Looks like scabbing on guinea pigs back

[Fyfe]

Today i when feeding my pet pigs i noticed one of them has what looks like alot of scabbing around his back and bum area which i haven’t noticed before and is definetly new since a family member was grooming him a few days prior i have looked online but cant find anything that matches the issue so found this to hopefully get help
He lives with two other boys and and is only around six months old we have issues with one of them chasing only this particular pig around the cage and not letting him sleep with them to the extent we had to get an additional hut so he

---

---

wasn’t sleeping just in the hay, i have included this incase it helps although we have not actually witnessed him being actually hurt any advice or answers would be greatly appreciated.
On a side note the aggressive pig has been booked in for a appointment to consider neutering to try and stop the aggression

 

[Claire W]

I am very sorry to say but 3 boars sadly shouldn’t live together as they will fight and this is what you’re currently witnessing. Your 6 month old is being bullied. Boars should only live in pairs and neutering doesn’t change the behaviour in guinea pigs like it does in other animals, just prevents them from making babies.

The scabs could be due to your other boars hurting him or it could be a skin issue such as fungal or mites but either way, he will need to see a vet for the correct diagnosis and treatment. If they are bite wounds, he may need antibiotics to prevent infection and pain relief.

You will need to split your boars up. You will need to gauge who is getting on as a pair and who should be a single.

You have options. You can either have the single living side by side the pair, you could try him with another boar or you could have him neutered to live with a sow once he is past his 6 week post op safety wait as boars are still fertile 6 weeks post op

But it all depends on the space you have available and your finances and there’s no guarantees. Either way, I’m afraid you need to separate your trio asap and book a vet appointment x

 

[Piggies&buns]

Welcome to the forum.

There are several issues to pick up on here.

Your issue is that you will struggle to keep three boys together. Boars can only be kept in pairs to be successful long term. A boar trio is an incredibly unstable grouping and involves the most failures as they find it incredibly hard to form a functioning hierarchy.
This piggy who is not being allowed to rest and chased constantly sounds like he is being bullied and will, I’m sorry to say, be very unhappy in such a situation.
Neutering the other piggy will not change behaviour - it won’t make them get on and won’t allow them to make a functioning hierarchy. All neutering a guinea pig does it stop pregnancies.
I’m afraid the only way you can solve this situation is to separate them into a pair and a single permanently.

Ensure the pair have a 180x60cm cage and that the piggy who ends up single is kept in a separate but side by side cage with bars separating them. He will need to be able to interact with the pair through the boars at all times. The single piggy needs a cage a minimum of 120x60cm.

In terms of the skin issue, your piggy needs to see a vet. This looks to be either a parasitic or fungal infection which requires diagnosis and correct treatment. Please do not be tempted to use any off the shelf producfs as you can easily make things worse.

Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
Neutered / De-sexed Boars And Neutering Operations: Myths, Facts and Post-op Care
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

 

[Siikibam]

Please have your boy seen soon. I’m not sure what it could be but that looks sore.

As for the aggressive one, neutering won’t change his behaviour. It only stops them making mini piggies.

I would advise you to separate the trio into a working pair and a singleton. The singleton will have to live alongside the pair so they still have the interaction through the divider. If they live outside then this could prove challenging as hutches will be solid on some sides. Perhaps you’d consider getting the singleton a friend

 

[Bill & Ted]

Hello and welcome
Your poor boy looks very sore. You really need to take him to a vet who can identify if this is injury/mites or fungal. I note you say he lives with two others. Threesome boars rarely work and it sounds like he may be being chased by the dominant male. neutering him will not change his behaviour only stop him making babies.

Have a read through this guide and see if you can decide if he is being bullied or it’s merely normal boar behaviour. Ideally boars should be kept in pairs. I would keep the two who get along well and perhaps let the other live sid by side the pair and see if he is happier as a neighbour

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

 

[Wheekallweek]

Ouch, that looks sore! I can only agree with everything that the others have said, please get him seen by a vet soon, and seperate him from the other two boys, preferably within sight of them so he doesn't get lonely. Neutering the dominant male unfortunately won't make a difference.

 

[eileen]

I'm sorry you are dealing with this.i agree with all the above posters.