Bald sore patches on face

[vazzledazzle]

Hey,

Just did my daily nose,eye,mouth,ear check on my piggies.

And one of my piggies (Jekyll) has a very red/sore looking bald patch thats turned up, it almost looks like the hair has been ripped out.

Just recently I have had a lot of problems between Jekyll and the new arrival Nemo. They were fine at first, got on like a house on fire but now Nemo and Jekyll are rumble strutting at each other, sqeaking aggresivley, sometimes they lunge at each other BUT they have NEVER bitten each other etc.

Should i be concerned?
I have 3 piggies in total and bless him Hyde seems to be left out on his own all the time.

Its weird because Jeyll and Nemo snuggle up together and rarely let Hyde in with them.

THEY ARE CONFUSING ME!

 

[William&Keith]

Unfortunately you can't watch piggies 24/7 so something may have happened when you weren't around.

Trio's of boars are HARD work (I had one for about 3 months or so) and they take a lot of dedication. A majority don't work, some do, but not usual.

With trio's you will have two who get on the best out of the three and one will be left out sometimes, but if it's frequent then there is a possibility he's getting bullied.

If you've introduced Nemo to Jekyll & Hyde then Nemo has probably upset the already bonded pair and it's causing this behaviour. There are things you can try and do to re-establish a bond, but boys are tough, especially if they're hormonal.

With regards to the bald patch please get them all to a vet and get htem all checked out.

I'm not a pro, just talking from experience with the piggies I've had. I'm sure someone who knows more will be along soon.

Good luck.

 

[vazzledazzle]

Hey, i have read a lot of comments lately saying trios are hard to look after, ive defintley learned this since adopting Nemo. I have been considering adopting another to balance things out a bit more, as i cant ever imagine giving any of them away O_O they are my babies <3

I dont think they need a vet trip though, as there is no blood, no breaking of skin, just literally a little patch of hair has gone missing O_o, i used a cotton bud to swab the area to check it for sores or breaks and there is nothing. And also, they have all recently been to the vet and i was told there are no problems with them (apart from hyde is a little overweight! Piggie diet...).

I've just thought actually, if he is stressed by Nemo challenging him, would stress cause him to overscatch and cause bald spots?

Hyde used to be the dominant one, but now he just stays out of it, he is picked on both of the other pigs. He just seems to get on by not bothering with the others. hummm :/

 

[Suzygpr]

Hello

It's possible that the bald patch is from a bite ripping out the hair. Stress could also be a factor though as it can cause a dip in the immune system allowing mites or fungal problems to take hold.

As you have found out through the forum trios are not an easy option when it comes to boars, and it is quite likely that you may need to split them. What are the ages of your boys, cage size and layout, temperaments etc - sometimes tweaking the living arrangements can help.

Hopefully the boys will settle soon.

Suzy x

 

[vazzledazzle]

Hi

Jekyll and Hyde are about 8 months old and nemo is around 4 months old.
Due to living with my partners mother temporarily they dont have a c&c cage like i want them to but they live in a great big 4 tiered cage. They get floortime for at least 4/5 hours each day and I handle them everyday too.

Jekyll - He used to be the submissive one when he was just a pair. He is timid and very aware of what goes on around him. Since becoming a trio he is aggressive and dominating towards both Nemo and Hyde, he is a clever little rascal aswell. Hates being picked up but is fine when being handled.

Hyde - Used to be dominant. Since being a trio, he has become a bit of a recluse, he is on his own more of the time and gets bullied by the other two pigs. But hes really laid back and just sits and watches whats going on. The lazy little blighter has discovered the perfect spot to lay in, so he can reach the food and water without moving! This explains why he is overweight!

Nemo - Very playful and vocal, he squeaks twice a smuch as the other 2. He was a bit submissve when he was first introduced, but since settling and Jekyll picking on him he has become quite nippy towards him and aggressive. He doesnt seem to bully Hyde, its more Jekyll in that department.

Nemo is a different breed, I have no idea if this pays any bearing. Nemo is a common long hair and the other 2 are english crests.