How much nipping is normal?

[stef.trg]

Hey guys, another long one from me. For the last week I‘ve noticed Pewter being much more nippy than usual. She‘s always been nippy towards Buttons but the last week was especially „bad“. Whenever she wants to get in Buttons‘ spot she‘ll nip at her and chase her off. Sometimes, she’ll even just waddle over to wherever Buttons is and nip at her just because. Often, it‘s not just a single nip either but 3 or 4 in a row. Buttons squeals submissively every time it happens. In addition to this, I‘ve also noticed Cornelius starting to nip at her every now and again which is something that‘s only ever happened super rarely when they were still a pair. She‘ll also squeal submissively when Cornelius nips at her.

Buttons isn‘t withdrawn or hiding away from the others at all & is also not losing weight. No one blocks her from accessing food and water either. It’s just the nipping and squealing. She‘ll tense up and freeze whenever Pewter comes close. Tonight she also did this when Cornelius approached her.

Is this still normal behaviour or should I be worried? Could it be spring hormones or is my bond in trouble & we’re cruising towards an outsider situation? Anything I can/should be doing? I just want them to be happy & especially seeing Cornelius nip at her hurts my heart because she‘s loved him so much ever since I bonded them 2,5 years ago.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[Claire W]

Could it be possible that Pewter may have ovarian cysts and that’s why she’s grumpier than normal? If it’s a possibility, I’d definitely have her checked by a vet. If not, I would keep a very close eye on them. Is she breaking the skin when she nips? If so, you will sadly need to separate them but some gentle nipping is normal dominant behaviour

 

[stef.trg]

Could it be possible that Pewter may have ovarian cysts and that’s why she’s grumpier than normal? If it’s a possibility, I’d definitely have her checked by a vet. If not, I would keep a very close eye on them. Is she breaking the skin when she nips? If so, you will sadly need to separate them but some gentle nipping is normal dominant behaviour

Thanks for your reply, Claire. The last ultrasound she had was at the beginning of December last year and there everything looked good, no cysts. She also doesn’t show any other symptoms so far other than being a little grumpster towards Buttons. She’s fine with Cornelius. The piggies have their annual health check up booked fairly soon though, so I‘ll get her checked for cysts there again.

She‘s thankfully not breaking any skin & her nips also don‘t look/feel overly aggressive. There just were a fair few of them in the last week, although the past couple of days were a wee bit better.

 

[Claire W]

It’s good there were no cysts at her last ultrasound but I’d mention it again to the vet at her next annual check up just to make sure. I wouldn’t worry too much if she isn’t breaking the skin

 

[Piggies&buns]

Nipping is a power gesture which should never break the skin.
Any change in behaviour is worth a vet check - it can be an alert to a brewing health issue.
Not all cysts show signs though so it’s always a possibility.

Let us know how you get on seeing the vet