Minty sinks his teeth in...

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MintyAndGarry (TEAS)

MintyAndGarry (TEAS)

Adult Guinea Pig
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Hmmmm. I got my two adopted piggies about 12 days ago. They were ever so timid and out of the two of them, Minty seemed to be the more confident. All of a sudden though, he has started biting in a serious way! And I'm not talking about nipping...this is proper flesh crunching biting... It's like whenever I pick him up, he's not happy and he is then looking for any bare piece of skin to sink his teeth into. I'm holding him securely (as I always have done) and there are no other animals or children that may have given him a fright. I don't quite understand it. He's happy enough in his cage with Garry - they have a bit of a mad time bouncing around the place and they both often popcorn. It's getting to the point where I don't want to pick him up now...and I don't want that to happen... :-\
 
OOOOOuch! I'm really sorry I can't help you as I've never had "biter" before, I know there is a thread about it somewhere....I'll go and look
someone in the know is bound to be along soon though Sxx
 
Thanks for your help! I think I'll start 'ouching' more. I've got a lovely line of scabs running up my left thumb. Not to mention the teeth marks on my right forefinger. I try to keep them out the way too! Just seems he's in attack mode all the time. That said, he's OK if I stroke him in his cage. It's just not the same though!

See what works...if the worst comes to the worst, I'll buy a pair of gardening gloves!
 
Oh no, none of my pigs have bitten me, it's quite rare for them to bite. All are ok being picked up. Twinkle goes mad, he popcorns everywhere so I have to use a little basket to scoop him up as I can't hold him for popcorning and I'm worried he will fall.

Maybe that idea would work with Minty, it could be he isn't so sure about being held just yet, plenty of cuddles on your knee will help. Although, I find putting Eccles and Pudsey on my chest quite soothing for them because they can hear my heartbeat and they relax right down! Might try that with Twinkle, although I can imagine him just popcorning right off! 98)

Good luck!
 
I am the proud owner of a biter. :D Well, I was until she died a year ago. She was a black and ginger brindle Abyssinian called Carmen. We called her things like Fang, Werepig and Satan. ;D She had bad cataracts from the word go, and in the end it was cancer of the uterus that got her. We think she might have been in some sort of pain for her two short years because she hated being picked up and she went for other guinea pigs. The only person she seemed to like was my mother-in-law, so in the end I gave Carmen to her (we live next door so Carmen still lived in the shed with all of mine)! ? I haven't had a biter before or since Carmen, so yes it is rare to have one but when you do get a biter, you will bear the scars - believe me! ;D
 
Ive had a few bites, only because I was trying to break up a fight.
One of my pigs bites me if I stick my hand in the cage and try to pick her up. She's getting better though
 
My Bully is a biter, or rather he was, he was pure evil >:D up until a month or so ago - he's 8 mths now, he would actually snap at me and I'd have to get my hand out quick! But I persevered through the blood and pain and actually picked him up and "mauled" him more to get him used to it, I found letting him just sit on me - no touching, just letting him sit there made him feel "superior" then slowly I used to just stroke him gently, then about a month ago, he was laying on me and he came right up to my face and I thought he was gonna bite my nose (again) and he started licking me! And ever since he has nipped a few times but now its pure love! you just have to persevere, it does hurt though!

I also think he is a little more short sighted than your average piggy!
 
Thanks for all your posts!

This is the little bleeder! :smitten:

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I don't think he's in pain or has mites. He's quite happy in himself and is eating and drinking and running around well. Perhaps it's just because he's growing up a bit? The teenage years...

Thing is, I've got all these bite marks on my hands...I'm going to meet my Mum in Italy tomorrow...I've not actually told her about my new piggies yet! Will be a bit of a give away I think! 98)
 
He's lovely :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:....looks like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth......but we know the truth.... ;D ;D ;D
 
Carmen was pure evil too. >:D

Yes, he looks like a little darling. Carmen looked sweet and innocent too. ;D
 
I have a biter too, Timmy is actually nuts I am convinced of it and again it is when we pick him up, he is fine with being stroked for a while. I had him from 6 weeks too so nothing that happened in the past I would say, just that way inclined >:D
 
Wendy Bites when you are carrying her to and from the cage, i hold her securely and walk slowly but she still actively looks for bare skin to bite! she wont bite jumper she wriggles and tries to find skin! she wil happily let you pick her up from her cage and cuddle her on your knee she just hates being carried! :)
 
Cookie broke my skin yesterday all i was trying to do was weigh her ? it really hurt, Poppy nibbled on me when she was a baby but this was a pure bite, she really wanted to do some damage :(
 
0:) 0:) 0:) who me, but mummy i don't mean to ::) ::) ;D ;D ;D
what a little sweetie :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
I like Louise's idea, scoop him up in a net and then when you have him safely in your arms reassure him that you love him and that all is ok :)
Good luck O0
 
Hmmmm. Have just cleaned the piggies out and have had a bit of a play around on the sofa with the pair of them and took a few pics. He came up and nibbled a couple of times but I managed to move before he went in whole hog! Does anyone know how much it would cost for a vet to look at him? I don't think it's mites, but could it be because of a skin condition or something?

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But with that face, how can you be angry for long?! :smitten:
 
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