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One of my two guinea pigs has died, after 5+ years.

E

Eran Johnson

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Hello everyone,
Sadly, my sow Snoopy has just passed away. she was in veterinary care for about a month due to teeth issues (fed her, gave her medicine etc...) and about 3 days ago we had an operation to file down her back teeth since they were determined to be the cause of pain\lack of eating. even though my previous vet had made it clear that putting her under anesthesia was not a good idea since she was approx. 6 y/o, she still didn't eat and syringe feeding her had become difficult since she lost a lot of weight. After the operation we brought her home and she immediately starting eating better. She wasn't 100% but it was a massive improvement.

3 days later, I wake up to her limp on the cage floor gasping for air. 20 minutes later she was gone. I should note that the vet had told me she had breathing issues and therefore gave me a different brand of antibiotics, designed to treat her breath\lung issues.
I had her in a blanket knowing there is no point going to the vet due to how she was, she passed away comfortably by my side.

I had my 18th birthday 2 days ago, I've had her and my other piggie Charlie since I was only 13 years old, this is a tremendous loss for me.

Both of my piggies have been healthy and active up until the incident with Snoopy, Charlie is still healthy and normal but I fear that this might be too much for him to handle. He has been with her for 5 years since they were very very young, but I know that he is also around the same age as her.

My question is, should I get another guinea pig to keep him company? considering his age but also his loss of companionship.
Thank you everyone in advance.

RIP Snoopy.
 
I’m so sorry for your loss of Snoopy :(

Yes, if you can, please get him a friend. I take it he’s neutered? If so, you can get him a sow or two if you have the space and finances for three or you could try him with a boar.

Your best bet would be taking him to a rescue where you will be assured of a happy bond
 
Claire W said:
I’m so sorry for your loss of Snoopy :(

Yes, if you can, please get him a friend. I take it he’s neutered? If so, you can get him a sow or two if you have the space and finances for three or you could try him with a boar.

Your best bet would be taking him to a rescue where you will be assured of a happy bond
Click to expand...
Yes he is neutered. I will not be able to just give him up to a rescue as It would pain me a lot to do so, especially that I would not know anything that happens to him.
I only have space for 2 guinea pigs in my cage so I will be able to only get 1 sow for him, but I would also like time to grieve the passing of snoopy and not "replace" her immediately, how much can I wait with this?

Thank you for the consolation and the help.
 
Eran Johnson said:
Yes he is neutered. I will not be able to just give him up to a rescue as It would pain me a lot to do so, especially that I would not know anything that happens to him.
I only have space for 2 guinea pigs in my cage so I will be able to only get 1 sow for him, but I would also like time to grieve the passing of snoopy and not "replace" her immediately, how much can I wait with this?

Thank you for the consolation and the help.
Click to expand...

I’m sorry for your loss.

I think you misunderood Claire’s comment. She is not suggesting you give him up, she is saying to contact a rescue centre to find him a new friend. Character compatibility is vital for a successful bond so having him go dating at a rescue centre to find a new friend is the best way to ensure it works out. If you get a new piggy from a pet shop for example, then you won’t know if they will have compatibility and a bond may fail.

He will be ready for a new friend within a few weeks.
I’ll add some guides below

Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig
Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children
 
Eran Johnson said:
Yes he is neutered. I will not be able to just give him up to a rescue as It would pain me a lot to do so, especially that I would not know anything that happens to him.
I only have space for 2 guinea pigs in my cage so I will be able to only get 1 sow for him, but I would also like time to grieve the passing of snoopy and not "replace" her immediately, how much can I wait with this?

Thank you for the consolation and the help.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I think you’ve misunderstood. I don’t mean to surrender him to a rescue, you bring your piggy home again with their new friend after they have bonded for several hours :)
 
Piggies&buns said:
I’m sorry for your loss.

I think you misunderood Claire’s comment. She is not suggesting you give him up, she is saying to contact a rescue centre to find him a new friend. Character compatibility is vital for a successful bond so having him go dating at a rescue centre to find a new friend is the best way to ensure it works out. If you get a new piggy from a pet shop for example, then you won’t know if they will have compatibility and a bond may fail.

He will be ready for a new friend within a few weeks.
I’ll add some guides below
Click to expand...
My bad, I understand now.
I'm not from the states (I live in Israel) so I doubt I'd have luck finding rescue shelters that hold guinea pigs. I have a pet store near me that has guinea pigs (that's where I bought Snoopy and Charlie from) and buying a guinea pig from there would count as a rescue, if you get what I mean.

I will look around for shelters so I could let him bond with a guinea pig beforehand, Is waiting about a month okay? What should I do to help him in the meantime? What should I watch out for?
 
Eran Johnson said:
My bad, I understand now.
I'm not from the states (I live in Israel) so I doubt I'd have luck finding rescue shelters that hold guinea pigs. I have a pet store near me that has guinea pigs (that's where I bought Snoopy and Charlie from) and buying a guinea pig from there would count as a rescue, if you get what I mean.

I will look around for shelters so I could let him bond with a guinea pig beforehand, Is waiting about a month okay? What should I do to help him in the meantime? What should I watch out for?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately buying a piggy from a pet shop is not rescuing in terms of guaranteeing a successful bond. Of course you absolutely have to do what is best for your piggy and if you can’t find a rescue who can offer bonding, then buying from a pet shop is what you will need to do for the sake of your piggy.
Buying from a pet shop does come with the risk that the piggy you get and Charlie may not be character compatible which means they won’t bond and then won’t be able to live together. They would then have to live in separate but side by side cages. You would also need to be certain the new piggy you get is a sow. As Charlie has lived with a sow all his life, he is less likely to bond with a boar now. Hopefully it would work out ok, but it is a risk to be prepared for if you buy a piggy from a pet shop.

You have to let him guide you as to when is the right time. Some piggies manage better for a few weeks, some only cope being alone for a few days,

The green links to guides in my previous reply gives you the other information on how to look after him while he is alone
 
Piggies&buns said:
Unfortunately buying a piggy from a pet shop is not rescuing in terms of guaranteeing a successful bond. Of course you absolutely have to do what is best for your piggy and if you can’t find a rescue who can offer bonding, then buying from a pet shop is what you will need to do for the sake of your piggy.
Buying from a pet shop does come with the risk that the piggy you get and Charlie may not be character compatible which means they won’t bond and then won’t be able to live together. They would then have to live in separate but side by side cages. You would also need to be certain the new piggy you get is a sow. As Charlie has lived with a sow all his life, he is less likely to bond with a boar now. Hopefully it would work out ok, but it is a risk to be prepared for if you buy a piggy from a pet shop.

You have to let him guide you as to when is the right time. Some piggies manage better for a few weeks, some only cope being alone for a few days,

The green links to guides in my previous reply gives you the other information on how to look after him while he is alone
Click to expand...
I suppose you're right. What I meant by "rescue" was that the pet shop doesn't hold their guinea pigs in very good living spaces, so It would make me happy to introduce 1 guinea pig to a better life. I am starting to look for a shelter that holds guinea pigs.
 
I’m so sorry you lost Snoopy and very sympathetic to the awful dilemma you are in. Assuming that you cannot find a rescue centre prepared to bond your Charlie with a friend, then would this pet shop offer try (to bond) or return (if not successful)? I know this is not ideal and a rescue would be far better but it might be worth asking, you never know and because you got your piggies from there, they may be more open to that?
 
I'm so sorry for your loss. :( And I understand very well that not everywhere has rescues that take in guinea pigs or will help with bonding new friends (I'm not in an area with those kinds of services either.) As others have said, it will be in Charlie's best interests to have a new friend... keep an eye on his behavior to make sure that he is eating and drinking and behaving normally. Some pigs seem relatively unaffected after losing a companion, others will pine or be acutely upset, which makes the need to find a new friend a bit more pressing.

Take a look at some of the guides on bonding in order to prepare to introduce Charlie to a new companion under the best circumstances so that they are more likely to accept each other (under the Behaviour and Bonding heading there is some good information.)

Also, don't misconstrue bringing home a new pig with 'replacing' Snoopy. You won't be replacing her. Pets are individuals and impossible to replace. But there's nothing disloyal in broadening your heart to take in a new pet after having lost one. Love doesn't divide, it multiplies.
 
Eran Johnson said:
My bad, I understand now.
I'm not from the states (I live in Israel) so I doubt I'd have luck finding rescue shelters that hold guinea pigs. I have a pet store near me that has guinea pigs (that's where I bought Snoopy and Charlie from) and buying a guinea pig from there would count as a rescue, if you get what I mean.

I will look around for shelters so I could let him bond with a guinea pig beforehand, Is waiting about a month okay? What should I do to help him in the meantime? What should I watch out for?
Click to expand...

Hi!

I am very sorry for your loss. It is extremely upsetting to then find that the companion is also struggling.

Please take the time to read the practical advice in these guide links here:
Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig
Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities (has a chapter on bereaved guinea pigs plus a chapter on what behaviours to look out for that your piggy is struggling with being on their own)
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

To my knowledge, there are no guinea pig rescues in Israel, and certainly none that offer bonding at the rescue; so it is likely a trip to a pet shop for you. :(
You may find this guide here about the most common pitfalls with bought guinea pigs helpful; if your previous pair never had any problems, then I would recommend to go back there. some other members from your country did have issues with new piggies.
New guinea pigs: Sexing, vet checks&customer rights, URI, ringworm and parasites

Here is our bonding guide: Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
 
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