Withdrawn after fight

[MeganSambrook]

My two pigs have lived separate for around a year after a big fight. Their cages are together so they’re not alone and they free roam - we take it in turns as to who is open.

Yesterday morning we woke up and one had yanked the others door open meaning they were both out. They’d had a bit of a fight by the looks of it as one was in the cage unharmed and the other was hidden out of site with a cut lip. Luckily the cut isn’t too bad just a slight sore and we are grateful it isn’t worse. I’m worried about the one with the sore as he is usually the confident one who is happy to follow me around, but he seems withdrawn and not his usual self. He used to be the dominant one before separating last year.

He is eating and drinking fine he and the sore is healing. Will he get back to his usual self? I’m really worried and don’t know what to do.

 

[Siikibam]

Hopefully he just got a fright and will be back to his usual social self soon. But I honk it would do no harm to have him checked out by the vet.

You’ll have to make sure that you secure the door so the other piggy can’t get out again. And perhaps make sure you are around for the roaming.

Hope he’s better soon.

 

[MeganSambrook]

Hopefully he just got a fright and will be back to his usual social self soon. But I honk it would do no harm to have him checked out by the vet.

You’ll have to make sure that you secure the door so the other piggy can’t get out again. And perhaps make sure you are around for the roaming.

Hope he’s better soon.

Yes it is a CC grid cage and we must not have secured the door properly - feel so bad as it was a silly mistake but they’ve been this way for a year without problems. We have added another seal to the top of it to make sure it is very secure now.

Thank you for your response and yes will look at getting him in for a check up.

 

[Wiebke]

My two pigs have lived separate for around a year after a big fight. Their cages are together so they’re not alone and they free roam - we take it in turns as to who is open.

Yesterday morning we woke up and one had yanked the others door open meaning they were both out. They’d had a bit of a fight by the looks of it as one was in the cage unharmed and the other was hidden out of site with a cut lip. Luckily the cut isn’t too bad just a slight sore and we are grateful it isn’t worse. I’m worried about the one with the sore as he is usually the confident one who is happy to follow me around, but he seems withdrawn and not his usual self. He used to be the dominant one before separating last year.

He is eating and drinking fine he and the sore is healing. Will he get back to his usual self? I’m really worried and don’t know what to do.

Hi
Cuts to the lips are generally the result of an instinctive defence bite. My guess is that your shocked boy likely
invaded the other's territory or backed your other boy up in his hut or a corner and got a defence bite as a result.
Especially piggies with a backstory of aggravation will react/overreact more strongly to an invasion/breach of territory.

Please make sure that the incisors are OK and don't wobble.
Your boy should come out of his shell again in a day or so once his lip is no longer hurting and he has digested his shock. Please make sure that the boys cannot meet face to face again.

Here is more information:
" Biting" And What You Can Do (Biting, Tweaking, Nibbling and Nipping)
A - Z of Guinea Pig Behaviours (see Territorial Behaviours)
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs