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jade brown

jade brown

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Hey everyone,
I'm having a big problem! i have put my 2 boy guinea pigs together and they started attacking each other! so, i put my hand in the cage to break it up and my guinea pig has bitten me and it has gone into my skin so far it is starting to swell up and go pink! what should i do with my finger? :no:
 
Have your guinea pigs drawn blood from each other? They should be broken up if they've drawn blood on each other. I think this is a topic for @Wiebke
I would just clean your finger under the tap, and put some antiseptic cream on it such as savalon. I don't think you can catch anything from guinea pigs, just keep an eye on your finger to see how it is for a day or two.
 
Chief Guinea Pig said:
Have your guinea pigs drawn blood from each other? They should be broken up if they've drawn blood on each other. I think this is a topic for @Wiebke
I would just clean your finger under the tap, and put some antiseptic cream on it such as savalon. I don't think you can catch anything from guinea pigs, just keep an eye on your finger to see how it is for a day or two.
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My guinea pigs have been bitten and i have broken them up but i don't know what antiseptic cream is good for guinea pigs!
 
jade brown said:
My guinea pigs have been bitten and i have broken them up but i don't know what antiseptic cream is good for guinea pigs!
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If they've been bitten and they have blood drawn on them, you should clean it up with some water and a cotton bud.
Do not take my word, but I think they should be separated for the time being.

I was saying your finger will need some anti-septic cream on.
 
Hi!

Firstly separate your boars with oven gloves. They will not go back together once there are intentional deep bites. You will have to find another solution once you have sorted out the immediate crisis.

Make sure that they are OK and that there are no deep bites. You can disinfect small bites with hibiscrub from the pharmacy or homemade saline solution by mixing in 1 teaspoon of salt into 1 pint of boiled, cooled water. If there are deep bites, you may want to have the boys checked by a vet. You will have keep an eye on the bite area in the following weeks in case an abscess develops.

Secondly, please have your finger checked at your doctors or his weekend cover to make sure that the bite hasn't done any lasting harm to your finger. When piggies bite with force (which is usually only during a fight or in defence), they can do permanent damage.

Thirdly, it would be very helpful if you added your country, state or (for the UK) your county/city to your details, as your further options re. boar situation depend to a large extent on where you are. Click on your username, then go to personal details and and scroll down to location.
 
Wiebke said:
Hi!

Firstly separate your boars with oven gloves. They will not go back together once there are intentional deep bites. You will have to find another solution once you have sorted out the immediate crisis.

Make sure that they are OK and that there are no deep bites. You can disinfect small bites with hibiscrub from the pharmacy or homemade saline solution by mixing in 1 teaspoon of salt into 1 pint of boiled, cooled water. If there are deep bites, you may want to have the boys checked by a vet. You will have keep an eye on the bite area in the following weeks in case an abscess develops.

Secondly, please have your finger checked at your doctors or his weekend cover to make sure that the bite hasn't done any lasting harm to your finger. When piggies bite with force (which is usually only during a fight or in defence), they can do permanent damage.

Thirdly, it would be very helpful if you added your country, state or (for the UK) your county/city to your details, as your further options re. boar situation depend to a large extent on where you are. Click on your username, then go to personal details and and scroll down to location.
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Thank you so much should i be taking them to the vet because there wounds are pretty big!
 
Yes you should take them to the vet if the wounds are big and deep. As for your finger please go to a doctor, guinea pigs bite very hard when defending or attacking. You should never use your hand to seperate guinea pigs in fight, The best thing to do is use an oven glove or throw a towel over them to confuse then seperate them. There is a very high chance they may have to be seperated for good :(

Hope This Helped!

Hanna
 
Gizi said:
Yes you should take them to the vet if the wounds are big and deep. As for your finger please go to a doctor, guinea pigs bite very hard when defending or attacking. You should never use your hand to seperate guinea pigs in fight, The best thing to do is use an oven glove or throw a towel over them to confuse then seperate them. There is a very high chance they may have to be seperated for good :(

Hope This Helped!

Hanna
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Thankyou so much!
 
Gizi said:
Oh yes... May I ask were you introducing them as you said "I put them together" ?
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Yes and no because i had put one of the boys with a female and the boys haven't been with each other in 2 weeks and then i put them back together, not knowing that was going to happen!
 
Gizi said:
Ok so I'm guessing you were breeding? You shouldn't take them apart when introducing for that long... Also did you introduce them on neutral terriotory? We have some threads on introducing boars
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/faq-introducing-and-re-introducing-guinea-pigs.38562/
And also the smell of the female could of triggered the fight as males tend to argue when they smell a female piggie
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Yes i was breeding the guinea pig and when i put him back after 2 weeks in the same cage he is always the start fighting and i also forgot to mention i also put the girl back into the girls cage and she also started attacking my baby piggies :(
 
jade brown said:
Yes i was breeding the guinea pig and when i put him back after 2 weeks in the same cage he is always the start fighting and i also forgot to mention i also put the girl back into the girls cage and she also started attacking my baby piggies :(
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I would like to say, the talk of breeding isn't allowed on this forum- it will cause a lot of disruption and arguments.
 
Any animal bite needs to be checked by a medical professional. I had two bites, both from fancy rats - breaking up fighting - it is just an instant reaction - both were treated as an emergency by my GP, one required hospital treatment, my whole hand swelled up, and it had actually gone to the bone. I don't think guineas are quite as much of a risk of carrying infection as rats, but, their teeth are just as long and just as sharpe and can carry dirt deep into your flesh.... Actually, the hand clinic at the local hospital, ( yes, that is where I ended up for a steroid injection in to the joint of my finger) said human bites are the worse for infection......
 
Toffee said:
Any animal bite needs to be checked by a medical professional. I had two bites, both from fancy rats - breaking up fighting - it is just an instant reaction - both were treated as an emergency by my GP, one required hospital treatment, my whole hand swelled up, and it had actually gone to the bone. I don't think guineas are quite as much of a risk of carrying infection as rats, but, their teeth are just as long and just as sharpe and can carry dirt deep into your flesh.... Actually, the hand clinic at the local hospital, ( yes, that is where I ended up for a steroid injection in to the joint of my finger) said human bites are the worse for infection......
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Oh man now I'm really scared! will i have to get a needle? i have a phobia ( I'm weird)
 
Ok sorry don't really have any advice from here just seperate the Boars (males) from eachother as well as the may be pregnant Sow. Just wait until some one with advice come in and helps
 
Gizi said:
Ok sorry don't really have any advice from here just seperate the Boars (males) from eachother as well as the may be pregnant Sow. Just wait until some one with advice come in and helps
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thank you you're awesome!
 
The reason they attacked one another was because you DID try and breed the male piggie and put him in with a female. Obviously he's been with the female and has the scent of her and is used to being the 'man' now he was in with a woman.

When put back with the male the second guinea pig can smell the female scent on your male piggie and it drove him to attack as he wanted the females.

I'm sorry you were bitten. I definitely advise using a towel next time. I've been stupid enough to reach in and grab a pig during a fight too but luckily neither of mine bit me. After seeing how bad their fights can get I definitely wouldn't reach in again though.
 
jade brown said:
Oh man now I'm really scared! will i have to get a needle? i have a phobia ( I'm weird)
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You can always get advice at your local chemist ask the pharmacist what they think. I don't like injections either. I doubt you would need a steroid injection, mine was very deep injury.
 
Julesie said:
The reason they attacked one another was because you DID try and breed the male piggie and put him in with a female. Obviously he's been with the female and has the scent of her and is used to being the 'man' now he was in with a woman.

When put back with the male the second guinea pig can smell the female scent on your male piggie and it drove him to attack as he wanted the females.

I'm sorry you were bitten. I definitely advise using a towel next time. I've been stupid enough to reach in and grab a pig during a fight too but luckily neither of mine bit me. After seeing how bad their fights can get I definitely wouldn't reach in again though.
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Yes, it is not a mistake you make twice....although I did! I would not do it a third time.....
 
Julesie said:
The reason they attacked one another was because you DID try and breed the male piggie and put him in with a female. Obviously he's been with the female and has the scent of her and is used to being the 'man' now he was in with a woman.

When put back with the male the second guinea pig can smell the female scent on your male piggie and it drove him to attack as he wanted the females.

I'm sorry you were bitten. I definitely advise using a towel next time. I've been stupid enough to reach in and grab a pig during a fight too but luckily neither of mine bit me. After seeing how bad their fights can get I definitely wouldn't reach in again though.
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thank you so much!
 
jade brown said:
Yes and no because i had put one of the boys with a female and the boys haven't been with each other in 2 weeks and then i put them back together, not knowing that was going to happen!
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Putting boars together after putting them with sows is REALLY courting disaster. You break up a bonded stable bachelor boar pair, promote one boar to a group situation by sticking him with a sow (without proper intros I assume?) and then just demote him again and stick him back with his old companion in a bachelor setting smelling of sow (without a cooling off period, a buddy bath to remove the sow scent and proper intros on neutral ground as well, as well as plenty of space for the boars to get away from each other?)... and then wonder why they fight?

Please note that we do not support intentional breeding on this forum because of the harm it can do to helpless animals, especially when done without proper research, genetic knowledge and respect of animal instincts and behaviours as well as of basic animal welfare.
I sincerely hope that you are aware of and braced for the fact that on average about every fifth pregnancy goes wrong and ends up with the death of pups and/or mum, and that with best practice.
I also pray that you have made sure that you know the pedigree of your guinea pigs to avoid causing genetic damage to your babies through indiscriminate breeding. It really happens, and it can happen to anyone!
http://www.guinealynx.info/breeding.html
http://www.cavyspirit.com/responsiblebreeder.htm
 
Wiebke said:
Putting boars together after putting them with sows is REALLY courting disaster. You break up a bonded stable bachelor boar pair, promote one boar to a group situation by sticking him with a sow (without proper intros I assume?) and then just demote him again and stick him back with old companion in the bachelor group smelling of sow (without a cooling off period, a buddy bath to remove the sow scent and proper intros on neutral ground as well?)... and then wonder why they fight?

Please note that we do not support intentional breeding on this forum because of the harm it can do to helpless animals, especially when done without proper research, genetic knowledge and respect of animal instincts and behaviours as well as of basic animal welfare.
I sincerely hope that you are aware of and braced for the fact that on average about every fifth pregnancy goes wrong and ends up with the death of pups and/or mum, and that with best practice.
I also pray that you have made sure that you know the pedigree of your guinea pigs to avoid causing genetic damage to your babies through indiscriminate breeding. It really happens, and it can happen anyone!
http://www.guinealynx.info/breeding.html
http://www.cavyspirit.com/responsiblebreeder.htm
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Yes, I have been on the receiving end of a mother piggy dying, when I had to hand rear babies after a work Colleague had a disaster, a piggy bought from a pet shop gave birth and died. She had not got a clue, I had a little more of a clue and successfully reared two handsome boys!
 
jade brown said:
Yes i was breeding the guinea pig and when i put him back after 2 weeks in the same cage he is always the start fighting and i also forgot to mention i also put the girl back into the girls cage and she also started attacking my baby piggies :(
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Ripping your piggies out of their established groups, completely disregarding their bonds and then just sticking them back without preparation and any consideration for guinea pig behaviour and group protocol will cause major problems!
Please read these threads and make sure that any pregnant sow of yours is getting at least the best of care.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/pregnancy-guide.109375/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/pregnancy-diet.109377/

https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/faq-introducing-and-re-introducing-guinea-pigs.38562/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/biological-facts-and-guinea-pig-society.109062/
 
I'm sorry you were hurt and I know this is going to sound mean, but I can't bite my lip any longer. You shouldn't be breeding them at all, BUT...Why on earth are you breeding guinea pigs when it seems you know absolutely nothing about them?!?

I hope everyone heals up alright and is ok, you included.

Angela
 
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