Ear Piercing Via Other Guinea

[Analisa]

I have two male guinea pigs and they have been in a cage that's divided for a few weeks. Today we tried reintroducing them and they got into another fight- they've been having fights on and off for the past month. We are going to separate them completely because when they fight it always ends in bloodshed. This time one of my Guinea pigs gave the other an ear piercing. It's a little bloody but it doesn't seem to be that bad. We've decided that we're gonna treat it at least once a day with a water and salt mixture based on what the other threads on this site have said, but we likely aren't going to be able to take him to the vet. Is there anything more we can do to prevent infection and promote its healing?

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Some Images of the Boy with the Ear Piercing

 

[weepweeps]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I’m sorry your boys have decided that they don’t want to live together anymore. They will have to live separately now. Keep the wound clean and keep a close eye on it. Hopefully it will heal quickly. Obviously if you see signs of infection please take them to the vet. Good luck.

 

[Princess Dustmop]

If they are fighting and biting and drawing blood, they are simply not compatible as cagemates. You're doing the right thing in separating them. They can (and should) live side by side, so they can have interaction but their own separate territories.

For the ear, flushing the wound to keep it clean is good. Keep an eye on it for any changes or signs of infection. It could well heal on its own without veterinary care. If it starts oozing or changing color, though, he will need to see a vet for antibiotics. Likewise, if his behavior changes or he starts losing weight, that could be a sign of pain, which would also require veterinary help.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry to hear they are fighting, this means they are not compatible and cannot be put back together.

As the others have said, the wound needs to be kept clean but that doesn’t address any pain which may be present. If the wound has gone all the way or most of the way through, you should go to the vet straight away - that would be very painful and may need further treatment/oral antibiotics and pain killers. Delaying seeing a vet could prove to be more costly and cause unnecessary discomfort to the piggy.

 

[Betsy]

That looks very painful for your piggy and is quite a large hole in his ear. Please take him to the vet for pain relief if nothing else. If piggies are in pain they don't eat. My Rainbow Piggy Christian wouldn't eat when the pain from his spinal arthritis got too much so I had to up his pain relief. Please monitor your piggy's weight daily as it is the only way to check he is eating enough. A 50-60g weight loss per day is the difference between a full/empty bladder/stomach. If you see a consistent downward trend you piggy needs to see a vet.

 

[Merab]

Welcome to the forum.
Sorry your boys have fallen out so dramatically.
My boy Micah has raggedy ears from being bullied before I got him.
He was checked by a vet. As others have said, pain relief is as important as keeping the wound clean.
Hope it heals well.

 

[Bill & Ted]

Hello and welcome to the forum
So sorry your boys have decided they won’t live together but they can live side by side for company and companionship.
If the ear starts to look red and feels hot or pussy then you really do need to get antibiotics from a vet

 

[VickiA]

Hello and welcome.
That your boy really does need pain relief as well as keeping the wound clean. That will be extremely painful for him.
Please do not attempt any further reintroduction. Your boars have shown you that they are completely incompatible. That will not change.

 

[Analisa]

Thank you all so much for your help, we will definitely be taking him to a vet if it starts to worsen or if he seems to be losing weight, for now we will keep an extremely close eye on him. Thank again for the advice and the warm welcome!