death of a pig

Question
We have 2 male guinea pigs, however we just lost one due to illness, I was wondering how the remaining pig will cope.  They have lived with each other since the day they were born.  Will the remaining pig get depressed or be really lonely without him and end up passing also?  Is it okay to put him back in the cage they were both together in?  Any info you can give me about how to care for our remaining pig after the death of a pig would be great.  thank you

Answer
Absolutely I can relate. When Cappuccino died the first thing Rhinestone did was get depressed. Some sighns of that are:
-walking around slowly
-eating and drinking less
-not responsive to treats or toys
-is not running around or acting like themselves
I recommend putting him back into his old cage, this will be good for him. He needs his familiar surroundings. Give him lots of pets and cuddles and kisses. Now although he may get very sad, this cannot lead to illness. His immune system is not like a humans, and will not deteriorate. I do however recommend going to your local animal shelter and at least looking at other guinea pigs, as the best cure for a broken heart is a new best friend. I understand that you are also going through some emotions and feeling loss as it was you to that lost a friend, but guinea pigs are pack animals and need other guinea pigs as a source of entertainment and so they don't get lonely. I know that every home is different but I would also just like to say that I got Rhinestone a friend and it worked like a charm, but I also got her two new friends. That's right, I bought two new guinea pigs from the local shelter and I will never regret it. When one door closes two more open. And also Rhinestone ended up having cancer and passing away a few months later, so instead of again having a new guinea pig without a companion I have two guinea pigs again.

Thanks for asking!
-Nicky