Wilma...again/vampire Bite?

[Bekialice]

Hiya,

Wilma is nearly 6 and she seems to be bouncing from problem to problem at the moment.

She was a bit off her food this morning, still eating and having a good go at a lettuce leaf. But she wasn't as excited to get it and she didn't want a leaf of spinach (her favourite treat). She was doing a weird thing with her jaw, like she was going for a yawn but whilst she was eating.

I've checked her teeth and her mouth and I can't find a single thing wrong, and she was only at the vets two weeks ago where she had a complete check over, so I don't think it's anything to do with her teeth.

Whilst I was checking her though, she had two little puncture marks on her neck/side just below her ear.
At first I thought she might have been fighting with one of her sisters, but the teeth marks don't make sense.
They literally look like a vampire bite would, too far apart for guinea pig teeth to puncture.
We don't have any other animals and no children so I don't think it's anything like that.

I've checked for signs of mites on her and the rest too and there's no fur loss/dandruff or paticular itching so I'm not convinced it's that either.

It's not an emergency so we won't be able to get a vets appointment with our exotic for about 3 days, does this sound like something I should be worried about?

She's not a happy looking pig though, she's in a bit of a mood today

 

[Wiebke]

Hiya,

Wilma is nearly 6 and she seems to be bouncing from problem to problem at the moment.

She was a bit off her food this morning, still eating and having a good go at a lettuce leaf. But she wasn't as excited to get it and she didn't want a leaf of spinach (her favourite treat). She was doing a weird thing with her jaw, like she was going for a yawn but whilst she was eating.

I've checked her teeth and her mouth and I can't find a single thing wrong, and she was only at the vets two weeks ago where she had a complete check over, so I don't think it's anything to do with her teeth.

Whilst I was checking her though, she had two little puncture marks on her neck/side just below her ear.
At first I thought she might have been fighting with one of her sisters, but the teeth marks don't make sense.
They literally look like a vampire bite would, too far apart for guinea pig teeth to puncture.
We don't have any other animals and no children so I don't think it's anything like that.

I've checked for signs of mites on her and the rest too and there's no fur loss/dandruff or paticular itching so I'm not convinced it's that either.

It's not an emergency so we won't be able to get a vets appointment with our exotic for about 3 days, does this sound like something I should be worried about?

She's not a happy looking pig though, she's in a bit of a mood today

View attachment 59151

Can you please take a picture of the puncture wounds. Please be aware that it sounds like a potential full-on deep bite made by upper and lower incisors in a fully opened mouth. She may need an antibiotic to prevent an abscess forming if that is the case.

The yawning can come from swallowing problems/and abstruction in the mouth or throat. Has your vet checked that back teeth or just the front teeth?

If she is not eating properly, please start weighing daily at the same time in the feeling cycle and start topping her up with syringe feed and water.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

 

[Bekialice]

Can you please take a picture of the puncture wounds. Please be aware that it sounds like a potential full-on deep bite made by upper and lower incisors in a fully opened mouth. She may need an antibiotic to prevent an abscess forming if that is the case.

The yawning can come from swallowing problems/and abstruction in the mouth or throat. Has your vet checked that back teeth or just the front teeth?

If she is not eating properly, please start weighing daily at the same time in the feeling cycle and start topping her up with syringe feed and water.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

She doesn't like her fur being ruffled so she won't sit still for me to take a picture. I'll pop one on later when my partner is home from work and he can take one.

She's still gaining back the weight she lost from a UTI not long ago, so I'm used to weighing and syringe feeding her. She's eating hay and veg, just not as much, I'll top her up with some critical care too.

I'll divide the pigs up, I suspect it could be one of the younger ones.

Thank you

 

[Bekialice]

Can you please take a picture of the puncture wounds. Please be aware that it sounds like a potential full-on deep bite made by upper and lower incisors in a fully opened mouth. She may need an antibiotic to prevent an abscess forming if that is the case.

The yawning can come from swallowing problems/and abstruction in the mouth or throat. Has your vet checked that back teeth or just the front teeth?

If she is not eating properly, please start weighing daily at the same time in the feeling cycle and start topping her up with syringe feed and water.
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide

Photo of the mark here. It's not raised or scabby, just the red marks and some fur loss

 

[Wiebke]

Photo of the mark here. It's not raised or scabby, just the red marks and some fur loss

View attachment 59170

Yes, that looks like a potential bite mark to me. Bites are often made in defence rather than in offence, when a piggy feels spooked or cornered.

 

[Bekialice]

Yes, that looks like a potential bite mark to me. Bites are often made in defence rather than in offence, when a piggy feels spooked or cornered.

I've split off the pigs into two pairs and managed to get a vets appointment for tomorrow to see what they say.
They've been getting on absolutely fine wrh no scuffles or disagreements. They've been sharing food and sleeping together. I wonder what happened to make her snap

 

[Wiebke]

I've split off the pigs into two pairs and managed to get a vets appointment for tomorrow to see what they say.
They've been getting on absolutely fine wrh no scuffles or disagreements. They've been sharing food and sleeping together. I wonder what happened to make her snap

You startle a sleeping piggy in a close space, and you can end up with a defense bite if it is feeling on edge.
" Biting" And What You Can Do

Please keep a close eye on the area in case you notice a sudden swelling (i.e. an abscess) in the few weeks. Guinea pigs have all kinds of stuff in their mouths. If you are lucky, it'll just heal off without problems.