Bad bonding?

[CLK]

So I got a second guinea pig (another male) to keep my first guinea pig company. I just try a first meeting between both of them and my first guinea pig kept jumping the New Guinea pigs face. And a moment later I look down and see blood and not sure if it’s skin from my first guinea pig or not. The New Guinea pig didn’t have any blood on him or marks that I can see. So just my first guinea pig has blood on him. Is this a bad sign? Should I keep the separated? Is this apart of the bonding ? Please help!

 

[RicoandRocky]

I wouldnt recomend u keep trying to bond them if this occurred on there first meeting if u go to your local rescue they will find a boar to pair with your boar and the will make sure it goes well

 

[Wiebke]

So I got a second guinea pig (another male) to keep my first guinea pig company. I just try a first meeting between both of them and my first guinea pig kept jumping the New Guinea pigs face. And a moment later I look down and see blood and not sure if it’s skin from my first guinea pig or not. The New Guinea pig didn’t have any blood on him or marks that I can see. So just my first guinea pig has blood on him. Is this a bad sign? Should I keep the separated? Is this apart of the bonding ? Please help!

View attachment 120751View attachment 120752

Please stop the bonding ASAP and see a vet promptly. This doesn't look normal at all!
A hands-on examination should bring clarity whether it is an injury or more likely a stress-related urinary tract infection.

PS: Boars CANNOT be bonded in little meetings anyway. For them every meeting is always a full-on interrupted bonding session that is then aborted and forces them to start all over from scratch the next time round. Highly frustrating for the boys.
PS2: Head mounting is normal bonding behaviour.

 

[CLK]

The vet is closed now. I’ve put a separation in between the cage so they can smell and see each other but not get to each other for right now. It appears to be like skin or something that was bitten off him I’m not sure where from since there’s not gashes or wounds. I’m worried this will mean they won’t get along and I’ll have to bring the newer on back.

 

[Wiebke]

The vet is closed now. I’ve put a separation in between the cage so they can smell and see each other but not get to each other for right now. It appears to be like skin or something that was bitten off him I’m not sure where from since there’s not gashes or wounds. I’m worried this will mean they won’t get along and I’ll have to bring the newer on back.

Please see a vet first thing tomorrow. It looks rather like something mucussy to me and the blood seems to be rather mixed with urine; the blobby bits don't look like something scratched or bitten off.

A piggy doesn't loose that much blood in one go unless it is suffering from a very serious injury - and you should notice it bleeding in this case!
Have you checked both for deep bite wounds just to be sure? They look like double needle pricks if they are full-on.

 

[CLK]

I’ve checked both of them. The newer one seems perfectly fine. I don’t see any marks or gashes. Just a speck of blood from my other guinea pig one him. My older guinea pig is harder to check since he squirms a lot but on his stomach area there’s another one of the blobby things on his fur I don’t want to pull it or touch it, hard to tell exactly where the blood was coming from since he was running around in it. I will do a second exam on him after he finishes eating. The blobby things feel like dried glue from a hot glue gun if you can imagine that feeling. I'm just hoping he didn’t hurt him too badly. He’s still acting fine, walking around, eating like nothing happened. So he’s definitely not to injured.

 

[CLK]

This was before the blood happened. They seemed fine besides my first guinea kept mounting his face. Would this mean I’d have to bring the newer guinea pig back?



Password for video is - Meeting

 

[Wiebke]

I’ve checked both of them. The newer one seems perfectly fine. I don’t see any marks or gashes. Just a speck of blood from my other guinea pig one him. My older guinea pig is harder to check since he squirms a lot but on his stomach area there’s another one of the blobby things on his fur I don’t want to pull it or touch it, hard to tell exactly where the blood was coming from since he was running around in it. I will do a second exam on him after he finishes eating. The blobby things feel like dried glue from a hot glue gun if you can imagine that feeling. I'm just hoping he didn’t hurt him too badly. He’s still acting fine, walking around, eating like nothing happened. So he’s definitely not to injured.

If they feel like hard glue, then they are like 'boar glue' (dried semen fluid). That is perfectly normal for an excited boy during a meeting; it often ends up on the coat of the other piggy.
Here is more about the various boar issues you can stumble over and how you should check and care for boars (including 'boar glue'): Boar Care: Bits, Bums & Baths

Keep an eye out for a beginning urine infection or cystitis; they often start with these intensely red pees that are not sheer blood but coloured with a pigment called porphyrine. Blood can be present in either clear or red pees. The onset of a UTI or cystitis is a bit hit and miss; some pees are red, others clear; either can test free of blood or contain a fair quantity of blood. The next symptom should be squeaking when peeing.

If it is a UTI or a cystitis, it has nothing to do with a successful or failed bonding apart from the excitement/stress triggering the first red pee. But it is certainly not a good time for trying to bond while one boy is starting to fall ill and will need a course of medication.

PS: The meeting is entirely in the normal and expected range for a successful bonding. There is definitely not indication for any bad fight or inflicted injury.

 

[CLK]

I’ve never seen any redness or irritation on my older guinea pig. No blood in his pee ever either. His pee is always a musty yellow. So the blood is completely a new thing. The New Guinea pigs pee seems to be normal colored to but I’m going to keep an eye on his pee just to make sure.

 

[Wiebke]

I’ve never seen any redness or irritation on my older guinea pig. No blood in his pee ever either. His pee is always a musty yellow. So the blood is completely a new thing. The New Guinea pigs pee seems to be normal colored to but I’m going to keep an eye on his pee just to make sure.

If your boy has never had a UTI or cystitis before, you will have never seen anything like it. You are not the first member to be thrown and frightened by it - it is just the coincidence of it happening during a bonding with all the bad press about boar fights in which you never see this amount of blood in the first place.
Deep needle-like bites and the odd gash is more like it - and there was now indication of that in your piggies' body language; they were both relaxed and in now way aggressive. You can't mistake the tension once you have witnessed it, believe me!

I wish you a good night. It is after midnight here.

 

[CLK]

I will try to get them both in for a vet appointment tomorrow or this week just to double check them both and make sure they’re alright! As of tonight I have them separated in the cage, so should I wait until after the vet appointment to try bonding again?

Thank you so much for your help! Get some sleep

PS I will be getting a bigger cage as soon as possible! This cage is just temporary.

 

[Swissgreys]

I would start by getting them both checked over at the vets.
Once they have the all clear you will need to start the bonding again in a large neutral area.
There are excellent guides here:
Behaviour, Bonding & Bereavement Guides

But the problem you face is what to do once they are bonded.
The cage in the photo is in no way adequate for 2 boars, and you risk them falling out becasue they don't have enough space to get away from each other.
I would seriously consider waiting until you are able to set up a proper cage that will comfortably house 2 of them - ideally this should be at least 120cm x 70cm, but bigger is always better ,and a minimum of 140cm is usually reccomeded for 2 boars.
Having enough space for them is key to them getting along with each other in the long term.

 

[CLK]

I was looking into this cage, do you think this would be enough room for the both of them?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001NJ0DQ8/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_awdb_Fx8wDbSGKBFGQ

 

[CLK]

I’ve also gone and made a makeshift cage for today. I’m going to try and bond them a bit and see if the same thing happens or not since I’m not sure when I’ll be able to exactly get a vet appointment. And because I also have not seen any blood ( I used a white fleece last night for the bedding ) everyone’s pee was a normal color.

 

[Swissgreys]

Your makeshift cage looks good - well done with that.
But please remove any houses that do not have 2 exits. The blue pigloo could cause a problem if one of them feels cornered.
Instead try replacing it with 2 small boxes with at least 2 entry/exits cut in the side.
There should be a shelter for each pig once they are bonded, but before that just piles of hay and open space are best.
Please read the bonding guides before you start as they will outline all of this properly.

 

[CLK]

Thank you! I tried I just ordered

Amazon.com : Tespo Pet Playpen, Small Animal Cage Indoor Portable Metal Wire yd Fence for Small Animals, Guinea Pigs, Rabbits Kennel Crate Fence Tent, Black 12 Panels : Pet Supplies

It should be here hopefully by tomorrow going to put it together and figure the sizing if I should pick up a second one or not.

As of right now they’re not fighting, just seemingly minding their own business and going about eating. At first it was teeth chattering and such but that’s seem to stop after just a few minutes. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Thank you again everyone for you help!

PS! Yes I realized the blue hut was a mistake minutes in and removed it !

 

[CLK]

Is this okay? The little one keeps following the older one around. Can’t tell if the older ones annoyed or not. I don’t want to intervene if I don’t have to.


Password to the video - Chase