Should we adopt another Guinea Pig for our single Guinea Pig?

oscarthegrouch

Post   » Thu Apr 20, 2017 12:22 am


Hi everyone, hope all is well.

We've had our Oscar for a year now, and are thinking about getting him a piggy friend. I always thought it would be a good idea for him to have a friend because, I've read that they are happier in pairs, but my mother disagreed when I asked her if we could adopt another guinea pig as she was afraid that if one got sick, the other would get sick too, because they would both be in the same cage. Now she thinks that he would be happier with a friend. I also did some research and found out that if we did adopt a guinea pig, it would need to be male that is passive, because Oscar is aggressive. How would we be able to determine if a guinea pig is passive?

Here are some details about Oscar:

We adopted him at a pet store, believe that he is around 3-4 years old

He growls when he is touched, (makes a loud vibrating noise that sounds like a growl) and will sometimes bite.

He likes his space, and is very territorial. he'll growl if we are in his cage refilling his food and will sometimes chatter his teeth at us. His cage seems like it is big enough for another guinea pig. I am not sure if we will be purchasing a bigger cage if we decide to adopt another.

When we take him out for floortime, he likes to play with us, and when we are not around he will just lay there on the floor. We think he could be lonely and depressed and most of the time he will just lay down in his cage anyway.

We may or may not adopt another guinea pig for him, but would also like to know what would be best for him.

Thank you.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Thu Apr 20, 2017 1:06 am


Guinea pigs are herd animals, and almost always do better with a buddy.

The best way to find a pal for him is to locate a guinea pig rescue somewhere near you that will let you bring him in for a "meet and greet," and let him pick out his own friend.

You will need a large cage for two boars -- at least 10 square feet. Bigger would be better. They're more territorial than sows, so they need room to move around with getting in each other's face. And definitely don't try to put two boars in a cage that's too small.

Just as reassurance for your mom, guinea pigs rarely catch diseases from each other. Over the years, some of mine have had URIs or UTIs, but no other pig has ever caught anything from one that was sick.

The biting is a little concerning, since most guinea pigs don't do that. Has he ever been treated for mites? Does he scratch a lot?

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu Apr 20, 2017 7:16 am


Ditto bpatters, esp. on the possibility of mites. Any scratching or hair loss? Any tenderness in any area? (signs of pain?)

Read over mites.html

oscarthegrouch

Post   » Thu Apr 20, 2017 11:54 pm


Hello thank you for your response.

Taking him to a guinea pig rescue for a meet and greet sounds like a great idea. Will definitely need to get a bigger cage if we decide to adopt another.

When he bites, it's not hard which makes me think it may be playful biting. He was treated for mites last year. He will scratch and bite his sides, and occasionally he will scratch his ears too, but there are no signs of hair loss. He also had an ear infection which was treated for as well but he will still show signs such as head-shaking when touched near his ear and scratching his ears.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Fri Apr 21, 2017 12:57 am


Mites don't always cause hair loss. If he's scratching and biting his sides, I'd treat him for mites.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Fri Apr 21, 2017 10:12 am


Big time ditto to bpatters. I would absolutely treat him again.

WICharlie

Post   » Sat Apr 22, 2017 10:17 am


Especially treat him fully before he does any kind of meet and greet at a rescue.

One thing it is important to note is that how he reacts to you has no bearing on how he will treat another pig. He might be pushy and energetic with his interactions with people and be a total marshmallow when it comes to guinea pigs. You can't predict his behavior. The only way is to do a proper greeting with another pig in a neutral area. Some older males will be very protective of a younger pig also, so if an adult doesn't work out, you might be able to pair him with a baby. You might just find out you have a total "Nanny Man!"

oscarthegrouch

Post   » Wed Apr 26, 2017 7:11 am


I apologize for the delayed response. I have been busy. We will definitely go ahead and treat him again. I've read that ivermectin is a good treatment for mites but, are there any other kinds of treatments for mites that I could purchase from a local pet store (such as Petco or Petsmart) in case they do not have ivermectin? He has not had a bath in a very long time, and should we clean him up before treating him? I am sorry for asking a lot of questions, but I appreciate the help. I hope you all are having a great week so far.
Last edited by oscarthegrouch on Wed Apr 26, 2017 7:17 am, edited 1 time in total.

oscarthegrouch

Post   » Wed Apr 26, 2017 7:14 am


Sorry for the double post.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Apr 26, 2017 8:41 am


Go to a farm supply store for ivermectin. I doubt Petco or Petsmart have any ivermectin products. Since they sell live animals, we are not fans of either store at all.

I don't think he needs a bath.

topical_ivermectin.html
www.guinealynx.info/topical_ivermectin_pour-on.html

WICharlie

Post   » Wed Apr 26, 2017 9:39 am


Pet stores or pet supply stores do not have any safe products to treat guinea pigs for mites. If they tell you they do...run! Ditto on a farm supply store for ivermectin. Read carefully through the medical guide on mite treatment so you know how to do it and what product to purchase. You will need to weigh the pigs on a digital scale so you can determine dosage.

You can also treat mites with revolution, but that needs a prescription from a veterinarian.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Wed Apr 26, 2017 9:51 am


You can also get ivermectin from Amazon or Valley Vet.

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