Don’t know if my piggies are fighting

[Jenlc]

Hi y’all so I have had my two male piggies (Martin and Godwin, yes they are named after two of the guys from duck dynasty) and I noticed tonight Godwin seems to be missing a little bit of hair behind both ears. Also, I don’t think they are babies since I did get them from a pet store. Is this normal or should I be concerned about them fighting? There cage is really deep so I head them running around a lot of have not seen them actively fight. Do anyone have any idea what could be happening or if this is normal and he is perfectly find. Any advice or help would be amazing!

 

[HeatherRose]

Do you have a picture of the missing hair spot? They normally have a little bald spot behind their ears. Have you heard them fighting or heard any sounds of pain from them?

 

[Jesse's pigs]

Hi, I've attached a picture of what is to be expected of the area behind a guinea pig's ear. You should note bald spot just behind the ear- perfectly normal!

Now guinea pigs will chase each other, especially hormonal boys, as they try to determine who is top pig. Due to the new cage and surroundings etc. I expect hormones have heightened and you just have two boys squabbling for top spot. We advise not to separate guinea pigs unless blood is drawn or you note that extreme bullying is occurring- i.e. one not letting the other guinea pig eat etc. You should notice the chasing and rumbling die down as they settle in so try not to worry!

 

[Wiebke]

Hi y’all so I have had my two male piggies (Martin and Godwin, yes they are named after two of the guys from duck dynasty) and I noticed tonight Godwin seems to be missing a little bit of hair behind both ears. Also, I don’t think they are babies since I did get them from a pet store. Is this normal or should I be concerned about them fighting? There cage is really deep so I head them running around a lot of have not seen them actively fight. Do anyone have any idea what could be happening or if this is normal and he is perfectly find. Any advice or help would be amazing!

Hi!

Guinea pigs have bald areas behind their ears. As long as they have the same shape on each side, there is nothing to worry about. Guinea pigs regulate their body temperature via the blood flow through the ears so hairs that can impede the shedding of heat in that area are not good.
Please have a look at this guide here. You should find it very helpful during your weekly body health check in combination with a health monitoring weigh-in to be able to see a vet promptly with developing illnesses and be able to save the life.
Guinea pig body quirks - What is normal and what not?
Weight - Monitoring and Management

Running (we call it zooming) and popcorning (it is very descriptive for the activity) are very normal for youngsters with boundless energy and joy of life.
More on interactive guinea pig behaviours, boars and some running and popcorning videos in the enrichment guide:
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

These guides are all part of our new owners guide collection, which you may hopefully find both very interesting and useful as we have included all the areas we get the most questions and worries by new owners about in combination with some important information to help you minimise the risk of preventable problems in the longer run: Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides

 

[Jenlc]

Hi!

Guinea pigs have bald areas behind their ears. As long as they have the same shape on each side, there is nothing to worry about. Guinea pigs regulate their body temperature via the blood flow through the ears so hairs that can impede the shedding of heat in that area are not good.
Please have a look at this guide here. You should find it very helpful during your weekly body health check in combination with a health monitoring weigh-in to be able to see a vet promptly with developing illnesses and be able to save the life.
Guinea pig body quirks - What is normal and what not?
Weight - Monitoring and Management

Running (we call it zooming) and popcorning (it is very descriptive for the activity) are very normal for youngsters with boundless energy and joy of life.
More on interactive guinea pig behaviours, boars and some running and popcorning videos in the enrichment guide:
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

These guides are all part of our new owners guide collection, which you may hopefully find both very interesting and useful as we have included all the areas we get the most questions and worries by new owners about in combination with some important information to help you minimise the risk of preventable problems in the longer run: Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides

Thank you so much! You put my worries at easy for a bit!

 

[Jenlc]

Hi, I've attached a picture of what is to be expected of the area behind a guinea pig's ear. You should note bald spot just behind the ear- perfectly normal!

Now guinea pigs will chase each other, especially hormonal boys, as they try to determine who is top pig. Due to the new cage and surroundings etc. I expect hormones have heightened and you just have two boys squabbling for top spot. We advise not to separate guinea pigs unless blood is drawn or you note that extreme bullying is occurring- i.e. one not letting the other guinea pig eat etc. You should notice the chasing and rumbling die down as they settle in so try not to worry!

That is exactly what it looks like! So happy I now have people to ask questions too!

 

[VickiA]

Guinea pigs have several quirky features but the bald spot behind the ears is one that often confuses people. That and belly buttons. You aren’t alone in wondering what is normal and it even varies from pig to pig. Welcome to the forum.

 

[Merab]

Those bald patches behind the ears worried me when I first noticed them.
It was before I found the forum so I went to the vet in case there was something wrong!