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Small pets

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Original poster

One of our guinea pigs has died :-(

10 replies

twosoups1972 · 05/04/2020 13:13

We had 2 brothers and one has sadly died. It happened quite quickly, he looked unwell one day last week and was off his food. I phoned the vet and they said to monitor his breathing, movement and food intake and they were only seeing emergencies.

That evening he seemed a bit better but then next morning I found him dead Sad

Spoke to lovely vet who reassured me and said they are good at hiding illness and it was just one of those things.

His brother is obviously now a bit lost and we are worrying he'll be lonely. Should we get another one? And in current circumstances this will obviously be very difficult.

Advice please?

OP posts:
rosydreams · 05/04/2020 14:17

i would get another if you can when i had guinea pigs when one died the other died soon after from loneliness.

Just be mindful of social distancing and be careful if you get another

twinguineapig · 05/04/2020 14:39

I would get another one, if you contact a rescue centre they might be able to help. We foster guinea pigs so I can probably get you details of a rescue place if you send me a PM or post on here with an approximate location.
We haven't had others die when one has but obviously if you have got brothers they are of a similar age presumably so it's not unheard of.

The vet is absolutely right, they do hide illness extremely effectively because of predators. One of ours is doing the same at the moment I think but he's very elderly and so we are making him comfortable (we have guinea pig pain relief in the house for this kind of eventuality but obviously only give it on the advice of a vet).

Original poster
twosoups1972 · 05/04/2020 15:41

Thank you, I’m in NW London/Middlesex/South Herts

OP posts:
twinguineapig · 05/04/2020 16:01

Aunty Animal small animal fostering/rescue in Sawbridgeworth
www.guineapiggles.co.uk/guinea-pig-rescue-search-results - search by postcode here
animalrescueandcare.org.uk/ - Twickenham
Hazelcroft guinea pig rescue, St Albans

Startoftheyear2020 · 05/04/2020 16:41

The same happened to us a few months ago. We were advised to put a teddy in the cage which we did. Our GP Seems absolutely fine living alone. We're in north London so if you'd like ours you'd be welcome to have him as a companion to yours...

Unicorn34 · 07/04/2020 21:59

I would definitely get another one. They don't like to live alone. As they are boys you will need to get a youngster so that his personal smell won't have developed, making it easier to bond them.

twinguineapig · 07/04/2020 22:59

We found that bonding was much easier with a baby boar and our older boar, he got on with them straight away. The two babies (brothers) will squabble a bit but the old one just accepted them immediately and they never squabble with him.

Original poster
twosoups1972 · 08/04/2020 12:53

Yes I will get another one. But getting one now won't be possible, it's not an essential journey.

OP posts:
Original poster
twosoups1972 · 22/05/2020 13:35

I contacted the rescue centre where we got the pigs originally and they can't help unfortunately.

Where can I get another one and how do you know if they will bond?

OP posts:
jugglingbeans · 24/05/2020 20:35

How's it going now ?

I'm sitting with an old and tired piggies, I think he's on his way tonight.

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