Excessive licking of other girls bottoms

[flowers1066]

Patience is 3 years old and lives with her sister and 4 three month old girls.
In the past she has had cystitis which has been treated successful.
However, over the past 2-3 days she has begun to lick all the other girls bottoms, I would say excessively.
She has seemed quieter than usual but is still eating and drinking.
I have started her antibiotics again as a precaution (vet recommeded)
Is the behaviour normal?
Why do they display this behaviour?
Why does it appear excessive?

First time I have posted so thanks in advance

 

[guineagurl]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I am afraid that I cannot help you. I have only ever seen boars do that. Maybe too much testosterone? Hopefully someone else knows what.

 

[Mummylind]

Patience is 3 years old and lives with her sister and 4 three month old girls.
In the past she has had cystitis which has been treated successful.
However, over the past 2-3 days she has begun to lick all the other girls bottoms, I would say excessively.
She has seemed quieter than usual but is still eating and drinking.
I have started her antibiotics again as a precaution (vet recommeded)
Is the behaviour normal?
Why do they display this behaviour?
Why does it appear excessive?

First time I have posted so thanks in advance

Hi
Are you sure she's licking the other girls' bottoms or nudging under them to 'steal' the green pellets they produce and eat? I have an elderly female who, when very poorly and on antibiotics, would nudge under her cagemates bottoms in order to eat the pellets that they produce and eat. They do this in order to keep good flora/motility in the gut I believe. Because she was ill, and probably not producing many herself she was trying to take them from her cagemates. I read somewhere that when a piggie is on antibiotics, it is a good idea to obtain a fresh poo pellet from a healthy piggie, and mash it up with a little warm water and feed by syringe or add to Critical Care. Which I did, and her gut soon returned to normal. Horrid thing to have to do, but if it helps with getting the gut moving again it is well worth it. However, this might not be the case with your guinea pig, it sounded similar to mine.
Hope it all works out for you.