Is my Guinea pig being bullied?

[Claire.peebles]

Hi everyone,

I have 4 sows living together. I bonded them in October and all went well. Two of them (Dottie & Clover) were not bothered one bit by the others presence but the other two (Flora & Pippa) were fighting for the top spot.

It all worked out and there was a hierarchy established as far as I could tell, in order - Pippa, Flora, Dottie & Clover.

Now a couple of months down the line Dottie seems to be fighting for the top spot in the herd. She is rumble strutting constantly and chasing the other girls. Poor Clover is being pushed around by all of them and seems withdrawn and sad. She also seems skinny.

I’m not sure what to do, keep them all together and let them work it out or split them into pairs?

I got Pippa and Dottie together as a duo and Flora and Clover as a duo.

Advice welcome thank you

 

[Digital-Sneeze]

That definitely sounds like a problem if one is withdrawn and losing weight. I think a bit of bullying every now and then is normal, just to keep them in their place, but if a hierarchy isn't being established then the one at the bottom is probably going to feel perpetually bullied.

I don't really know the ramifications of trialling two sets of pairs, but maybe Dottie and Clover would be a good duo as it seems clear who is the queen. But then you have the issue of the remaining two and whether or not they sort things out between themselves.

If Clover is looking thin it might be worth starting to weight daily and syringe feed to keep her healthy.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Please ensure you switch to daily weight checks and step in with syringe feeding if she is losing weight.

How big is their cage?
How old are they all?

If Dottie is over 2 years old and is behaving as if she is constantly in season, you should have her checked out for ovarian cysts. These can sometimes cause this type of excessive dominance behaviour.

If a medical issue can be ruled out, then yes it may well be a case of bullying and separating them into two pairs might be your best option for them all.

Proper bullying is never normal but seeing a certain amount is dominance is. It’s important to establish the difference between dominance and actual bullying.

Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)
Bonds In Trouble
Moody Guinea Pigs: Depression, Bullying, Aggression, Stress, Fear and Antisocial Behaviour

 

[Claire.peebles]

Thanks for your help!