I need help/advice for a very sad guinea pig

[gentle giants]

I have a very sad situation, and I need advice on what to do about it. My twin children got their first pets (of their own, that is) for their birthday last summer, a pair of female guinea pigs. These gps were basically rescues, a guy brought them to a small animal auction to sell, and I happened to be there that night and snatched them up. He said they were something like four months old when I got them, assuming he was telling the truth.
My son, after he does his homework in the afternoons, always get his gp, Sparkles out to snuggle with her. But this afternoon when he went to get her, she was laying dead in the little hide-out the piggers have in their cage. Now not only is my son broken hearted about losing Sparkles, but my daughter's gp Patches is pacing around the cage and whimpering. And I don't think she has eaten today, it didn't look like their food bowl had been touched.
The problem is, I don't know enough about giunea pigs to know what to do. Do they bond like rabbits do? If we got another little girl piggy, would/could Patches be happy with a new friend? Would it even be safe to get another one right now, since we don't know why Sparkles died? She hadn't shown any signs of illness that we could see, although I'm sure they probably tend to hide it the way bunnies do. I need some advice here from people more experienced with these little piggers than I am.

:rip::in tears:

 

[irishbunny]

Yes, guinea pigs really need the company of another of their kind. More than rabbits do. I definitely would get her a new friend when you can. For now, give her things to keep her occupied. Lots of nice veggies, lots of floor time, lots of lap time etc.

It is advised that when you get a new guinea pig, especially if from a pet shop or some random person, and a not a guinea pig rescue that you quarantine the guinea pig for three weeks. Since guinea pigs often carry lice and mites, and other illnesses you want to make sure they don't transfer it to your guinea pig. Three weeks will give you time to watch the new pig for signs of anything, as well as give you time to make sure your existing pig has not got what your other pig died of.

Sorry for your loss

 

[gentle giants]

Thank you for your reply. I will start looking for another friend for her right away then. These are the first guinea pigs I have ever had either, and I have really fallen in love with them, they are so sweet! Little Sparkles will be missed very much here.

 

[Violet23]

RIP little Sparkles, popcorn all the way across the Rainbow Bridge. She looks like such a sweety in the pic :hearts

 

[JadeIcing]

Yea keep an eye on the other. I lost my two in less than 12hrs. One died and the other gave up. I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[gentle giants]

Someone has offered me another female guinea pig, I am thinking about getting it. What I need to know is, is this going to be like bonding rabbits? Do I have to carefully introduce them on neutral territory, etc in case they don't get along? Or do gps get along better than rabbits?
Patches is hanging out on the desk here beside me while I am typing. She seems more tense and nervous sine we lost Sparkles, she has actually been the outgoing one normally, the one that gets into everything. I can tell she is not eating normally right now, she ate a little piece of an orange and a little hay but hasn't really touched her pellets.


ETA: Oh, and one other question... When she makes these very soft little squeaks when I am petting her, does that mean she likes it, or am I making her uncomfortable....?

 

[JadeIcing]

Introduce slowly. I have had some nasty gp fights. Serious injuries.

Depends the gp.

 

[gentle giants]

Ok, I will do that. Are they territorial about their cages/play space, like the rabbits? I know how to bond rabbits, I have done that quite a bit, but guinea pigs are fairly new to me.

ETA: I let Patches spend some couch time with Angel, a tiny little Dutch cross bunny rescue I have right now, and they did great together. Patches was actually snuggling into Angel's fur.

 

[gentle giants]

Ok, I got hold of the lady that offered me the female guinea pig, we are meeting tommorow morning so I can get her! My son will be so incredibly thrilled when he gets home from school! This new gp is about seven months old, and from the lady's description even looks similar to Sparkles. I will post an update tomorrow after I pick her up and get her settled. Thanks for your help, guys! I will keep you posted about the bonding of this one to Patches.

 

[JadeIcing]

They can be territorial. It all depends the pig.

 

[gentle giants]

She is here! She is so little, at least compared to the big mooches I am used to, LOL. She is mainly black and white, with a little orange circle on her bottom like she sat in paint, LOL. She is quite friendly and curious, and loves to talk! I will get pictures later, I don't want to stress her any more right now.

 

[JadeIcing]

Can't wait!

 

[Nancy McClelland]

We're so sorry you lost Sparkles. Rest in peace little girl.

 

[gentle giants]

Nancy McClelland wrote:

We're so sorry you lost Sparkles. Rest in peace little girl.

Thank you. My son is thrilled to have a new guinea pig, but he still prays to the Lord to "take care of my Sparkles" at night before bed. I feel so bad for him, Sparkles was his first pet, he had never dealt with this before.

 

[michellexgix]

Sorry about sparkles

When introducing guinea pigs do it on neutral area... Should say that unlike rabbits bonding guinea pigs should be a once of thig, reintroducing can be very stressful for them..

When introducing them, neutral area without any thing in it.. Rumble struting, chasing, mounting is all normal..
After there together, leave them an hour, get someone to watch them and disinfect the whole cage, any thing that cant be cleaned remove from the cage..

Have two places to eat hay, pellets, drink etc..
Seperate if any blood is drawn.

If they dont get along you can do a buddy bath, which is just batheing them together!
You can break quarrintine if either guinea pig is loosing weight, not eating, depressed etc..

Also weight the two of them daily rather than weekly to make sure there not loosing weight

 

[michellexgix]

Sorry about sparkles

When introducing guinea pigs do it on neutral area... Should say that unlike rabbits bonding guinea pigs should be a once of thig, reintroducing can be very stressful for them..

When introducing them, neutral area without any thing in it.. Rumble struting, chasing, mounting is all normal..
After there together, leave them an hour, get someone to watch them and disinfect the whole cage, any thing that cant be cleaned remove from the cage..

Have two places to eat hay, pellets, drink etc..
Seperate if any blood is drawn.

If they dont get along you can do a buddy bath, which is just batheing them together!
You can break quarrintine if either guinea pig is loosing weight, not eating, depressed etc..

Also weight the two of them daily rather than weekly to make sure there not loosing weight

 

[irishbunny]

Ya I agree with Michelle, unlike rabbits you put them together in a neutral area once and that is it. Some nipping, chasing and fighting is fine as long as no blood is drawn. If no blood is drawn, than put them both in the cage and keep an eye on them. No blood drawn then your good to go.

If you take them apart at the first sign of fighting, when you put them back together they do it again. They have to do it to decide who is boss.

 

[luvthempigs]

Females (sows)are usuallymuch more laid back about introductions than males (boars)

Set up a play area with some toys and hay and I'm sure they will be just fine together. I would introduce them in the play area then return them to a newly cleaned and "decorated" cage.

Let us know how it goes, I'm sure they will be fine

Oh, And we will need pigtures please :biggrin:

 

[gentle giants]

The girls seem to be getting along fine! The cage they are in right now is a "neutral" one I had that neither of them had been in before. It is too small for them though, so I am trying to figure out what I did with my NIC panels so that I can make them a pen to play in during the day. I got a couple of "pigtures" LOL, I will get those uploaded to Photobucket and posted on here tomorrow.

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

awww i am so sorry for the loss, she was very pretty. I agrree with Michelle about the bonding and doing it once unless blood shed, which goes against my nerves,lol. I couldnt do it because i am such a spaz, lol. cant wait to see pics.