Guinea Pig Bereavement

[oliviaa]

My guinea pig (7) died on Friday and her friend (also 7) is now left. I am unsure about what to do because she only has a few months left due to age but I don't know if she needs a new housemate? As harsh as this sounds, I don't want there to be a cycle of getting new guinea pigs every time one dies for fear of the one left getting lonely.

[Bean]

Hi, and welcome to Wheekers. I'm really sorry to hear about your guinea pig.

I don't think considering your longer term plans around having pets alongside your remaining guinea pig's welfare is remotely harsh, it's very sensible.

Firstly, I'd say see how your guinea pig gets on. With lots to do and some extra attention, she might be just fine. If she's in a high traffic area of the house, where people can pass frequently and interact with her, and she has things to chew and play with in her cage (I just mean things like cardboard tubes stuffed with hay or cardboard boxes), that might be sufficient. She may have quite a bit longer than a few months left, there's no way of knowing that, but whereas I've had some pigs lose their companion and sink into depression, others have been okay.

If she seems to not be doing so well, you could contact a rescue and explain your situation, and see if they have another retirement pig that could be a good companion. But then you could still be in that difficult cycle of there inevitably being a time when one will be alone and not thriving for a period of time.

A rescue we adopted from a few times used to have a lovely gang of senior guinea pigs, some of whom had been surrendered because they weren't thriving living alone, but the owners didn't want to take any more on. I know it's not an ideal solution, but if you get to a point where your guinea pig is clearly unhappy, but you don't want to get any more, it's worth considering.

Also, we've taken on a few guinea pigs who have been left alone, so maybe if you know someone else who has guinea pigs, who you trust, she might find a place with another herd to live out her retirement. The previous owners of the ones we took on came to visit them from time to time too.

Just a few things to consider, but I hope your guinea pig will be okay.

[oliviaa]

Thank you so much for the quick reply. She was the timid one out of the pair and would be the other ones shadow.

She was eating well throughout Friday but yesterday she wouldn't accept hand-fed food which although unlike her we put it down to some sort of mourning? We left her food in her bowl but what she ate was minimal.

Unfortunately, she is in a bulky hutch so we can't really move it but we have increased the amount of affection.

[bazookagoof]

I'm in a similar boat- my wife hates the idea of getting another guinea pig when one dies, because she says it will never end. One of my two guys is young and can be expected to hang around for years, so I'm unsure what to do when the other one passes. 

It sounds like you are doing the right thing by giving your remaining pig more attention.

[3piggles]

Hello and welcome. I agree with Bean. I have one pig who's 8, and lost one when he was 12-14 years old, so they can live a long time, if never long enough. I think there are two situations. Baz had two pigs, each in a cage, so if one dies, it doesn't leave a bereaved cage mate the same way two living together would. However, guinea pigs are very social animals, and love to be with other guinea pigs, so if they can be kept in the same cage, or housed right next to each other, they have guinea pig company.

If two pigs live together, there's more of an absence when one dies. The other has to adjust to that absence, and some do, some don't. I had one boy cry so badly it drove me to get him a buddy. Beginning of a wonderful set of cage mages Other times getting a new pig didn't sit well with the existing pig, so it wasn't a good move, or wasn't the right pig.

Some people get a plush friend for the remaining pig to cuddle with. Some get another pig, but only after a good meeting and greeting session, hopefully with someone who knows how to do them. Others just give the existing pig a lot more attention, have the pig out with them a lot more, etc.

I think the first thing is to see how well she does with more attention from you.

If that doesn't go well, try changing the hutch. Perhaps you can rearrange it so she has some good hidey places, a chance to get exercise getting food, water and hay, and maybe change something to sort of divide areas to make it more interesting for her. You might wait a week, then give the hutch interior a complete clean to get rid of the other pigs scent, and make it her cage. If she's timid, she'll like being able to go from one safe place to another to get her food, but she needs exercise, so make sure the best hidey is at the far end of the hutch from the food/water/hay. When she had a friend, they got more exercise just doing piggy stuff, so she needs to be motivated to move around.

Another option, which is one I've used, is to get two new pigs. Then when one dies, you still have two pigs, and you probably won't have to replace a pig for several years. My pig who died when he was 12-14 lost his mate, I got him two young ladies, and he got a second lease on life.

Lots of options, so don't give up, just try some things and see what works best for you and for her.

[oliviaa]

Thank you again,she is doing much better no w and seems to have perked up a bit (hopefully not jinxing it).

On an unrelated note,are Pets at Homes' guinea pig pellets/nuggets any good? In both of my pigs, their urine was a white powdery substance when it dried and apparently it's to do with high calcium and/or phosphorous? Not quite sure how to change those levels and whether there may be a better brand for her.

Thanks
Olivia

[Bean]

That's great news that your guinea pig seems to be doing well.

Ideally, pellets for adult guinea pigs should be timothy-based not alfalfa-based, which the PAH ones are. Oxbow are timothy-based if you can get hold of those. Excess calcium can contribute to bladder and kidney problems (or rather, you're right that it's more specifically to do with the calcium:phosphorous ratio). But if what's passing through is smooth and powdery, it's not so much of a concern. Some pigs do just tend to have white wee despite being on low calcium diets. If it becomes gritty, that's not good.

It sounds like it's an all-in-one pellet so that's good. The mixes are the worst feeds, containing lots of stuff they don't need and allowing them to feed selectively.

There are some good information pages on Guinea Lynx if you'd like to know more about calcium:phosphorous. I've been lucky enough to have never had a guinea pig with bladder issues, so it's not something I know lots about. I've always given mine a very small amount of pellets daily anyway (their diet is mostly different hays and grasses/ veg) and I do limit things like dandelions, kale and spinach that I know are high in calcium, but that's about as much as I do!

www.guinealynx.info/polycitra.html
www.guinealynx.info/hay_ratio.html
www.guinealynx.info/diet_ratio.html

[3piggles]

I second what Bean said. In guinea pig pellets, you're looking for timothy hay-based pellets, and your looking for pellets that hold together instead of crumbling. That's easiest to tell when you get to the bottom of the container. There shouldn't be a lot of pellet dust at the bottom from a lot of pellets breaking up.

I did a quick Google of guinea pig pellets available in the UK (I'm in the US) and Small Pet Select was listed. It can be pricey, but if it's the same as we get in the US, it's very good pellets and hay. I also noticed Mazuri was listed, and I remember, years ago, several members of guinea pig forums saying it was a good option. I don't know anything about it, but it is timothy hay-based. If you can, just do an internet search on guinea pig pellets, and check the ingredients in each. You should find a good option

[oliviaa]

Amazing, we feed her almost exclusively kale so that is great to know, and I will try to change it to a more varied diet as soon as she will swap. When the bag has almost run out I will order some Timothy-hay based food.

I cannot thank you enough for your support and advice in the past weeks

[3piggles]

Kale is a dark green leafy veg with lots of vitamin A. It should be fed in moderation, as should spinach and other leafy greens. They are great for the pigs, but too much might become a problem. I don't actually know anyone who has had a health problem with their pigs because of feeding too many dark green leafy veggies, though. Try a bit of variety. She may really enjoy it