Reintroduction after surgery - baby companion and post-op boar

[Hiitshannah]

My guinea pig Nutmeg had emergency surgery on Tuesday to remove a nearly 1cm stone from his urethra. He was under anaesthetic for nearly 4 hours, so he’s staying in the vets until they are confident he’s doing ok. The vet called earlier to say he’s doing surprisingly well, eating by himself, moving around, passing urine/poo, and it’s looking like he will be coming home tomorrow unless anything changes.

He lost his friend just before Christmas, and in January was bonded with a baby male, Butternut. They’ve been getting on really well with very few displays of dominance. Butternut is now around 4 months old. My question is, after a couple of days away, would it be best to reintroduce them straight away on neutral ground, or would it be best to split their cage and wait a few days until Nutmeg has healed more? Thank you for any advice anyone has

 

[Hiitshannah]

P.s. I clicked post by accident before writing the full title, sorry it was supposed to say baby and older boar not ‘ok’ ...I’m obviously tired!

 

[Wiebke]

My guinea pig Nutmeg had emergency surgery on Tuesday to remove a nearly 1cm stone from his urethra. He was under anaesthetic for nearly 4 hours, so he’s staying in the vets until they are confident he’s doing ok. The vet called earlier to say he’s doing surprisingly well, eating by himself, moving around, passing urine/poo, and it’s looking like he will be coming home tomorrow unless anything changes.

He lost his friend just before Christmas, and in January was bonded with a baby male, Butternut. They’ve been getting on really well with very few displays of dominance. Butternut is now around 4 months old. My question is, after a couple of days away, would it be best to reintroduce them straight away on neutral ground, or would it be best to split their cage and wait a few days until Nutmeg has healed more? Thank you for any advice anyone has

Hi!

I am very sorry for your stone and the long operation; it sounds like a rather tricky op so recovery may be a lot slower. See how Nutmeg is upon his return and take it from here.
You can find companionship tips for a range of situations in the last chapter of our post-op care guide so you can adapt what you do to how Nutmeg is and choose the best option for each stage.

Here is the link, which you will hopefully find very helpful: Tips For Post-operative Care (including tips on how you can keep the bond alive even if they cannot be back together straight away)

 

[VickiA]

Poor Nutmeg. I think I’d see how his recovery goes before attempting any introductions, too. Re-introduction is stressful for any piggy so he may need to be kept on his own for a while to recuperate after his surgery.

 

[Hiitshannah]

Thank you both. It’s been a shocking week and Nutmeg is lucky to still be here. Hopefully they will bond ok when Nutmeg is doing better!