Ear Biting

[anna68]

Help needed. We adopted two guineas in late December. They've lived together for years a male and female. The male is biting the females ears and making them bleed. She seems totally happy and is eating well and is healthy and she still loves him but surely this can't go on. What do I do?! (Don't think this is a new problem as she had healed but clearly bitten ears when she came to us)

 

[Wiebke]

Help needed. We adopted two guineas in late December. They've lived together for years a male and female. The male is biting the females ears and making them bleed. She seems totally happy and is eating well and is healthy and she still loves him but surely this can't go on. What do I do?! (Don't think this is a new problem as she had healed but clearly bitten ears when she came to us)

What you are dealing with is power grooming going a bit far. It is normally the friendliest of the dominance gestures. There is not a lot you can do apart from disinfecting her ears, as long as she is happy with him and obviously used to it. Going a bit too far may have initially been stress-related, but now it seems to have become rather habitual; hopefully it is going to settle down more as they make themselves at home and relax.
Illustrated Bonding Behaviours And Dynamics

I would not recommend to put anything obnoxious on her ears. Guinea pigs regulate the body temperature via the blood flow in the ears, so they are extremely sensitive organs.
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I would recommend to get some sterile saline solution from the pharmacy to have at home so you can disinfect at need.