Trying to correct our mistakes

Question
QUESTION: I write this to benefit other guinea owners to learn from my mistakes and to get clarification about something for the benefit of my remaining guinea pig. I aploogize for the length but I felt my experience was important to share.

We have had two guinea pigs (Marble & Sable) for the past year and a half.  On Christmas Eve we found Marble limp and barely breathing. He was exceptionally large and other than being large, he looked perfectly healthy up to two days before.  I did not look at him too closely the day before but he was still eating and drinking and squeaking for treats so I didn't think anything was wrong. Unfortunately, we were too late to do anything for him and he died in my daughter's arms within a few minutes.  We have yet to be able to determine what happened to him for sure but I suspect mistakes in what we were feeding offer the best explanation.

We have been feeding them this way for so long that until I spoke to an exotic pet vet, I did not know better.  We fed mostly carrots (too much at a time) we also fed an alfalfa based pellet and were feeding alfalfa hay rather than Timothy Hay.  Occasionally we fed them an apple or some Kale or other veggies but not often enough.  The hay ran out a few weeks ago and I did not replace it so they have been without for about three or four weeks.  I was told that Marble may have gotten either colic or just been overloaded with too much sugar in his diet from the carrots and alfalfa. He also suspects that he may have had scurvy but since Sable was healthy, he ruled it out.

My questions relates to the care of the remaining guinea. I took him to the vet to make sure he did not have a disease and to check out a bald spot on his back that was self inflicted.  We had to keep the boys in separate cages due to the fact they never were able to stop fighting.  The vet said Sable is perfectly healthy and just to treat the bald spot with a topical antibiotic like Neosporin.  He also said to supplement Vit C with either a supplement or just an orange slice twice a day until the spot heals.

Now we have made corrections to the diet, Timothy based pellet, more variety of vegetables, Timothy hay all the time (He eats a ton of the stuff!), fresh water and orange slices twice a day (He LOVES them).  I even found that we can bathe him (that was new).  Now I worry that since he is really by himself, will he get too lonely and since he had problems in the past with getting along (I suspect the problem was more with Marble) should I get Sable a pal or will just giving him more of our attention be enough?


ANSWER: I'm sorry to hear about your loss, and I hope that others will learn from it also. I respect you for caring enough about other people's guinea pigs that you were willing to share this information and also the results and conscequences of not giving guinea pigs the correct diet. I'm very sorry that your guinea pig died and try to learn from your mistakes, not beat yourself up over them.
It seems like you did learn from your mistakes though, you're doing great by feeding your guinea pig timothy hay based pellets, unlimited timothy hay, and fresh fruits and veggies. The only problem I found with the diet is the oranges. Oranges twice a day is a little too much. Oranges aren't the only fruits with lots of vitamin c, and oranges and other fruits can also cause sores in your guinea pig's mouth. It's best to give him a variety of fruits and veggies to provide for his vitamin c needs. Try to give him at least one cup a day of fresh veggies and fruits(mostly veggies, especially the green leafy kind) like romaine lettuce, red and green leaf lettuce, parsley, cilantro, bell peppers, cucumbers, celery(cut up so that your guinea pig doesn't choke) apples, banana's(small amounts of fruits, and only 1-2 fruits a day) mango's, watermelon, strawberries(strawberries have more vitamin c than oranges do!) and pears.
The answer to your question is yes. All guinea pigs are highly social, herd animals and to live a healthy, happy life they NEED another guinea pig companion living with them. A companion isn't something that will just make a guinea pig happier, there are lots of benefits for guinea pigs(and owners) when they have a cagemate. And no matter how much attention you can offer a guinea pig, human attention will never replace the need a guinea pig has for a friend of their species. A human can't rumblestrut, and popcorn around the cage with a guinea pig, niether can a human be there whenever a guinea pig needs them like another cavy can be. If you have time(and even if you don't, try to make time!) I think reading this would help you, go to http://www.cavyspirit.com/sociallife.htm#Introductions .
And about where to get a guinea pig, I recommend that you adopt one from a rescue or a shelter. Generally rescues and shelters take better care of their animals, and they have more knowledge about the animals they are caring for. They tend to have healthier guinea pigs because they give them fruits and veggies and timothy hay and better pellets than most pet stores and breeders do. They also have the guinea pigs best interest in mind, unlike most pet stores and breeders who usually care about the money more than the animals. I can find a guinea pig rescue or shelter near you if you give me your zip code, city and state. I can do it all from my computer, and then I can e-mail you back with all the information like the guinea pigs available at the rescue, and all the contact information etc..
Sorry about the long post, and I hope this has helped you!
Feel free to contact me if you have any other questions about rescuing, adopting another guinea pig, or introducing your new guinea pig!
         A.Jones

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you so much for your response.  I looked up the list of good fruits and veggies so we are doing a better job.  He doesn't like everything but we are working on figuring out his favorites. The Vet had mentioned concentrating mostly on root veggies and then only feed the greens and just the end that we normally discard.  
One more question though. Can I buy grass hay from the local feed supply (like what they give horses) this would make it a lot cheaper than buying from the pet store where they want $15 for a 48oz bag.  I can buy a 60lb bale of Timothy hay for $15 at the feed store. I just need to know if there is an issue with the feed store kind. I just keep it in a big trash can to keep it fresh and dry until I use it up.  One bale of the alfalfa lasted a whole year.
I really appreciate your help.  I live in Albuquerque, NM in 87112 zip.  I would appreciate the names of a rescue shelter near me so I can get a new pal for Sable.  I am currently making a new bigger cage for him to accommodate a pal and give them more play room.

Answer
It sounds like you're doing everything great! The bigger cage will be appreciated by Sable and by his future cagemate too!
Yes, buying timothy hay at the feed supply is perfectly ok to do, and a lot cheaper than buying them from the pet store you currently buy it from(15 for a 48 ounce bag is outrageous!). As long as the hay doesn't look moldy, and isn't damp or wet in the middle, it should be good. As you were planning to, keeping it in a dry place is necessary.
I looked for some shelters, and rescues in your area, and I found a couple that you could try. The first one is called Melvin's Place-A Guinea Pig Rescue I'm not sure how many guinea pigs they have up for adoption, but I did see that they have a beautiful father-son pair of guinea pigs. I'm not sure how open you are to the idea of adopting two more, but it may be something to think about, considering three males can get along better and adjust better than two guinea pigs. If you're not ready to adopt two more, I understand completely. You can contact Melvin's Place-A Guinea Pig Rescue by phone at 505-681-5166, or you can e-mail them from this link http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=12375355 .
I also found a guinea pig rescue that is near Albuquerque it sounds like it's very near where you live. You can e-mail Bridget(the person who is ahead of the rescue) at birddog8@earthlink.net . I apoligize, but I don't have any other information about Bridgets rescue, than what I just gave you.
Let me know what you find out after you contact the rescue's, and if for some reason niether one of them is able to help you, contact me and we'll try again.
If you have any other questions, just ask!
         A.Jones