Young Pig Behaviour - Help?

[Dajofi]

Hey,

We bought 2 young (7-8 weeks) male pigs 2 days ago and we’ve noticed the more confident one is shaking/shivering and breathing quite rapidly (only noticeable from his sides), additionally he’s sneezing/coughing every now and then.

We’re unsure what to do next as we don’t want to unsettle him further with a vet visit if it may be unnecessary:

• Is this a case of being scared of his new environments?
• He is used to being in a pen with 14+ pigs, is this a case of being unsettled by his cage mate?
• Is this a respiratory problem?

Any advice would be hugely appreciated!

Thanks

 

[Wiebke]

Hey,

We bought 2 young (7-8 weeks) male pigs 2 days ago and we’ve noticed the more confident one is shaking/shivering and breathing quite rapidly (only noticeable from his sides), additionally he’s sneezing/coughing every now and then.

We’re unsure what to do next as we don’t want to unsettle him further with a vet visit if it may be unnecessary:

• Is this a case of being scared of his new environments?
• He is used to being in a pen with 14+ pigs, is this a case of being unsettled by his cage mate?
• Is this a respiratory problem?

Any advice would be hugely appreciated!

Thanks

Hi!

Please have your youngster vet checked for a respiratory or heart issue. This doesn't sound like normal behaviour!
Since we cannot ask piggies directly, we always need to close out the medical angle first before going down the behaviour route; you want especially close out any infectious issues that could be carried into a group.
What to check and look out for in new guinea pigs (vet checks, sexing, parasites&illness) (includes advice on your customer rights)
Tips For Vet Visits
Travelling with guinea pigs

Here are our settling in tips and what you can do to make things easier on your piggies.
Settling In And Making Friends With Guinea Pigs - A Guide

Please make sure that your piggies are not overheating in any hot weather or affected by larger temperature swings:
Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike