Quarantine vs. checking to see if they get along

[citronsoul]

The title pretty much sums up my question. You have quarantine, but that means you have to wait 3 weeks before you can see if your guinea pigs get along. But what if they don't? Is there any argument for checking to see if they get along first?

My problem: I'm currently trying to convince my parents to let me get another pig. At the moment, it's still "no." It'll probably remain "no" but i'm still trying.

I ended up making a paper filled with quotes from various sources on the importance of two including several cute pictures of guinea pigs together. I've only shown my dad the paper, & he's ok with it if my mom agrees (she's the hard one to convince.) But he's still waiting for the right moment to approach her with it.

My dad has two concerns about it though.

1. Finance. This shouldn't be a problem though. At the moment they only pay for the veggies, but I told him I'm prepared to pay for that too.

2. Phoebe doesn't like her buddy. This is where I'm concerned because I can't gaurantee they'll get along without checking first. This past December, Belgium got its first rescue that takes in guinea pigs (yay!) I told him that I'd like to adopt a guinea pig from there & that it would be possible for me to bring Phoebe with me to see if they get along.

But by doing so, i'd be giving up quarantine. Would this be a foolish thing to do?

 

[dagwellismypigy]

I would check, I think that is more important, I don't think that an hour together would hurt either pig, but I would continue the quarintine when you get home because the stress of the trip may make one of the piggies sick

 

[critterlover]

I think you can spend some time observing the new pig to check out her personality. I don't think you need to put them together, especially with 2 females, I think they'll get along fine.

Yes, not quarantining is foolish, you already knew that. If you put them together even for a few minutes, the new pig might transmit mites (possibly a very bad type of mite) or even a URI, which is extremely contagious. Ask me how I know, I have a $400 vet bill to pay.

 

[mom to cujo]

Now, when I adopted Sebastian from a rescue they wanted cujo to meet him and see how they responded to each other. Aren't rescues especially careful before adopting out pigs to make sure they are checked by a vet and free of mites? I was told quarantining wasn't necessary in our case.

 

[Ly&Pigs]

Most rescues have treated pigs for any illnesses/mites before they are adopted out. Unfortunately most shelters don't. Also if it is stressful for the pig going from the shelter to your home, the immune system can be lowered and can cause mites. It's more important to quarantine unless you get them from a reputable rescue.

I got one pig (Charity) from a shelter. She came with a case of mites. They also had her eating pellet mix and bedded on cedar. So that right there tells you not all shelters are properly informed on how to take care of pigs.

 

[citronsoul]

Well, I'm not sure about the background of this rescue, since it's new. But I've been trying to follow info about it ever since it opened up. It's spread out throughout the country. I don't know if there's an actual center. The animals seem to be spread out through fosters, depending on the types of facilities & the amount of space people have in their homes.

The pig i'm interested in comes from a group of 72 guinea pigs. Some person just showed up at a fosters home with 72 guinea pigs, told them to take what they could & the rest would be used as snakefood. So...they took the lot. I think they were from a breeder that quit, because apparently there were quite a few fancy breeds in the lot. There were quite a few pregnant ones too. This was quite a few weeks ago & now there are still 30 guinea pigs.

Honestly, I'd feel more comfortable with quarantine. Apparently the person that took them in hadn't had guinea pigs before so everything was new. One guinea pig requires a lot of learning. I can only imagine what 72 feels like!

Edited: There are 30 pigs left over, not 45.

 

[Ly&Pigs]

What I would do is ask the shelter people if the fosters treat for mites and other illnesses. Ask what kind of food they are being fed, etc. That way you will be able to sort of tell what kind of fosters they are.

 

[CavyKind]

Hi all,
I can only speak for my own little rescue...
All guineas coming in are quarantined for 3 weeks, during that time I treat them for skin mites and they are bathed a couple of times in an anti fungal shampoo. I obviously watch them for any sign of illness and if concerned, then they of course see our vet. They are assessed for temperament once settled and have nail trims etc.
Females stay at least a couple of months before being available for adoption, to ensure that they aren't pregnant. I 100% guarantee my rescue girls are non pregnant.
While I cannot of course guarantee the health of any guinea pig...who can? I do take as much care as possible to see that they are as healthy as possible.

When I rehome I always explain to the new owners that I put no time scale on when guineas can be returned....I will of course take them back if nec at any time during their life. This reasssures owners that introductions to their other piggies need not be rushed.

Before anyone adopts a guinea they need to ask what quarantine precautions have been followed. A genuine rescue will not mind and will in fact welcome any questions you may have about the matter. Good luck!

 

[citronsoul]

Thanks for the info. I'll be asking about how they care for their pigs. Of course, I have to be allowed to get one first. *sigh*

 

[pookczek]

Phoebe doesn't like her buddy. This is where I'm concerned because I can't gaurantee they'll get along without checking first.

This is what I'm worried about, as well. We have one female cavy, and I'm dying to get another one.... but I would hate for Sally to not like her new friend, and have to have separate cages for them. Seems like it's defeating the purpose. Any tips for picking the right friend?

 

[critterlover]

Aren't rescues especially careful before adopting out pigs to make sure they are checked by a vet and free of mites? I was told quarantining wasn't necessary in our case.

I had exactly the same thing happen to me and it was a disaster. My new pig came from a good rescue was thoroughly checked by a vet and treated for mites and we were told quarantine was not necessary. Some pigs have heart defects or other problems that may only be detected by the most experienced vet.

A few days after my new pig arrived, the stress of the transport got to him and he got pneumonia and died, despite my best efforts. Although he had previously been treated for mites, I think he got only 1 application (3 is best) and when we got him, he had mites again. My previously healthy pig caught both the mites and the pneumonia. Like I said, $400 later....

Not quarantining is not worth the risk.

If you introduce the pigs properly and give them a big enough cage, especially with 2 females, I don't see why they wouldn't get along. Of course, get a laid-back pig if possible. There are a few pigs that are very agressive to other pigs, but a good rescue will warn you of this.

 

[pookczek]

Aww... I'm so sorry to hear that, critterlover. It must have been horrible for you.

Not to sound like too much of a newbie, but how can you tell if a pig is laid back or not? I don't think our current piggie is laid back - she;s rather skittish and has a bit of an attitude

 

[critterlover]

Yes, it was a nightmare. Try getting up every 3 hours at night to force-feed a pig...I just want to save other people from going through what I went through.

Laid back pigs don't mind being handled, don't teeth chatter or bite you when you go to pick them up, seem generally curious and unafraid of new things, will eat anything you give them etc. OK, basically the opposite of my pig...finger still bleeding.

 

[citronsoul]

That's quite an ordeal! You sound like a wonderful owner though, critterlover. I hope all guinea pigs are healthy now.

Phoebe is pretty laid back. So I assume she'll (hopefully) be pretty friendly to any newcomer.

 

[kalrik]

I just had that problem, and now I have four pigs with mites. Quarantine, quarantine, quarantine! Rescues will take back the pig if they don't get along, you could maybe switch him as long as you don't get too attached: ) If I only had waited a couple days, I would have noticed those scabs on her back and the itching.