Feeling A Bit Unhappy About New Piggies

[Toni D]

I'm just having a bit of a moan really. I got two baby texels last Friday (couriered) and was told they had been kept in with an adult boar and five other boar babies. I was told beforehand that their fur had been barbered but wasn't concerned as it grows quickly enough. When the piggies arrived I was emailed by the breeder to say she had found a bite on one of them but had bathed it before the courier picked them up and it would be ok. It wasn't obvious upon arrival and I didn't want to stress them out so I emailed asking where it was to which she didn't reply. When I finally decided to inspect the piggies I found that he had bites all over and had a particularly big one on his neck. I haven't messed with the wounds as they are all healing well and I don't want to stress him out but he has obviously been bullied. The other piggy was much smaller and skinny and I suspect he was bullied away from the food as he has put quite a bit of weight on this week. There are no bullying or issues between him and the bitten boar as they will happily share food. My other gripe is that they are not in the least bit tame and have bitten me several times. I have had to handle them to inspect the wounds and weigh them due to the issues they arrived with but other than that I am retired so have spent a lot of time talking to them (down at their level) and let them come out of their igloo at their own pace, etc. I have caught them when they are in their cardboard tubes as they are very skittish and are very scared - a wild chase around their cage is the last thing they need. I know they will settle in due course but having come from a hobby breeder I expected them to be more used to being handled and to have arrived in a better state. As I said I am just having a moan really.

 

[Deleted member 114675]

I've got to say this . Please don't take offence as we are all entitled to our own opinions - I would always want to see my piggies before taking them on so, would never use a courier to transport them.

 

[MerryPip]

I can understand your upset and disappointment I don't think I would be very impressed either...

I would agree with Piggieowner that like any other animal, I would always prefer to see them in their original home when I get a new pet. That way I know exactly what conditions they have been living in and what their health is like. Unfortunately breeders can often be 'economical' with the truth, it's not the first time we have heard people's disappointment with babies which have arrived, ill, mis-sexed or similar, that's one of the reasons this forum pro-rescue, that way you know exactly what you are getting and have plenty of support and advice after homing.

I hope your wee boys settle in soon. Have a look at this thread for help settling them in. Getting new piggies used to you is a process which takes time and it's no surprise they are a bit skittish after being uprooted from home, popped in a van and travelling to you, so be patient. Hopefully they will turn into wonderful little companions!
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?

 

[Mummy's boys]

Not surprised you're not impressed.
Poor little Piggies. Thank goodness they have found a good home with you.
I've found that the ones who don't have a good start often become the most affectionate. Hope they start to settle down soon.

 

[span]

Whenever I've had baby guins they have never been tame, babies are always skittish and super fast, so don't worry too much about that.

If they're biting, there might be other issues and they are responding to pain. I had a boar who would bite when touched because he had a fungal infection and was sore, poor thing.

I'm sure they'll come along in leaps and bounds with a bit of handling xx

 

[Toni D]

I've got to say this . Please don't take offence as we are all entitled to our own opinions - I would always want to see my piggies before taking them on so, would never use a courier to transport them.

I agree with your opinion about seeing piggies before taking them on. I had photos, updated photos and followed the Facebook page and website. I thought I had done as much as I could plus she will take the piggies back at any point if I am not happy or wish to rehome. Luckily there is nothing wrong per se with the piggies but it is my belief that they should not have been kept with the older boar as he bullied them. That is the issue here. I still think you are right though.

With regard to the courier I disagree with you entirely. I used Pet Taxi Uk and I was very impressed with the set up and the welfare of the animals. My piggies were in a hooded cuddle pouch inside the carrier and in the short time that they were in the carrier they had eaten carrots, broccoli and cabbage (I saw the remaining bits). They were happy enough on the journey to eat their vegetables. They were not simply bundled into a van. I could have viewed them at 4wks old and then collected them myself at 7wks but current health issues affect my confidence in driving on the M62/M6 hence I opted for the courier. I would recommend Pet Taxi Uk to anyone.
As you say we are all entitled to our opinions.

 

[Deleted member 114675]

I agree with your opinion about seeing piggies before taking them on. I had photos, updated photos and followed the Facebook page and website. I thought I had done as much as I could plus she will take the piggies back at any point if I am not happy or wish to rehome. Luckily there is nothing wrong per se with the piggies but it is my belief that they should not have been kept with the older boar as he bullied them. That is the issue here. I still think you are right though.

With regard to the courier I disagree with you entirely. I used Pet Taxi Uk and I was very impressed with the set up and the welfare of the animals. My piggies were in a hooded cuddle pouch inside the carrier and in the short time that they were in the carrier they had eaten carrots, broccoli and cabbage (I saw the remaining bits). They were happy enough on the journey to eat their vegetables. They were not simply bundled into a van. I could have viewed them at 4wks old and then collected them myself at 7wks but current health issues affect my confidence in driving on the M62/M6 hence I opted for the courier. I would recommend Pet Taxi Uk to anyone.
As you say we are all entitled to our opinions.

Thank you for the reply

 

[Toni D]

I can understand your upset and disappointment I don't think I would be very impressed either...

I would agree with Piggieowner that like any other animal, I would always prefer to see them in their original home when I get a new pet. That way I know exactly what conditions they have been living in and what their health is like. Unfortunately breeders can often be 'economical' with the truth, it's not the first time we have heard people's disappointment with babies which have arrived, ill, mis-sexed or similar, that's one of the reasons this forum pro-rescue, that way you know exactly what you are getting and have plenty of support and advice after homing.

I hope your wee boys settle in soon. Have a look at this thread for help settling them in. Getting new piggies used to you is a process which takes time and it's no surprise they are a bit skittish after being uprooted from home, popped in a van and travelling to you, so be patient. Hopefully they will turn into wonderful little companions!
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?

I didn't know that you had to have rescue piggies to join this forum although I have had 18 rescue piggies, 9 rescue chinchillas and brought a dog home from terrible conditions in Zante in 2004. (Yiannis will be 12 in March). I currently support Greyhound Rescue South Yorkshire and have been involved/supported a couple of Hedgehog rescues in the past (both now closed). When I was looking I could only find Millhaven in my area and they didn't seem to have anything available at the time (they have since posted quite a few pairs of both sows and boars but that's sod's law). Other rescues I found on Facebook or via Google seemed to have lots of G.Pigs but none were up for re-homing?

I think I have read the thread you have quoted but I have had to handle them more than I would have chosen to ensure they were ok and gaining weight. I will follow the link to ensure it is the thread I read earlier in the week. Thank you for your help.

 

[MerryPip]

I didn't know that you had to have rescue piggies to join this forum although I have had 18 rescue piggies, 9 rescue chinchillas and brought a dog home from terrible conditions in Zante in 2004. (Yiannis will be 12 in March). I currently support Greyhound Rescue South Yorkshire and have been involved/supported a couple of Hedgehog rescues in the past (both now closed). When I was looking I could only find Millhaven in my area and they didn't seem to have anything available at the time (they have since posted quite a few pairs of both sows and boars but that's sod's law). Other rescues I found on Facebook or via Google seemed to have lots of G.Pigs but none were up for re-homing?

I think I have read the thread you have quoted but I have had to handle them more than I would have chosen to ensure they were ok and gaining weight. I will follow the link to ensure it is the thread I read earlier in the week. Thank you for your help.

No problem You don't need to have rescue piggies but it is something the forum like to promote and recommend...

You do sound like you have your hands full with a wonderful furry family, I've never had chinchillas but I think they are gorgeous! If you are ever on the lookout again then try our rescue locator for ideas. Milhaven is excellent as is BARC which may be nearish you too.

I'm sure your little guys will do just fine. Checking piggies, especially new ones is a necessary evil especially when you may have concerns about them. I am sure with time and patience they will settle down nicely. We'd love to hear how they get on and welcome to the Forum!

 

[Toni D]

Whenever I've had baby guins they have never been tame, babies are always skittish and super fast, so don't worry too much about that.

If they're biting, there might be other issues and they are responding to pain. I had a boar who would bite when touched because he had a fungal infection and was sore, poor thing.

I'm sure they'll come along in leaps and bounds with a bit of handling xx

Thank you for your reply. I've only had babies when I bought my very first piggies some 15 years ago and I can't remember what they were like. All my other piggies were from a rescue that I became linked to so were all adults (although one of those was a biter at first and two were skittish due to being kept in the bottom of an aviary). The word fungal shoots fear through me as I had a bout of it with a few of my rescue pigs some years ago. Fingers crossed it is not fungal or the breeder will regret that she ever heard of me. I am now panicking and going to read up on fungal [sigh].

 

[span]

I didn't mean to worry you. I'm sure they'll be fine, but a vet trip might put your mind at ease.

 

[Toni D]

You were right to mention it, thank you. I am currently investigating and reading up on it. I almost live at the vets with my two elderly dogs. Plus my other two piggies have just been for runny noses - Baytril (they seem improved today) so what's yet another vet visit? I just don't want it to be fungal as I had such a horrific time with it last time

 

[Poppy'sMum]

I never owned a rescue pig when I joined this forum but have never been judged as I didn't have a reputable rescue close by. Only through the forum have I found several rescues but they are still a bit of a trek away, but am now a proud owner of a young rescue sow. I can't understand why some people (not you) want tiny babies from stores like PAH because my young baby girl is so friendly & loves cuddles already thanks to the wonderful foster mum she was with. Compared to the tiny, wriggly nervous babies we have had in the past she is such a pleasure I would always recommend a visit to a rescue first now & suggest a look at the youngsters rather than babies Milhaven is fantastic & I can thoroughly recommend them

 

[Lady Kelly]

Aww the poor little boys! No wonder they are biters though if there is such a big suspicion that they have been badly bullied at the breeders, for the one covered in bites it's probably what he has come to expect so hopefully with your patience and regular handling he will calm down.

 

[VickiA]

Poor little guys. Sounds like they've arrived in a lovely home though, so lucky for them. Patience and kindness will win them over eventually. That and lots of veg x

 

[Freela]

Ugh... poor things! Unfortunately, anyone can be a hobby breeder... none of my guinea pigs were from breeders but two of my hedgehogs were, and I walked away less than impressed (one died of a genetic illness, although the breeder certainly didn't want to hear it.) The second one I adopted as an adult and she had clearly never been handled, and as hedgehogs are not social in the same way guinea pigs are, she really never warmed up to humans and was a less than outstanding pet, though of course we loved her anyhow. Once while looking for guinea pigs online I came across a 'breeder' who had reported stats of her litters... she kept having white babies that were stillborn or died young and seemed to have no clue why (even I know where white lethals come from and it's info that's easy to find... yet she kept on breeding roans and babies suffered for it!) Anyways, not to rant on your rant... but I feel your pain and have had similar experiences with hobby breeders in the past. Now that they are with you, they can have a fresh start. If it's any consolation, all my pigs were terrified of people and VERY fast as babies, but with frequent handling and lots of food, they all turned out to be wonderful pets with no fear of people. It takes time, but yours will get there too. Taming babies just comes with the job of having young pigs.

 

[Toni D]

I am pleased that I had a rant and got replies as I now very much fear that the scabs are fungal. Now I have to decide whether to take them back and demand a refund (despite the scary long drive) or go to vets and further risk it spreading to my other pets. Luckily the babies have been in a separate room but that was to keep them away from Padraid & Seamus' snotty noses. I would've been more stringent had I thought of fungal. I haven't grown fond of them as they have bitten me so much but they will be lovely pigs if they survive. If I take them to the vets then it is another bill and although it will confirm my fears I doubt she will pay it and/or give me a refund for the pigs. I have contacted her and she says she thinks they are bites but to pick off the scabs and put daktarin on! I am terrified of fungal and will be disinfecting with F10 tomorrow and bathing other pigs in Nizoral as a precaution. Had I picked them up myself then I would've noticed the scabs but would've thought they were bites. I am so panicked now that I can't think straight as is obvious by my ramblings. Maybe things will seem clearer in the morning. [Feeling sick]

 

[Poppy'sMum]

Awww please don't make yourself feel ill Personally I would sleep on it then decide tomorrow, no-one will think bad of you if you decide to return them x

 

[Toni D]

I will think bad of me. It is not what I do but I had such a bad experience with fungal previously and am concerned for my other pigs and elderly dogs. I can't believe the breeder is so blaze about how to treat it. She is adamant none of her pigs have fungal and doesn't know it has a 14 day incubation period. She was suggesting they got it here until I reminded her she was bathing the bites/scabs when the courier arrived early.

 

[Lady Kelly]

I agree with @Poppy'sMum, sleep on it. I do one of two things when I am stressed - sleep or go make a cup of tea (usually because I'm at work and can't get away with a nap lol). Something to help you take some time to mull it over but not act in the heat of the moment. No one on here can tell you which option is the right one, that's a difficult decision for you to make.

 

[Toni D]

When I got my staffy cross I could see she was covered in fleas and mange but I couldn't leave her behind. She cost c. £6,000 in vets fees in the first two years due to bone deformation and stomach issues. She was insured and we have lived at the vets every since. She is now 13.5 yrs and my soul mate. It is not about illness or vets, it is about how contagious it is and past experiences that have left me scarred. I've had lots of piggies and lots of illnesses. Lots of caring, medication , syringe feeding, vet trips, etc but the fungal is my biggest fear. I specifically asked the breeder if she had fungal pigs recently and relayed my fungal fears. She knows I am cross.

 

[ghostbusterbunny]

It sounds easy to say but don't panic. From what you've said about the injuries to your piggies I personally wouldn't automatically think fungal, I'd think he'd been beaten up by another piggy!

Fungal is very distinctive in its appearance and (in my experience at least) generally affects the face (round the eyes, ears and nose were my most common presentations). Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures this thread should help. It's about ringworm which can pass over to other animals but there are other types of fungal which, to my knowledge at least, don't but present the same.

I had fungal go through my herd a couple of years ago (18+ piggies at the time) and the amount of Imaverol dips I had to do was unreal. But it's treatable and using a dip like Imaverol along with good hygiene practices makes it more bearable to deal with if what you've got is definitely fungal. To this day I get the odd patch on certain fungal prone piggies, but it's nothing a few squirts of imaverol solution every three days to clear it up hasn't solved and I haven't had herd-wide problems since.

Sleep on it, don't panic and take the piggies for a checkup. That's all you can do at this stage but try not to get in a flap until you know either way what you're dealing with.

 

[Adelle]

Hopefully it is just fight wounds (as much as you will feel for the poor soul and be angry understandably) and he will be on the mend soon. It does sound like this rather than ringworm, and i agree with above that this is usually localised to one area usually starting on the face. I had a neutered boar develop ringworm, i noticed the first sore as his fur was sitting a little squinty (smooth coat) and he was housed with another 2 sows at the time. Obviously he was then seperated during treatment, and my other 2 girls where treated as a prevention. He had anti fungal oral treatment and cleaning the area with hibiscrub diluted solution - he recovered from this as well as complete anorexia and a severe URI which he developed during treatment. He contracted it probably because of the weakened immune system from many other ailments but he still pulled through. He sadly passed at the young age of 3 as he was clearly a runt of the litter- a little 700g adult boar. His passing was not due to ringworm, but organ failure. Here are some pics of the ringworm to put your mind at rest- I'm confident your little one just has some fight wounds.


Went from a tiny dot to this in 3 days, localised to this area only.


Day 5, it got worse.



Day 12, sores healing.


Day 30, all hair regrew bar one tiny dot that grew back later- made a full recovery despite severe URI and complete anorexia.

 

[Toni D]

I also had a herd of 18 piggies to dip when I had the fungal outbreak
With this piggy it is a big area of scabbing from his ear down his neck where it is particularly deep wounds near his jaw. Some of the scabs have dropped off leaving dry skin underneath. He also has a few scabs dotted around his body. What is worrying is that the breeder commented upon how they liked a cuddle but they don't like to be touched even the dark one who has no scabs. It is as if their body is tender and they are biting in defence.
Anyway you are both right I must stop panicking and try to chill until I know what I am dealing with. Thank you very much for your supportive messages.

 

[ghostbusterbunny]

The behaviour you're describing sounds very much like these two are expecting to be attacked every time they're touched. If they spent their formative weeks with a bully rather than a kind uncle-pig that to me would explain the reactions you're getting from them. Their teeth are the only things they have to defend themselves so if they're expecting to get hurt when you touch them they're going to either run away or, if they can't, try and bite. It's typical flight or fight you've got there.

That'll change in time with patience and love on your part. Food is always a good helper. I use bigger chunks first (something that smells really yummy like some pepper) to get them used to your hand meaning something nice follows and when they get comfortable coming to me for the food I swap to teeny tiny pieces (a mouthful). That way they have to come up to me and stay with me to keep eating rather than coming up every so often to get a new chunk to run away with. Eventually you can start doing this while holding them so they get used to being on/around you and it being a good thing for them, to the point where they may even start to enjoy it and want to come to you regardless of whether food is on offer!

You'll get there, I promise. I'm just sorry you're having to go through this in the first place.

 

[Freela]

If they are so sensitive to being touched and have deep bites/scabs, I would wonder about mites. Are the bites in such a place where they could be self-inflicted? Animals with mites can bite themselves bloody and can be very aggressive when touched (because it hurts!)

I'm sorry you're stuck with a tough decision. Getting a new pet is supposed to be fun and exciting, and instead you have health concerns and feeling like you have had a bait-and-switch pulled on you. Shame on the breeder for putting people in this position!

 

[Toni D]

My apologies I typed the following last night but forgot to post it.

'Well hopefully a vet visit will put my mind at rest. I have been putting a floret of broccoli with them on my lap (which they eat at 100mph) and gently stroking their head as any other handling e.g. wound inspection results in a nasty bite. I haven't even named them as I haven't seen their characters yet. I must try to get some sleep now.'

The piggies are not scratching so as to indicate mites and I was assured that they were treated with ivermectin (just like she assured me her herd didn't have fungal). Padraig and Seamus (teddies) were scratching when they arrived back in December so I treated them with ivermectin and the scratching stopped. Those two have since developed snotty noses and are on Baytril so I am feeling rather unlucky at the moment. These wounds could be self-inflicted scratch wounds but the wound on the neck and ear is quite extensive (they couldn't be self-inflicted bite wounds). It could be a mixture of mites (which would explain the black one being sensitive) and bite wounds. I will be ringing the vet as soon as it opens (just heading off to check their website).

 

[Toni D]

Vets appointment at 11.30. Now feeling that I had a panic attack for nothing but it is best to be safe than sorry and she is an exotics vet so I will soon know.

 

[Deleted member 114675]

Vets appointment at 11.30. Now feeling that I had a panic attack for nothing but it is best to be safe than sorry and she is an exotics vet so I will soon know.

- better to be safe than sorry

 

[Lady Kelly]

Vets appointment at 11.30. Now feeling that I had a panic attack for nothing but it is best to be safe than sorry and she is an exotics vet so I will soon know.

Keep us posted. I suffer anxiety so I know how easy it is to panic over potentially nothing (I regularly panic over nothing lol)