Umm...... Boar puberty and dominance

[K.mattz]

Ok.... I'm having issues with my two boars; Buddy and Bandit, Buddy is 7 months and Bandit is about 3 months ... The last week or so, I believe Bandit was going through puberty cause all of a sudden he's started rumble strutting ALOT, and they have even had a couple of scraps (neither of which resulted in blood being drawn so kept them together 'cause figured they needed to sort things out between them) I work nights so Saturday I say goodbye to my other half and went to work, I had told him previously that Bandit most likely is going through puberty and has begun to wind poor Buddy up so please keep an eye on them.... He texted me alittle later that night to say they'd been "chasing each other" round the cage before he heard a thud, looked round to see poor Bandit lying on his side, still breathing but my OH reckoned he was gasping(?)... I'm assuming that they had another scrap while I was at work and unfortunately Bandit didn't survive it....
I'm still trying to figure out what exactly happened to cause him to pass away, could the thud that my partner heard be him hitting the side of the cage, causing some form of winding or internal damage?

OH checked him over and didn't see any visual bleeding or bites.....

Also, I know that they are supposed to live with a friend however due to recent events... I don't think it's wise to obtain another pig just yet.... As cute as Buddy is... I'm not sure I trust him with another for the time being... (Also I can't be certain whether Buddy is to blame for Bandit passing away either....)

I also want to add that they had been fine up until this point
Bandit was such a gorgeous pig.... I'll miss him and until further notice, Buddy is grounded.... RIP Baby boy x

Anyone else experienced something similar with their boys?

 

[cavylover2002]

I am very sorry for your loss of Bandit, please allow yourself some time to grieve. First of all, I doubt Buddy was the cause of death if there was no open wounds/bites...I think it would be IMPOSSIBLE and so, Buddy cannot be blamed for the death. Bandit might of had a heart attack or stroke, it has happened to young and seemingly healthy guinea pigs. Guinea pigs have been known to hide their illnesses and so, it is almost impossible to tell if they are sick or not unless of course their are obvious signs like not eating, drinking, walking, etc! The thud you heard COULD have been Bandit being banged against something, as guinea pigs can chase each other into their hideys or even walls in some cases, however I am unsure if Bandit hitting his head would be enough to kill him, again though, highly doubted. Your guinea pigs "puberty" where boars display dominance is called the "teen years" and yes, it happens to everyone. When it happened to me, my submissive Boar "Ginger" decided to try to be 'top pig' and it resulted in chasing, rumblestrutting, and some mild aggressive, though never to the point where they drew blood or I had to separate them. I think you will need to get a companion for Buddy, as they are social animals and it isn't fair to punish him for something that is likely not his fault. Consider visiting a small animal rescue to obtain a pig his age and you may also be able to see how well the pigs do together before deciding to adopt. I really don't see how a guinea pig could kill another pig without blood being drawn so that's how I've come to this conclusion. Perhaps someone with better knowledge on health issues that could of caused bandit's death, beside stroke or heart attack, can elaborate on this better...

 

[K.mattz]

I am very sorry for your loss of Bandit, please allow yourself some time to grieve. First of all, I doubt Buddy was the cause of death if there was no open wounds/bites...I think it would be IMPOSSIBLE and so, Buddy cannot be blamed for the death. Bandit might of had a heart attack or stroke, it has happened to young and seemingly healthy guinea pigs. Guinea pigs have been known to hide their illnesses and so, it is almost impossible to tell if they are sick or not unless of course their are obvious signs like not eating, drinking, walking, etc! The thud you heard COULD have been Bandit being banged against something, as guinea pigs can chase each other into their hideys or even walls in some cases, however I am unsure if Bandit hitting his head would be enough to kill him, again though, highly doubted. Your guinea pigs "puberty" where boars display dominance is called the "teen years" and yes, it happens to everyone. When it happened to me, my submissive Boar "Ginger" decided to try to be 'top pig' and it resulted in chasing, rumblestrutting, and some mild aggressive, though never to the point where they drew blood or I had to separate them. I think you will need to get a companion for Buddy, as they are social animals and it isn't fair to punish him for something that is likely not his fault. Consider visiting a small animal rescue to obtain a pig his age and you may also be able to see how well the pigs do together before deciding to adopt. I really don't see how a guinea pig could kill another pig without blood being drawn so that's how I've come to this conclusion. Perhaps someone with better knowledge on health issues that could of caused bandit's death, beside stroke or heart attack, can elaborate on this better...

That's what I mean.... I can't wrap my head around it, although he did come from P@h.... Trust me, I'll won't be getting them from there again after Bandit... Bloody ridiculous, I'd had the little guy not even one month... Buddy is quite good normally but you're right about getting him a friend, I will pair him up with another soon just not straight away, as like you said, I need time and so does he...

 

[cavylover2002]

That's what I mean.... I can't wrap my head around it, although he did come from P@h.... Trust me, I'll won't be getting them from there again after Bandit... Bloody ridiculous, I'd had the little guy not even one month... Buddy is quite good normally but you're right about getting him a friend, I will pair him up with another soon just not straight away, as like you said, I need time and so does he...

Yea, that’s so sad! Best of luck x

 

[VickiA]

Oh dear. I am so sorry to hear of Bandit’s sudden death. I honestly don’t believe that Buddy was responsible. It is far more likely that he had an underlying health issue and suffered a heart attack or stroke.
Buddy is now 7 months. To be honest that is the worst possible age for trying to date him with another boar as he has hit puberty and it will be many months before he is mature enough to date with another boar otherwise you are just lining yourself up for possible further bust ups and separations.

In your shoes I would seriously consider having him neutered and finding him a sow to live with once he is 6 weeks post op. If you are in the UK please check the approved vets list above and talk to one of them about neutering Buddy.