and I’m sure other forum members will be along to offer support, advice and their experiences.

 

[JenC84]

I’m so sorry for your loss. Sending you hugs

The amount piggies drink varies widely (some drinking hardly anything and others drinking a lot ) but it is important to note that the need to drink comes before the need to eat. Therefore, if he truly isn’t drinking anything then he also won’t be eating enough.
Consequently is he is eating, then he is going to be drinking.

Either way, switch to daily weight checks so you can more closely monitor his hay intake. This means you can step in quickly with syringe feeding if there is to be an issue with hay intake.

Where a piggy is otherwise ok - eating, maintaining weight - then you have time to come to terms with your loss and for your boy to grieve. Generally you have around four weeks to find a new friend.
If a bereaved piggy goes into acute pining (which is rare), stops eating, loses weight, then (assuming illness is ruled out), getting a new friend then becomes urgent and needs to happen asap.

Generally, a baby/younger piggy is best as they will not challenge the hierarchy. However the primary consider in any bond is character compatibility.
The best way to find a friend is with the help of a rescue centre who can help character match with a new friend. That isn’t always an option for everyone (and in the case of acute pining, you probably wouldn’t have time to go through the rescue process anyway) so if you need to buy a piggy and then do the bonding process yourself, it is wise to have a plan b for living arrangements (living in separate but side by side cages) if the bond fails.

I’ve added a guide below to help you further

I hope that helps.

Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig

Thankyou so much for your advice, he seems to have drank some water last night. I will keep an eye on him.

 

[JenC84]

Hello I’m sorry little Nugget has died - it’s a shock and hard for you and your family and of course for Nugget’s brother
Piggies&buns has given you great advice and I’m sure with reading the guide it will help you.
One of my piggies (Bobby ) died in October after treatment for a uti then surgery for a bladder stone.
I was so upset and worried about Geoff ( Bobby’s friend) - luckily Geoff was eating and drinking and his weight remained stable but I could see he was lonely .
I contacted local rescues and it was really hard to find a single male to try to bond Geoff with. There were none.
I was considering a baby as the need for a companion was becoming more urgent - luckily Piggies&buns told me about Wood Green and when I contacted them, they had a lone boar. They did the bonding for me and both Geoff and Freddy were friends from the start. So it was easy for me - I still miss my Bobby but seeing a Geoff and Freddy together is a comfort.
Keep in touch on here and I’m sure other forum members will be along to offer support, advice and their experiences.

Thanks so much for this. Nugget was such an affectionate wee piggie and we will miss him loads.

 

[Mon59]

Very sorry to hear about Nugget.

I lost my lovely Olivia just over a week ago and I’m still in shock. I found a rescue pig in only a week to divert myself and for a new cage mate . It seems to have worked for me but everyone is different. Some pigs are special and we never get over them.

Be kind to yourself.

 

[Roselina]

Thanks so much for this. Nugget was such an affectionate wee piggie and we will miss him loads.

He will be forever with you , you couldn’t forget that special piggy
In time your sadness will turn into sweet memories of special Nugget
These little creatures find a way into our hearts and are there forever
I think that’s why this forum is so great ….we all share a love of guinea pigs

 

[Merab]

So sorry for your loss.
Be gentle with yourself as you grieve

 

[JenC84]

Very sorry to hear about Nugget.

I lost my lovely Olivia just over a week ago and I’m still in shock. I found a rescue pig in only a week to divert myself and for a new cage mate . It seems to have worked for me but everyone is different. Some pigs are special and we never get over them.

Be kind to yourself.

So sorry about Olivia but glad to hear you have found another piggie hopefully we will be able to find a new friend for Chewy soon too x