*gross Topic* Female Guinea Pig Chasing And Licking Other Pigs Bum, Why?!

[WMUPiggy]

Sorry this is such an awkward and gross question, but for the past few days my one female has been chasing and licking my other females bum. I noticed the one female had a small amount of runny poo once I first noticed them doing this. I wiped it away and havent noticed it since, but the one female and is still CONSTANTLY chasing and licking the other poor female. The female who is being licked has been passing normal poos and I havent noticed any other issues. Is this behavior a sign of dominance issues or what? They are for sure both females, but I find it odd how the one pig will let the other pig go at it. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[TAN]

Normal behaviour - sometimes when a piggy is / has been on antibiotics they will bum dig one of their cage mates because they need the good bacteria these poos provide - they can often be seen eating another piggies hard poos as well - just keep an eye on the piggy who is doing it right wise - are you weighing your pigs weekly to check their weight is stable ? As weight loss is quite often the first sign of any underlying problem or illness.

 

[WMUPiggy]

Normal behaviour - sometimes when a piggy is / has been on antibiotics they will bum dig one of their cage mates because they need the good bacteria these poos provide - they can often be seen eating another piggies hard poos as well - just keep an eye on the piggy who is doing it right wise - are you weighing your pigs weekly to check their weight is stable ? As weight loss is quite often the first sign of any underlying problem or illness.

Alright! My one guinea pig (the one bum digging) was on antibiotics, but that was over a month ago. Their weight has not changed significantly also. If this continues should I be concerned? Thank you for replying so quickly!

 

[TAN]

No - it's normal - don't worry

 

[Keiko The Pig]

As long as the other piggy isn't disturbed constantly by the bum digging I wouldn't worry like the above posts just make sure your little bum digger is eating enough and otherwise doing normal piggy things

 

[annaa]

I posted about the same thing recently. (Sorry, would link to my thread, but have no idea how to do it!)
One of ours was on antibiotics, and after a short separation due to her having a op she was constantly at the others bottom licking and nipping for poos. In our case though it really distressed the other pig so we had to separate them again. I forced probiotics in syringe feed which fixed the problem eventually (once I significantly upped the amount I was giving)

 

[Adelle]

I posted about the same thing recently. (Sorry, would link to my thread, but have no idea how to do it!)
One of ours was on antibiotics, and after a short separation due to her having a op she was constantly at the others bottom licking and nipping for poos. In our case though it really distressed the other pig so we had to separate them again. I forced probiotics in syringe feed which fixed the problem eventually (once I significantly upped the amount I was giving)

Glad to hear the higher amount of probiotics worked! :-)

 

[Adelle]

Keep weighing the pig that is doing the bum digging- she sounds like she has an upset tummy. Have you made sure she is passing poos on her own now the diarrohea has stopped?

Giving her probiotics will help this issue- brands include fibreplex, pro-c from pets at home and Avipro plus (my preference). You add a 1/4-1/2 scoop onto damp veggies, or mix with water and syringe into her mouth. X