Bumps

[SpottyDotty101]

Hi,

Be Guinea pig owner here. We got two beautiful Guinea pig brothers a few weeks ago when they were 11 weeks old. All was well for the first 3 weeks then last week we noticed that one Guinea pig was being chased and harassed by the other. They are either together in a large outside run during the day (which seems to be okay on the whole) or inside in cage with a added run where most of the unwanted behaviour occurs. I have needed to keep them separate but next to each other inside. The dominant piggie seems to be growing at a much faster rate even though they both appear to be eating well. What is causing me most concern is that today when handling the 'submissive' piggy we felt bumps on his body (we have not witness a full on 'fight' or seen any blood/ noted any injury). Not sure what to do? Any advise from more experienced owners would be most welcome. Thank you in advance.

 

[Piggies&buns]

First, what do you mean by harassing And unwanted behaviours? If you could clarify what you are seeing as what you describe as unwanted behaviours may in fact be very normal dominance.
Chasing, humping, rumbling and other dominance behaviours are entirely normal. Your boys are becoming teenagers (which is from 16 weeks until 14 months of age), testicles descending and hormones raging, so seeing this kind of behaviour is to be expected. You don’t separate for dominance behaviours - as long as things remain within dominance behaviours then it’s just something they have to be left to go through.
You only separate if a full on blood drawing fight occurs or if there are clear signs of actual bullying (and it’s important to be able to tell the difference between normal dominance (which, even when mild, can look rough to us) and actual bullying). A blood drawing fight means a broken bond and that means total separation. Bullying is relentless chasing, humping, being chased away from food to the point the submissive piggy becomes depressed, withdrawn, loses weight through not being allowed to eat.

If I’ve understood correctly you have them together in a run but then separate them indoors (?), if so then you are causing them additional stress with repeated reintroduction and separation. They either need to be permanently together and left to work things out between them, Or you determine that their bond has broken and they are incompatible (and as I said, dominance behaviours are not a broken bond at all) and in which case permanently apart (so that’s two separate cages, two separate runs etc and never being allowed to be physically together)

Is their cage big enough - 180x60cm or a 5x2 c&c cage?
Do all hides have two exits?
Do you have multiple of every item in the cage?

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
Bonds In Trouble

Are you weighing them both weekly as part of routine care? That is the only way to be sure each piggy is eating enough hay

How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pigs Safely (videos)

We cannot tell you what these bumps are - if you could describe in more detail, the location etc, post a picture etc then we may be able to help but we would also advise that you see vet for a hands on check if you are concerned as we cannot make any diagnosis of any health condition

 

[SpottyDotty101]

First, what do you mean by harassing And unwanted behaviours? If you could clarify what you are seeing as what you describe as unwanted behaviours may in fact be very normal dominance.
Chasing, humping, rumbling and other dominance behaviours are entirely normal. Your boys are becoming teenagers (which is from 16 weeks until 14 months of age), testicles descending and hormones raging, so seeing this kind of behaviour is to be expected. You don’t separate for dominance behaviours - as long as things remain within dominance behaviours then it’s just something they have to be left to go through.
You only separate if a full on blood drawing fight occurs or if there are clear signs of actual bullying (and it’s important to be able to tell the difference between normal dominance (which, even when mild, can look rough to us) and actual bullying). A blood drawing fight means a broken bond and that means total separation. Bullying is relentless chasing, humping, being chased away from food to the point the submissive piggy becomes depressed, withdrawn, loses weight through not being allowed to eat.

If I’ve understood correctly you have them together in a run but then separate them indoors (?), if so then you are causing them additional stress with repeated reintroduction and separation. They either need to be permanently together and left to work things out between them, Or you determine that their bond has broken and they are incompatible (and as I said, dominance behaviours are not a broken bond at all) and in which case permanently apart (so that’s two separate cages, two separate runs etc and never being allowed to be physically together)

Is their cage big enough - 180x60cm or a 5x2 c&c cage?
Do all hides have two exits?
Do you have multiple of every item in the cage?

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
Bonds In Trouble

Are you weighing them both weekly as part of routine care? That is the only way to be sure each piggy is eating enough hay

How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pigs Safely (videos)

We cannot tell you what these bumps are - if you could describe in more detail, the location etc, post a picture etc then we may be able to help but we would also advise that you see vet for a hands on check if you are concerned as we cannot make any diagnosis of any health condition

Thank you for your reply.
Their indoor area is a cafe approx 1.5m by 1m with a large run attached of 2m sq.
The behaviour is being constantly chased (actively looking around for the other to chase it) and what looks like little nipping when caught up with. Submissive Guinea shakes and freezes/hides until he is find again to be chased around. Loud teeth chattering and rumbling. On closer inspection I belong the bumps may be sores from being nipped (they look a little pink and swollen). I have treated these with saline solution. Is this 'normal' dominance behaviour? I obviously do not want to break their bond but don't want one to get badly hurt either. Trying to make informed decisions but am finding it difficult to know what to do for the best which is why I have been putting them together during the day when I can observe and sleeping separately but next to each other in a run and cage during the night.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thank you for your reply.
Their indoor area is a cafe approx 1.5m by 1m with a large run attached of 2m sq.
The behaviour is being constantly chased (actively looking around for the other to chase it) and what looks like little nipping when caught up with. Submissive Guinea shakes and freezes/hides until he is find again to be chased around. Loud teeth chattering and rumbling. On closer inspection I belong the bumps may be sores from being nipped (they look a little pink and swollen). I have treated these with saline solution. Is this 'normal' dominance behaviour? I obviously do not want to break their bond but don't want one to get badly hurt either. Trying to make informed decisions but am finding it difficult to know what to do for the best which is why I have been putting them together during the day when I can observe and sleeping separately but next to each other in a run and cage during the night.

So nipping is a dominance behaviour but it doesn’t break the skin. If you are finding wounds and the chasing is relentless then it’s possible there is a problem but we obviously can’t tell you for sure given we cannot see the behaviours. It’s also possible that the little pink swollen areas may have another cause, a medical cause, a skin condition maybe (in which case he needs to see a vet). As I say though, we cannot see them so cannot know.
Equally, your dominant boy may simply be experiencing a hormone spike and seeing an increase in dominance is normal during that time, so a few days apart (and I mean fully apart) to let the hormones settle can help.

What you cannot do is put them together during the day and then separate at night repeatedly. You will be causing them to constantly be trying to reestablish every single day only for it to be interrupted and have to start all over again. Repeated separation and reintroduction is stressful for the piggies and in an already unstable bond, can harm it further. And of course, in a problematic bond, for the submissive piggy to be put back into the cage with a bully every day is not good.
Any separation needs to be constant for several days and used to allow the piggies to make up their own mind about their relationship, and then with one neutral territory reintroduction to make the final decision.

The way to test a bond is to separate them for a couple of days - as above constant separation, in the run also. If the submissive piggy is happier to be away, eating better, coming out more etc, then it’s likely the bond is problematic. The dominant piggy will be upset by the separation but it is not reaction you go by.
Then reintroduce on neutral territory after a few days apart - somewhere neither of them see as their space - and gauge their reactions when put back together. If the submissive immediately looks like they don’t want to be there or fights, biting etc breaks out, then it is conclusive that the bond is not a happy one, and that they should live permanently apart.

Please do read all the green links I added into my previous reply, particularly the ‘bonds in trouble’ guide as thaf explains a trial separation.