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Sudden death and lonely piggie

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mu0u207

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Hi,

My guinea pig George died suddenly on Christmas eve. He was fine in the morning, and then spent most of the day in his shelter which is not unusual for him. We transported the cage with both piggies down to my other half's parents house, and when we got there, I noticed he was seriously ill. He was all floppy, with no fight in him at all, and his eyes seemed all sunken. His breathing was really laboured and his pulse erratic. I thought he might have gotten cold during the journey, although the other piggie, Damien, was fine. I nursed him for about an hour, and he died in my arms. I can't understand why a perfectly healthy pig would have just died like that.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Also, now Damien is really lonely, he is spending most of his time in his shelter and although we are giving him loads of hugs, he obviously misses his brother. I would like to get him another friend, but how long do you think I should wait before I do this?

Thanks, any advice would be appreciated:(
 
oh I'm really sorry to hear about George. How sad. Unfortunately pigs can go downhill quite rapidly and are also good at masking illness. I don't know what could have caused his death but if he was hiding away before the journey he must have been ill then so i wouldn't think it would be due to him getting cold.
With regards to getting Damian a friend, I'd say as soon as you can really if you can. Where are you located? There's a number of rescues that do boar dating so Damian can find his own friend at the rescue which works really well.
Sorry again RIP George x x
 
Thanks piggiepal, it was such a shock especially just before Xmas. I am based in bicester in oxfordshire, so any recommendations for any rescue centres in the area would be appreciated.
 
I am so sorry for your loss and the bad shock you've had!

URI (respiratory infection) can kill very quickly; probably the additional stress of the car ride might have hurried along what was already there.

The best thing you could do for Damien is to find a reputable rescue within your reach that will allow you to take your boy for a round of "boar dating", so he can test and choose himself which boar he gets on well with! Character compatibility is probably the main factor in a stable boar bond, even more so than age.

Here is a list of rescues in Britain; it may take some ringing round and you may have to be a bit persistent as rescue people are usually very busy people:
http://www.guineapigrehome.org.uk/gp/centres.asp
 
I would deffinaitly get him a friend ^_^ The boar dating service at many rescue's are a rather reassuring thought and sometimes they'll even help you with bondong.

we're here if you need anything :d

Lots of love xox
 
Reading guinea pig rescue may be your nearest. Let us know how Damian gets on. Alyson x
 
RIP George:0


When my Sparky passed away I looked and had my Candy a new friend within 2 weeks, which I feel was quick but she def loved having a new friend as she went very subdued:(
 
So sorry to hear about it. Get a new friend for him as soon as possible, this will be good for the piggy and will keep you occupied, you'll feel a bit better.
 
Hi,

Just a quick update on things now, I bought a new piggie today, he is only a little baby so am hoping will accept the dominance of my other pig. I have divided the big cage into two sections with each section having its own sleeping area, food bowl and water bottle. I introduced them to each other briefly on neutral territory to kick off the bonding process, and think it went ok, they were sniffing each other and chasing each other's bottoms a lot, but no real aggression. They are both sleeping soundly now in their separate areas, and I am planning to introduce them again tomorrow for a bit longer, and hopefully get them sharing the same space within a week. Does this sound a reasonable timeline? How do I know if they are ready to share the same cage?
 
If an intro goes well they should be kept together from then on, so the next time you put them together leave them that way.
 
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