should i be concerned?

Question
Hi, I have had a stressful two weeks.  I bought two female pigs, both sick from the beginning.  One had upper respitory and the other had pink eye.  They both went to the vet and were not introduced until they were on anti-biotics.  When they met each other, one of the girls was really excited and jumping around squealing with joy.  And before we put them together, I would let her play in a certain area of my room and she would romp around.  But ever since then, her perkiness had gone a way a little, compared to the other one and I'm worried.  She's been through a lot.  The antibiotics made her constipated so we had to put them on stool softeners and she developed a fungal infection on her tummy.  She's been to the vet three times already.  I'm just afraid something more might be wrong.  She doesn't romp around very much, like the other one.  Do you know what might be wrong?  She's drinking and eating well, but just doesn't seem as happy as the first time they met.  They're still squabbling a little, and I'm hoping that will stop soon, after they get more adjusted to one another.  Thank you.

Answer
Hi Cathy,

I'm sorry you've had such a stressful introduction to guinea pigs! Unfortunately guinea pigs in pet shops are often kept in poor conditions by inexperienced staff. This means new owners are left to dealt with all sorts of problems!

It sounds as though you've found a good vet, so ask him or her if there could be an underlying problem with your withdrawn guinea pig. Chances are she is just a little saddened by her illnesses, or that she is simply the more submissive (less dominant) of the pair.

Girls will always squabble from time to time when they are on heat. As long as no physical fights break out, there shouldn't be anything to worry about. Keep an eye on them both and make sure they get lots of vitamin c (carrots and brocolli are very high in it) to help them recover from their infections as quickly as possible.

If you have any other questions ... just ask!

Jenny.