Sudden loss

Tango is currently out in her run in the garden as it’s nice and warm outside her in Aberdeen today
 
Yes it is company policy that they are sold in pairs, but if they are many piggies all in a pen together then that is not bonded pairs. They are in a herd but those piggies are just together for sale; they are not properly bonded.

They are only in (bonded*) pairs if there are literally just two piggies in each pen. In that case they would not split them up.

* i use that term loosely in the context of pet shop sales because often those piggies are not properly bonded either. They are just thrown together to be sold and may in fact end up not being compatible down the line

ruthie1982 said:
Tango is currently out in her run in the garden as it’s nice and warm outside her in Aberdeen today
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Have you reintroduced grass to her slowly over the last few weeks by handpicking it and feeding it to her in her cage?
If you haven’t then she can’t have unrestricted time on the grass yet due to the risk of potentially fatal bloat
 
She is used to being out on grass I used to put her and salsa out on grass a lot when is was warm days and they where fine
 
ruthie1982 said:
She is used to being out on grass I used to put her and salsa out on grass a lot when is was warm days and they where fine
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Yes but gradual reintroduction of grass over several days to weeks has to happen all over again every single spring time after a winter off of grass. (By handpicking and feeding it in her cage before a week before she gets to go out on the lawn again so as to not risk bloat )

Fresh Grass and Lawn Time - Tips for Avoiding Spring Time Deaths
 
ruthie1982 said:
I’m keeping an eye on here
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Please don’t underestimate the dangers - too much grass on an unprepared gut won’t show up immediately.
Watching her won’t prevent overeating and causing her to become unwell.
She literally cannot eat more than a few of blades of grass for the first few days - if she hasn’t had grass handpicked for her in the cage over the last week, then she can only be in the run for no more than 3-5 minutes today
 
Here’s a pic of her does she look bloated she’s quite a chunky guinea pig anyway
 

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Here’s a pic of her does she look bloated
 

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No they still seem bright I just thought they might of apeared cloudy if she had bloat
 
ruthie1982 said:
No they still seem bright I just thought they might of apeared cloudy if she had bloat
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No.
Bloat is a digestive problem - pain, lethargy, no pooping, won’t eat. Medical emergency.

Cloudy eyes means an ulcerating injury to the eye. Also a medical emergency
 
She seems to be eating ok she is still munching on hay and her eyes look nice and bright
 
If she isn’t displaying signs of being unwell, then you have nothing to worry about.
If she displays signs of being unwell or has lost weight the next time you weigh her (which should be done every week) then that is a different matter
 
ruthie1982 said:
I dont weigh her as she is to squirmy . I just go by her size x
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You can’t go by her size - you would never be able to see weight loss in time to be able to step in. By the time you do see a physical change just by looking at her; weight loss could be so huge that it could be very difficult to save her life.
Losing as little as 50g (which would be impossible to see) can mean they need help. It is so incredibly important that you weigh them every week as part of routine care.
Hay is the most important part of their diet but intake cannot be gauged by eye. If they feel unwell hay is usually the first thing they stop eating but they can still eat veg and pellets so to the owner it looks as if they are eating ok when they actually are not. You must then step in with syringe feeding to keep them alive.

Even after just 24 hours of reduced hay intake, they can lose huge amounts of weight. If hay intake drops too much, weight is lost but you don’t know it due to not weighing them then you lose time in stepping in with syringe feeding. If they don’t eat hay independently and you don’t syringe feed then they can go into stasis within a couple of hours. A piggy in stasis needs immediate syringe feeding and vet care but can die within hours if they don’t get it.
So this is why it is absolutely essential they are weighed once a week as part of routine care, but weighed every morning when there are health concerns
 
ruthie1982 said:
I just tried to weigh her I think she was around 1092grams
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It’s best to weigh first thing in the morning as that is the most accurate. (Weighing in the evening means you are picking up a full days worth of food within her weight)
Weigh her in the morning and then weigh her again in one weeks time and keep a note of the weights you can spot any changes.
She should be pretty consistent but within 50g each week (weight loss is not considered loss until it is over 50g)

Weight and Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support Levels
 
While she is grieving is one of the most important times to weigh her (every few days, if not daily, while she is alone) to make sure she is still eating enough hay. Grieving piggies can reduce hay intake or even stop eating altogether (known as acute pining) when they are sad, particularly if being alone goes on too long

This was all explained in the ‘looking after a bereaved piggy’ guide which I linked into the very first reply in this thread
 
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