Ash is nibbling EVERYTHING! any ideas why?

[mstori]

Ash is approx 8 weeks old now, and is nibbling EVERYTHING!.. his cage, newspaper, toys, bed, ME!.. it doesnt matter where he is he nibbles!

I read this could be a mineral/vitamin lack, but they get a wide variety of fresh fruit and vegetables as well as their ordinary food which is a mix of both pellets and muesli.. and they dont leave any of it! (and Ash is the one that eats the most, and pushes Neo away at times.. even though there are 2 food bowls!) as well as hay and grass..

As he is still on medication, and has had a bit of a poorly tummy I didnt want to add anything else unless necessary and I dont think he could be bored.. he certainly doesnt appear to be, and has loads to keep him amused.. although did have to remove the toilet roll tubes as suggested Neo got stuck in one and almost died! the silly piggy!


Thanks, Tori x

 

[lindsecm]

Ash is approx 8 weeks old now, and is nibbling EVERYTHING!.. his cage, newspaper, toys, bed, ME!.. it doesnt matter where he is he nibbles!

I have a 6 week old boy that does the exact same thing. I am pretty sure it is normal for young ones, but if anyone knows otherwise I would like to know also.

 

[mstori]

hopefully someone will let us know .. my other baby only nibbles me! lol.. but i think thats mainly due to them being poorly, so I'm constantly sticking syringes down their necks poor piggies all of my piggies are lickers.. i know some people say its for the salt but i like to think of it as being piggy kisses ^)

 

[Lelli]

I have the same with our little piggies. Gui is just over a year old and Seb is just under and they both nibble away at the hutch everyday.
If you have lots of toys and stuff then they might not be bored just cheeky pigs.

Offen, guineas will nibble or lick you for salt, Do they have a salt lick?
When we first put the salt lick in they didnt go near it for almost a week hehe but now they nibble on that instead of my fingers.

 

[Lelli]

hopefully someone will let us know .. my other baby only nibbles me! lol.. but i think thats mainly due to them being poorly, so I'm constantly sticking syringes down their necks poor piggies all of my piggies are lickers.. i know some people say its for the salt but i like to think of it as being piggy kisses ^)

I just read the end of your post and yes, I like to think they are piggies kisses too.

 

[mstori]

piggie kisses are much better ^) lol..

id been given conflicting advice about mineral licks, but I'm going to get some today when I'm out and give it a try.. he has even started to eat the bottle! lol

 

[Wiebke]

My new ones 10 month old sisters are serious nibblers, especially Nia! I have to go and clad the chair legs with some cardboard... Most of the other stuff is for the pigs anyway!

 

[teadragon]

I have a theory that young pigs will nibble everything to test boundaries. They won't work out what they can or cannot eat, or what's okay with you unless they try it and mouthing is one boundary they should test.

Of course, I could be completely wrong. In theory, other guinea pigs won't have this problem as they'll vocally make it clear to them that it's not okay to bite another pig, but (in theory) they can't really understand us yet so they may be testing to see how hard they can nip or not.

Koda came here and went through a period of nibbling everything. Metallic items were ignored after a few nibbles, my correx is still being molested by piggy teeth, but for a period I was the subject of nibbles - me and my clothes. I squeeked at him whenever he did it and he learned (I hope!) to stop or he stopped when he realised I don't taste nice.

 

[mstori]

I have a theory that young pigs will nibble everything to test boundaries. They won't work out what they can or cannot eat, or what's okay with you unless they try it and mouthing is one boundary they should test.

Of course, I could be completely wrong. In theory, other guinea pigs won't have this problem as they'll vocally make it clear to them that it's not okay to bite another pig, but (in theory) they can't really understand us yet so they may be testing to see how hard they can nip or not.

Koda came here and went through a period of nibbling everything. Metallic items were ignored after a few nibbles, my correx is still being molested by piggy teeth, but for a period I was the subject of nibbles - me and my clothes. I squeeked at him whenever he did it and he learned (I hope!) to stop or he stopped when he realised I don't taste nice.

well, i have put lots of thimgs in the cage to be nibbled on, and hopefully its just a stage, although one of my older boys has taken to eating his hutch and the silver insulating stuff.. hmmm.. yet they have plenty of toys, etc..

I'm sick of my clothes getting nibbled, and have the one top i use for giving them their meds now, which is the time i spend the longest holding and playing with them x

 

[mstori]

I have a theory that young pigs will nibble everything to test boundaries. They won't work out what they can or cannot eat, or what's okay with you unless they try it and mouthing is one boundary they should test.

Of course, I could be completely wrong. In theory, other guinea pigs won't have this problem as they'll vocally make it clear to them that it's not okay to bite another pig, but (in theory) they can't really understand us yet so they may be testing to see how hard they can nip or not.

Koda came here and went through a period of nibbling everything. Metallic items were ignored after a few nibbles, my correx is still being molested by piggy teeth, but for a period I was the subject of nibbles - me and my clothes. I squeeked at him whenever he did it and he learned (I hope!) to stop or he stopped when he realised I don't taste nice.

well, i have put lots of things in the cage to be nibbled on, and hopefully its just a stage, although one of my older boys has taken to eating his hutch and the silver insulating stuff.. hmmm.. yet they have plenty of toys, etc..

I'm sick of my clothes getting nibbled, and have the one top i use for giving them their meds now, which is the time i spend the longest holding and playing with them x