New to this but need some advise!

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Sarahww

Hi Everyone, I'm Sarah and i live in Bristol!:)p
The story of me and my piggies is a long one, but will try and keep it as short as possible!

I bought two girl Guinea pigs, Timone & Pumba just after Christmas, all seemed to be going well untill last week when we spotted Timone was very unwell and had managed to catch a cold and was unable to eat. We took her to the vets, but they were unfortunately unable to do anything and she passed away. We bought a new piggy called Pickle and paired her with Pumba. Again everything seemed to be going well and they both seemed very happy. This saturday morning completely out of the blue we found Pumba dead in her bed with Pickle sat by her side :... I checked her over to find any signs as to why she could have died. Her ears, eyes and nose were all clear, and she had been eating perfectly fine the night before. All very strange.

So, the situation as it stands now: This afternoon i took Pickle to the vets for a Health Check and all is fine, so i have again had to buy a new piggie as a friend to Pickle, i havent named her yet, so any suggestions would be great. When introducing them i put them on the living room floor with some cucumber. I rubbed a little of the sawdust from the cage on to the new piggie and waited. Apart from a little sniff, not alot happened. I put the new piggie in the cage (after giving it a good clean) and she ran straight into the bedroom, i then put Pickle in. It seems however pickle is now constantly sat outside of the bed area in the corner. When she tries to go in theres alot of squeeking and she runs back out!

This has been a very stressful couple of weeks for both myself and the poor guinea pigs, so any advise would be much appreciated.

Sorry its a bit of an essay!

Thanks, Sarah!
 
Hi Sarah,

Welcome to the forum, you poor love sounds like you've had a rough time of it lately. I won't lie, this happens a lot with petshop pigs it's very sad but they can be inbreed or just housed in awful conditions before making it to the shop that is why they end up unwell.

As for the bonding, it may take time, maybe give two of everything. Perhaps your older piggy is just struggling to adapt with all the change that has gone on recently. Is it possible to house seperatly and maybe bond slower? I do think two of everything in the cage will help and see how they go on from there.

Good luck with them and look forward to chatting, its a friendly forum here everyone of us are slightly mad on pigs! :)

Louise
x
 
Hi, thanks for that.
I wasn't really sure if i was making an introduction or asking for general advise, so decided to post it twice.
It is a nero type cage, so have now taken that out. They seem ok together now, but will make some houses out of their carry case boxes and see how it goes.
All my previous guinea pigs have slept together but their all different so fingers crossed everything will be ok this time! :)
 
Hi Sarah, welcome :)

I would try to put open-ended hidey-holes such as the stick tunnels you can get from pet shops, as I personally have found that closed off houses etc seem to give them any excuse to get boxed in and squabbling. With open ended things, if any trouble starts, the pigs can run freely through usually avoiding a row.

I would put in two of everything as Louise (Sunshine&Twinkle) suggested and lots of space if you can - have you considered a C&C cage? There are lots of examples here in the housing section of the forum and also here: www.guineapigcages.com we can all help you source anything if you are interested in this type of arrangement, and they're often far cheaper than store bought cages :)

As for why she died, it's a tricky one when they go suddenly and could possibly be a genetic condition. Unfortunately, unless you have a post mortem done, it's unlikely to be known.
 
Hi everyone,

Just thought id update you on the situation with my girly's!

After taking the advise of putting in two of everything they have got on much better, now even after having two beds they seem to sleep in one. Fudge however still doesnt like coming out much and is very jumpy. Pickle loves having a run about and doesnt seem to stop eating!

I have also taken the advise of you lot and invested in a C&C cage, i have the grids & have ordered my Vetbed, just need to get to Travis Perkins to get the Correx. Oh any my OH has made a ramp which looks wicked. Cant wait to see the finished product now.

Was even thinking of getting a nautered boar from a rescue to join the team, how do boars get on with two females?

Would like to thank you all for the advise you gave me!

So thanks,

Sarah, Pickle & Fudge! x
 
Hi sarah, welcome to the forum! I'm glad our piggies seem to be getting along as you cant have been having much fun with it recently. Fingers crossed that in no time they will be best friends :)
 
Hi Ozzy,
Thanks for your kind words, i still find it very stressful, as everyday when i go to work i worry that I'm going to find another sick piggy when i get home, and when i am home i find myself checking on them all the time!
Like you said hopefully they will be best of friends soon and i can stop worrying! x
 
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