Accidentally picked him up wrong

[ishita]

My father isn't used to the guinea pigs and so he mistakenly picked my boar up by his neck instead of supporting his middle. It was only for 5 secs it won't do any permanent damage r8?

And a day b4, I mistakenly bumped my boar's head on the CnC panel. I hope it didn't do any brain damage since it was very light.

Please, any advice?

 

[Truffolo]

Handling guinea pigs casually or carelessly can absolutely cause severe injury to your piggy, so please be careful and use proper technique. The best way of catching them is to take their hides out of the cage and offer them a tunnel. Just place it in the cage and let them go into it quietly. Support piggy's bottom and hold the tunnel firmly at a 45 degree angle so that he does not run or fall out the front and then carry him carefully to a large box, carrier or playpen. Explain to your dad that guinea pigs are fragile. They have the same fragility as babies. He has had plenty of experience picking up babies, I am sure and should have good skills there. Piggies are designed for sprinting and have fragile, light weight bones and wide, thin ribs. They have a relatively large abdomen and fragile supporting limbs so a fall or careless handling can cause catastrophic injuries. You can also use a cardboard box to gently pick them up.

 

[Truffolo]

If your piggy is showing signs of injury he needs to be assessed by a vet. Careful handling is kind to your piggy, but also is an investment as it saves on vet fees. I hope this changes the way you handle your piggy. He is depending on you to be kind to him and care for him and to treat him well without hurting him

 

[Mrs Tiggy Winkle]

Please tell your father that a guinea pig is different from a rabbit! Rabbits can apparently be picked up by loose skin on their necks, but guinea pigs cannot.

 

[Truffolo]

Please tell your father that a guinea pig is different from a rabbit! Rabbits can apparently be picked up by loose skin on their necks, but guinea pigs cannot.

No No scruffing of The same thing goes for rabbits and all small furries. Their bottoms need to be supported carefully and they should be held so that their back is straight and supported. I recommend Clint's Reptiles video on YouTube where he talks about rabbits. Clint is great

 

[Truffolo]

https://youtu.be/yFteJKTr2NY?si=Wz-iNd6BaW10KJlI
Here is Clint's You Tube video. He is so cool

 

[Mrs Tiggy Winkle]

No No scruffing of The same thing goes for rabbits and all small furries. Their bottoms need to be supported carefully and they should be held so that their back is straight and supported. I recommend Clint's Reptiles video on YouTube where he talks about rabbits. Clint is great

Okay.

I looked after friends' rabbits for about 6 months and I'm glad to say I couldn't get the hang of picking the rabbits up by the scruff of their necks at all. No can do. So I picked them up and carried them like guineas, on the rare occasions that was necessary. Anyway, I wrote "apparently".

 

[Piggies&buns]

@ishita - Your father didn’t know but does now so hopefully he will be more careful in future.
If your piggy shows any sign of injury, lack of appetite, any sign of being unwell, then do see a vet.


Rabbit spines are more fragile than piggy spines due to the curve and fact rabbits can kick, their back leg muscles are considerably stronger than their bones. Rabbits can, although rare, break their own backs through thumping.

 

[Truffolo]

Okay.

I looked after friends' rabbits for about 6 months and I'm glad to say I couldn't get the hang of picking the rabbits up by the scruff of their necks at all. No can do. So I picked them up and carried them like guineas, on the rare occasions that was necessary. Anyway, I wrote "apparently".

Glad you instinctively knew not to scruff

 

[BossHogg]

Please tell your father that a guinea pig is different from a rabbit! Rabbits can apparently be picked up by loose skin on their necks, but guinea pigs cannot.

I've seen you've reported your own post, I'll leave it in as it's a good learning point.