nipping

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mimsy

one of our new guineas has started nipping when we hold her.my daughter is hysterical and thinks she doesent like her!
how do you get them out of that or let them know its wrong?is there a way of "telling them off"
 
Oh dear poor you! You don't say how old your pigs are, but if they are little and you haven't had them very long they might just be frightened and if your daughter shouts or cries out when she holds them when they nip her, she will unfortunately unwittingly make matters worse. Do you pick your piggies up and then put them on your daughters lap for cuddles? Some pigs nibble as a way of tasting/testing things when they are little, almost their way of learning what they can and can't bite!

The other possible problem could be that they have mites (which you won't be able to see) and their little bodies are sore and this is their way of telling you holding them hurts them. Have you seen much scratching going on and do they have any obvious hair loss? Mites are easily treated, but you will need to visit your vet who will probably apply some Ivomec topically - both piggies will need treating.

Assuming mites isn't the problem, try offering food to your piggy without picking them up initially - get your daughter to do the same - offer some green beans or a long slice of carrot, something you can hold one end of, keeping your fingers out of their reach. Gradually use one finger to gently stroke the top of their heads. When you do pick them up try to do it swiftly and hold them gently but firmly, try putting them on a towel on your lap. The name of the game is patience and perseverance, stick at it. If they do nibble you could try just quietly but firmly saying "no", showing that it is unacceptable to bite, not much more you can do.

Good luck with your piggies and welcome to the forum.
 
I have al little lad who also bites. it's the young ones that seem to do this ive noticed........ i handle him even more then, he get's the general idea that biting doesnt stop me picking him up.

He can really nip as well. guinea pigs show their dominance that way. Males especially. (ive had a couple prone to the biting/nipping) lots of handling by yourself would definatly benefit your little girl perhaps a treat when picking him before the biting starts rewarding good behaviour. hope that helps.
 
Rewarding for good behavioiur is a great idea, maybe a little bit of his favourite veg if he is good at lap time. I don't think punishing or telling off will work, turn it into a positive, it's like having a naughty puppy!

It may take time, I've found my young boars nip a little but grew out of it as they got older. :)
 
they are girls,ones 3 months and ones 10 weeks.daisy is the nibbler.she kind of nips and pulls at clothes and hair etc so i dont think she is being nasty.shes just testing things with her teeth.my daughter is very good,gentle and quiet with them.i pick them up and hand them over so there is no squeezing!
i will have to get some treats to try and get hermore used to us as she is the more nervy one.
and funnily enough i was going to put another post about mites as they have both been scratchy recently so will need to pop to the vets too.where would the mites come from and can you prevent them in any way?
and another thing...mimsy the older one keeps making a brrrrrrr noise and swaying from side to side??why
 
With mites they usually have soars on the rump area, it could be lice which can be treated with Lice n easy. A trip to the vets will sort them out if you are worried.

The brrr noise is just a dominance thing, I have found my girls tend to do it when they are in heat. :)
 
yeah,mimsy,the long haired one looks a bit trampish lately.her fur on her rump is looking like its starting to get matted.will pop to the vets and get some stuff for her.how long should a piggies fur get before you need to trim it?and should long haired piggies have regular baths?
 
I'm sure your girls are just testing things mimsy - they sound lovely.

As far as trimming long haired piggies goes, we only have one (an Alpaca) and we try to do him little and often. My daughter brushes him a couple of times a week and we trim round his bottom and back legs regularly so that they don't get wet and knotty. The front half of him is pretty trouble free (he is very good at sorting himself out, very un-manlike ;D). I find using small nail scissors is best and make sure your fingers are between the piggy's skin and the bit you want to cut - they are very adept at moving just at the wrong moment!

If they have mites these are easily treated by your vet, you will probably need a second treatment about 10 days after the first to make sure all the bugs/eggs have been dealt with. If it's lice you should be able to see tiny "threads" which wiggle and as S&T said Lice n Easy is great for them (Gorgeous Guineas website). I'm not sure you can do anything to stop them getting mites, but regular bathing and brushing etc. should bring any problems to your attention before they become a major issue. Looking forward to seeing come piccies of your girls.
 
cool cheers for the advice.there are some piccies of them on here somewhere.put them on when i joined up O0
 
jessie loves to lick the other half around the neck for the salty taste even though she has a salt block. and sometimes she gives a little nip too and she is 1.7 years old. OH thinks it's fun but i don't as i feel it is encouraging her to nip people. :tickedoff: :tickedoff: :tickedoff: but what can you do you can't train them like dogs. hoping daisy gets out of the habit that the mites/lice disappear. hugs and cuddles to your girls( daisy, maimsy and no name) from me and my girls in oz. :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
 
right i am a bit confused and worried!
took mimsy and daisy to the vet today about mites.now when our bunny had mites we were given ivomec to put on the fur on the back of the neck.my other half got home from the vet and told me they have had an injection?now I'm worried that the vet had a dizzy moment and injected it by accident.help 98)
 
It's quite normal to be given the dose by injection. One of mine had mites in the summer and had three injections in total. :)
 
i have the same problem with one of mine. Just realised its down to what i've been eating of preparing befor hand, he must just smell the food. Also he's had mites and has had a bit of a bad time, so he just wasn't really himself, his way of telling me he wasn't happy. My piggies had the mite treatment by injection, not the nicest for them but the best way. x
 
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