My piggy is suddenly scared of me

[Zorro1]

Recently, when I go to pat my piggy he jumps away, with a scared sort of look. He hasn't been doing it every time I go to pat him, but he's never done this before. He's very used to me (I've had him for close to 2 years now) yet he's only just starting to display this behavior. Anyone know what this means? Am I doing anything wrong?

I suspect he may be afraid of the smell of other animals on me as I just recently got chickens. Could this be it?

 

[Piggies&buns]

If nothing else has changed then it may well be the chickens.
Perhaps try to always deal with him first and see if that makes any difference

 

[Zorro1]

good idea.
But it just dawned on me that he could have a sore spot on his back. When I go to pat him it may hurt. I'll give him a once over/checkup.

 

[Piggies&buns]

It could be. You will need to see a vet if you think he may be sore. Mites for example can cause irritation but you wont necessary see anything obvious

 

[Swissgreys]

We had a similar experience when one of our piggies had mites.
You can't see them with the naked eye (a vet check and microscope are needed) but once he was treated he was fine.
It was because the mites were causing intense irritation and any form of touching was making this worse.

Hopefully you get to the bottom of the problem.

 

[Zorro1]

Oh no. I hope he doesn't have any mites! What causes mites?

 

[Evenfall Rose]

Guinea pigs can carry mites with them all the time with no symptoms, but then when they're immunocompromised or otherwise stressed the mites can take over. Ask your vet about treating your pig with a topical parasiticide like selamectin or ivermectin -- even if he's not showing any symptoms aside from the touch sensitivity, it can be wise to treat preventatively for mites every now and then just to make sure it never gets out of hand. If you have other pigs in the house make sure to treat them for mites too just to be sure.

The problem could also be internal. One of my pigs has recurring bladder issues that cause her some pain and as a result she's very uncomfortable being touched or held, especially towards her back end. A vet should be able to tell with an x-ray if you're dealing with something like a bladder stone.

Your pig may also be fine and is just having an off day or two. My Cassia is one of the friendliest pigs I've ever had and will come right up to me for pets, but sometimes, she's just not in the mood for that and will run away from my hand. Respect your boy's wishes and try coming back at a different time. Maybe bring some food with you too? Even my pigs who run away whenever I try to pet them will take treats from my hands. Also keep in mind that most pigs aren't particularly fond of being touched around their back end (some might even purr in annoyance at you if you do it too much) so try petting only around his head or shoulders and see if that makes a difference.

 

[Zorro1]

Thanks, @Evenfall Rose. Your reply was very helpful.
I think his sudden infestation of mites is due to recent stress. Because I've gotten chickens, I've spent less time with him and he doesn't like that. But I'm making it a priority now to spend more time with him.
I have a bottle of " Aristopet Mite & Mange" spray that kills mites.
This is the exact product...



As the directions instruct, I'll spray this around his cage (making sure not to get any of food like hay, and on the pet itself).

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thanks, @Evenfall Rose. Your reply was very helpful.
I think his sudden infestation of mites is due to recent stress. Because I've gotten chickens, I've spent less time with him and he doesn't like that. But I'm making it a priority now to spend more time with him.
I have a bottle of " Aristopet Mite & Mange" spray that kills mites.
This is the exact product...

View attachment 210198

As the directions instruct, I'll spray this around his cage (making sure not to get any of food like hay, and on the pet itself).

We would never recommend using anything like this.
You also don’t know that he actually has a mites problem until you’ve seen a vet - if you are concerned about any change in behaviour or potential discomfort then he needs to see a vet to have any medical issue ruled out first. Not spending as much time with him in itself won’t cause him to get mites.

If a piggy has a diagnosed case of mites, then they need a prescribed ivermectin spot on treatment which gets put directly on the piggy at the correct dose for his weight and for the correct course length (usually three separate treatments at intervals over six weeks). Thorough cage disinfection is then needed.

New Guinea Pig Problems: Sexing & Pregnancy; URI, Ringworm & Parasites; Vet Checks & Customer Rights

We also never recommend treating preventatively due to the risk of resistance and the fact products you can buy from a pet shop aren’t strong enough. Instead only treating with the correct vet grade product when there is an active and diagnosed case.
A fully working immune system usually keeps mites in check, so if the immune system is compromised and mites become an issue then there may be other health issues at play which need looking into.
Hay mites are annoying but are not particularly parasitic, it’s mange mites which can cause serious problems and need proper vet care.

 

[Evenfall Rose]

Thanks, @Evenfall Rose. Your reply was very helpful.
I think his sudden infestation of mites is due to recent stress. Because I've gotten chickens, I've spent less time with him and he doesn't like that. But I'm making it a priority now to spend more time with him.
I have a bottle of " Aristopet Mite & Mange" spray that kills mites.
This is the exact product...

View attachment 210198

As the directions instruct, I'll spray this around his cage (making sure not to get any of food like hay, and on the pet itself).

I would not use that under any circumstances -- at least not without first consulting a vet. I've never heard of that product but I just looked it up and a significant number of reviews said it gave their small animals seizures and one even said using it resulted in the death of their guinea pig. I'm also not familiar with any of the three active ingredients it claims to have so I'm not sure how effective it would be in the first place. Additionally, guinea pigs have very sensitive respiratory systems so using any chemical spray like that around them is always risky. Just cleaning the cage with whatever you usually use to clean it is fine -- most mites cannot survive without a host so the most important thing is to treat the guinea pig themselves.

Spending less time with him is likely not enough stress to make him break out in a mite infestation even if he does have mites lying dormant on his skin. It's a routine disruption, yes, but it's not as stressful as, say, moving to a brand new environment or being introduced to new guinea pigs. I'm not the best at sticking to a routine with my pigs, and in all my twelve years of owning them, I've only had one true mite infestation. Mites usually cause excessive itching, and in extreme cases, scabs and flaky skin. If your only symptom is that your pig is suddenly more skittish around you, and you don't see any scabs on his skin, it very well may not be mites. Could just be his way of showing his annoyance that his usual routine is disrupted -- my animals have been known to avoid me sometimes when I come back home to them after a trip, for example. Try spending more time with him like you used to for a few days and see if he comes back to his old self. If he does, you have your answer. If he doesn't, take him to a vet as soon as you can just to make sure there's nothing wrong with him. An experienced guinea pig vet might be able to pick up on something that you're not.

 

[Zorro1]

Thanks for warning me about the product, I had no idea it was dangerous! Quite irresponsible for a pet store to be selling that!
Thanks so much @Evenfall Rose for looking into the product for me, otherwise I would have had no idea about the product being dangerous! I'll try spending more time with him and see if it makes any difference to his behavior, otherwise I'll have to take him to a vet.