Are they sick

[pigman85]

I have a male and female, I was told they were two boys but turns out they wasn't but anyway they both have a slight cough they don't do it all the time maybe once a day a piece maybe more but what are some other signs I need to look for? Maybe this has something to do with it the female she's always dirty her front sides always wet looking dirty, the mail is always spotless but I don't know if she's going into heat or something and that's why she's that way or what I don't know

 

[Posyrose]

Hello and welcome to you and your piggies

The forum is based in the UK and it's nearly midnight here so you might not get many responses overnight.

I can't give any advice apart from suggest taking your piggies to the vet but our more experienced members might be able to provide more advice.

It might help if you could send a photo of the female's dirty/wet area. It would also help to know whether your piggies are still living together. I'm afraid the female is likely to be pregnant if she has spent time with your boy. It isn't your fault, sadly mis-sexed piggies are often sold to new piggy parents.

 

[pigman85]

Hello and welcome to you and your piggies

The forum is based in the UK and it's nearly midnight here so you might not get many responses overnight.

I can't give any advice apart from suggest taking your piggies to the vet but our more experienced members might be able to provide more advice.

It might help if you could send a photo of the female's dirty/wet area. It would also help to know whether your piggies are still living together. I'm afraid the female is likely to be pregnant if she has spent time with your boy. It isn't your fault, sadly mis-sexed piggies are often sold to new piggy parents.

They have been together I know for a year, in a smaller cage than they should be in and I'm working on moving and they will have there own room, but the only thing I see them do is chance each other the only time they are close is when I wrap them up together and hold them when I pet them and hand feed them. And what is wet on dirty on the female is her chest and her belly I'll send you some pictures of both of them but she's not dirty right now

 

[pigman85]

Now flipping him over and looking I could of swore he had testicles now I'm not sure can you look at both pics with them on there backs and tell me your appinion

 

[Qualcast&Flymo]

Hallo and welcome..

They must be the same sex, or one of them would have had babies by now. Difficult to say whether they are male or female from your photos though. Testicles are usually pretty obvious in adult males, but there's not obvious testicles on your ginger piggy - the other photo doesn't really show that area clearly enough to give any opinion.

Have a look at the "Boar Care: Bits, Bums and Baths" thread or the "Boars Galore " thread for pictures that show what boars look like (both entire and neutered ones).

 

[Piggies&buns]

The ginger one seems to be a boar to me but you need to confirm for yourself.
I can’t see the other picture properly. It needs to be taken more directly and with the slit clearly visible.

I’ve added our sexing guide below

Illustrated Sexing Guide

If you ever suspect a piggy unwell, then you need to switch from the routine weekly weight checks and instead weigh them daily so you can monitor hay intake more closely plus see a vet.

Weight - Monitoring and Management

Coughing once a day is not necessarily a concern. They can cough if they eat too fast, or is the bedding or hay is too dusty for example. However if she is always wet then she needs to see a vet and you need to increase weight checks.

 

[Wiebke]

They have been together I know for a year, in a smaller cage than they should be in and I'm working on moving and they will have there own room, but the only thing I see them do is chance each other the only time they are close is when I wrap them up together and hold them when I pet them and hand feed them. And what is wet on dirty on the female is her chest and her belly I'll send you some pictures of both of them but she's not dirty right now

Hi

You have two boars with clearly descended testicles but boars will mount each other; it is mild dominance behaviour.
Illustrated Sexing Guide

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

Boar Care: Bits, Bums & Baths (please check their bits weekly together with a life long body onceover and weigh-in in order to spot any changes and slowly developing problems early on)

A - Z of Guinea Pig Behaviours
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs

Is the coughing during or shortly after eating (greedy eating and swallowing air), after you have given fresh hay (which may be dusty) or irregular (my need to be vet checked)?

Please contact us for tips before you move your boars to a new, larger home. It could lead to a fall-out otherwise.
Reacting to group or territorial changes: Dominance and group establishment/re-establishment