Reintroducing 2 boars after an operation

[GeorginaD15]

I’ve had 2 boars living together for about 2 years now. There’s been some chasing and bickering between them but no fights. Last week I had to take one of them to the vets (Mali) to get an abscess removed. The vet told me to separate them for 5 days, they’ve both been chilled out being separated and don’t think they’re missing each other but I’ve tried to reintroduce them a few times and there’s been fights and they’re trying to bite each other. Should I just leave them to get on with it or only let them be together for a few hours everyday then separate them again? Thanks x

 

[Wiebke]

I’ve had 2 boars living together for about 2 years now. There’s been some chasing and bickering between them but no fights. Last week I had to take one of them to the vets (Mali) to get an abscess removed. The vet told me to separate them for 5 days, they’ve both been chilled out being separated and don’t think they’re missing each other but I’ve tried to reintroduce them a few times and there’s been fights and they’re trying to bite each other. Should I just leave them to get on with it or only let them be together for a few hours everyday then separate them again? Thanks x

Hi! I am very sorry for your experience! Medical separations are unfortunately one of the biggest causes for fall-outs in adult guinea pigs. That is why there is a slow change in advice from the more piggy savvy vets to leave piggies together as much as possible, even including the companion coming to the vets as moral support for their operated companion - but it depends very much on the vet on that respect at the moment.

I hope that the abscess is healing well. Was it operatively removed or is one that needs draining/flushing daily?

Unfortunately, it looks that your two have decided they prefer having their own territory. If at all possible, please keep them next door to each other so they can live as a 'can't live together but can't live apart' bonded pair with all time interaction through the bars in a way that ideally allows full communication and interaction on the visual (body language!), audio and scent level and ideally includes nose touching, too. That way they can stay bonded without fighting.
Bonds In Trouble

 

[GeorginaD15]

Hi! I am very sorry for your experience! Medical separations are unfortunately one of the biggest causes for fall-outs in adult guinea pigs. That is why there is a slow change in advice from the more piggy savvy vets to leave piggies together as much as possible, even including the companion coming to the vets as moral support for their operated companion - but it depends very much on the vet on that respect at the moment.

I hope that the abscess is healing well. Was it operatively removed or is one that needs draining/flushing daily?

Unfortunately, it looks that your two have decided they prefer having their own territory. If at all possible, please keep them next door to each other so they can live as a 'can't live together but can't live apart' bonded pair with all time interaction through the bars in a way that ideally allows full communication and interaction on the visual (body language!), audio and scent level and ideally includes nose touching, too. That way they can stay bonded without fighting.
Bonds In Trouble

He had to have the abscess removed as there was a hard bit underneath the fluid. He’s doing really well, was bright and alert after the op.

I’ve got a c&c cage so split it so they could still be together but separate but Mali keeps chewing the bars. Is there anything I can do to stop this? He has got things to chew on, he just prefers chewing the bars

 

[Wiebke]

He had to have the abscess removed as there was a hard bit underneath the fluid. He’s doing really well, was bright and alert after the op.

I’ve got a c&c cage so split it so they could still be together but separate but Mali keeps chewing the bars. Is there anything I can do to stop this? He has got things to chew on, he just prefers chewing the bars

Hopefully the chewing will stop after a few days when he realised that he cannot get at his companion.