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Help, Female Pigs Have Started Fighting

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Cumbrialass

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We've had our girls since around September. I think they're litter mates.
They've had the odd scuffle, I can see one is the dominant one, and you can tell when they're getting hormonal.
Today when I got them out, I spotted a patch of missing skin and fur on the non-dominant one, on her back, which I can only presume was caused by the dominant one.
I just tried separating them but they were both very unhappy with this, but the dominant one I think has tried to assert herself a couple of times but that might have just caused the other one discomfort. They seem OK now.
The dominant one seems a fair bit heavier too, don't know if that's significant. They both eat well and otherwise seem well, popcorning when out and wheeking whenever the fridge door opens (two rooms away...).
Sorry for long story, but what should I do? Will take them to vet tomorrow anyway.
Will they settle down again? Don't want them living separately or getting more pigs to keep them company, they belong to my kids really.
 
Cumbrialass said:
We've had our girls since around September. I think they're litter mates.
They've had the odd scuffle, I can see one is the dominant one, and you can tell when they're getting hormonal.
Today when I got them out, I spotted a patch of missing skin and fur on the non-dominant one, on her back, which I can only presume was caused by the dominant one.
I just tried separating them but they were both very unhappy with this, but the dominant one I think has tried to assert herself a couple of times but that might have just caused the other one discomfort. They seem OK now.
The dominant one seems a fair bit heavier too, don't know if that's significant. They both eat well and otherwise seem well, popcorning when out and wheeking whenever the fridge door opens (two rooms away...).
Sorry for long story, but what should I do? Will take them to vet tomorrow anyway.
Will they settle down again? Don't want them living separately or getting more pigs to keep them company, they belong to my kids really.
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Hi!

Please have your girls checked for mange mites by a vet tomorrow. They are not visible to the naked eye, but typically start on the back. With prompt good quality treatment (NOT the low dosed stuff from a pet shop) and full three rounds course for both girls you can easily get on top of them. Please do not treat on spec.

It is most likely nothing to do with your dominant girl having a stronger season; it should die down again within a day or so. Please put them back together if they want to.
 
If you've never seen them actively fighting or found actual wounds (not hair loss) then I wouldn't separate them. Dominance is nothing to be worried about.

My Bella had a wound on her back about 6 months ago, it got a bit gross so she needed antibiotics. It was thought that it was an abscess gone wrong.

The vets should check for lice, mites, fungal conditions which could all be possible too.

Also piggies tend to bite bums rather than backs in my experience XD
 
Fab, thanks. They are scratching a little, so mites seems plausible. Just wondering how the patch of skin and hair got removed!
Have put in an extra house and extra hay so they have less to get grouchy over.
 
Cumbrialass said:
Fab, thanks. They are scratching a little, so mites seems plausible. Just wondering how the patch of skin and hair got removed!
Have put in an extra house and extra hay so they have less to get grouchy over.
Click to expand...

Mostly is it by the affected guinea pig biting and scratching the painfully inflamed skin. ;)
 
As said it could be mites/ lice. I split my 4 into two pairs as I wrongly assumed Jemima had bit Daisy but I next found Isobel and Pete both had similar bites and hair loss. I found lice crawling in jemima's hair. The bites were all just far enough down the back that the pigs could bend round and get to themselves. It cleared up really quickly with the right treatment though
 
I couldn't see anything looking like mites when I checked them a few days ago, but I guess they're pretty tiny. I used to get hay mites on a pair of Himalayans that I could spot and was told to treat them with budgie spray, which worked. But this was a few years ago.
Am going to get them to vets tomorrow anyway as I'm sure treatments have changed and wouldn't want to spray budgie spray or anything near an open wound!
 
Cumbrialass said:
I couldn't see anything looking like mites when I checked them a few days ago, but I guess they're pretty tiny. I used to get hay mites on a pair of Himalayans that I could spot and was told to treat them with budgie spray, which worked. But this was a few years ago.
Am going to get them to vets tomorrow anyway as I'm sure treatments have changed and wouldn't want to spray budgie spray or anything near an open wound!
Click to expand...

Mange mites are invisible to the naked eye; but unlike hay mites, which glue their egg cases to hairs at the back end (which is what you are actually seeing), mange mites burrow their eggs actually in the skin - hence the biting. If not treated or undertreated, this can lead to great suffering and eventually death.

Please no spray! it is important especially with skin issues that you do not treat before a vet visit, as that can mess up a diagnosis. It is in the same category as cleaning up a crime scene before the police has been. Fungal, lice and mites all need different treatment.

Whatever it is, it is still in the early stages, so it should be fairly straight forward to get on top of it. Please let us know how you get on!
 
Went to vets. She took a scraping but couldn't see any mites under microscope. She said it looked like over grooming from the other pig but we're treating them both for mites.
Some drops were applied, need another dose in a month. Got to keep an eye on the wound to make sure there's no sign of infection.
Daisy pig does seem to have slightly dry scurfy skin, and it's a little red. Hopefully the mite treatment should sort it.
Thanks for the advice everyone!
 
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