Help needed!

Status
Not open for further replies.
R

Romeo Flahoy

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Jun 4, 2011
Messages
49
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Great Yarmouth
Hi my two 3 and half month sow sisters aggression towards each other (actually one angry one attacking other one) is getting worse (see my other thread). I went in this morning and squeak the 'victim' is sleeping in a hut on top shelf of hutch, not in sleeping quarters as normal. They live outside so need the added protection of the sleeping quarters section. When squeak tried to get down, pip ran at her teeth chattering and strutting, so squeak had to get back up on shelf. Pip nearly followed her up their. this is giving me so much anxiety. I don't want any injuries or bites. Pip is getting so bad. In my other thread I talk about a make it or break it stage I'd read about at 4 months. I don't know how long to leave it before acting. My new thoughts have been to either split girls up and pair each with a neutered boar (if I could find two that got on with each girl) but idont have another hutch or any real spare cash to fund one Or try and find a more suitable home for pip (aggressive one) and find squeak a neutered boar. Pip doesn't like humans and just spends her life in a hut hiding from me or attacking squeak if she cones too close. Getting a boar to put in with both girls isn't really an option as hutch isn't big enough for three I don't think. What are your thoughts. Help!
 
Take the aggressive girl to the vets and check that there's nothing else going on with her. It is very unusual for a sow to be aggressive towards her owners, and if she is it could be because she has fungal or some other skin complaint.

It sounds like there's more going on then just two sows not getting on.
 
I agree, a vet trip is a good idea. Are you absolutely positive that they are girls? This behaviour is pretty typical of teenage boys that don't get on.

Suzy x
 
Only going on what owner told me. She was experienced tho. I'm new to this and both piggies hate being handled so I wouldn't know how to check myself. What if they were males? Would I need to split them up? I think a visit to vets is needed. I think their back nails need cutting also. Could get vet to check sex and check skin. Squeak 'victim' (who also answers back to pip) actually squirt sone whitish liquid in pips face yesterday when pip was having a go at her. What could this mean?
 
Females are able to aim their wee when being harrassed, whether by amorous males or domineering females. Boys can to a certain extent but they are not as accurate as the girls. Getting a face full of wee usually distracts the pursuer as they stop to clean themselves.

If you are able to get a close up shot of the bits we may be able to sex them for you.

Suzy x
 
I've just had a thought. Would a pregnant piggy act like this? I've had them about 6 weeks. I got them at 8 weeks old and they had been in with two brothers until few weeks before. How long is gestation?
 
Suzygpr said:
Females are able to aim their wee when being harrassed, whether by amorous males or domineering females. Boys can to a certain extent but they are not as accurate as the girls. Getting a face full of wee usually distracts the pursuer as they stop to clean themselves.

If you are able to get a close up shot of the bits we may be able to sex them for you.

Suzy x
Click to expand...

I can't handle them as they squirm too much, so don't think I could photo their bits.
 
It does sound like typical male behaviour, I thought you were sure they were girls - which was why I suggested skin issues, but tbh, that could be the problem as well.

If you feel the skin just above their bits there should be a firm line (which is the penis) if it's a boy, also if it's easier...they have a circle above the bum. I can take some pics and post them if you find it too difficult to get one of your two.

Where do you live? There might be someone close to you who could take a look for you.
 
This link has close up pics of males and females at differing ages.

http://www.cavyspirit.com/sexing.htm

Hopefully you've not got one of each. Do you know if the person you had them from separates the sexes at 3 weeks? So many females arrive at their new home carrying a few surprises for their owners when either the sexing is poor or through lack of knowledge on fertility ages in piggies.

HTH

Suzy x
 
5945780916_11e41e9443_m.jpg


boy bits...I don't have any girls inside at the moment.
 
I really don't feel confident enough to hold them, turn them upside down and have a look. I struggle to hold them for few seconds with two hands. think I'll book to see vet tomorrow.
 
The easiest way to hold them is lying across your arm, so that their head is pointing towards your elbow and their bum is in your hand, you spread your finger's betweeen their legs (your thumb and little finger around their belly and infront of their back legs) and then turn them in towards your body - means you can open their legs, see what their bits are like, but also that they're firmly secured against your body. It's worth practising if you have feisty or flighty piggies.

But pop them along to the vets, check for sex, pregnancy and any skin issues, if you do manage to sex them before you go the vet can always double check for you.
 
My nervous piggies are a similar age to yours and if you are worried about handling them, you can also get a better look by putting them in a snuggle sac or similar and just letting their bottom stick out! They feel safe and you know you won't drop them. I can already see the boys bits developing in our piggies who are about 13 -14 wks via this method :) Hope it goes well at vets
 
sorry...missed that. if you have 2 girls then yes, it's very possible that 1 or both are pregnant. but you should be able to feel babies moving around by now
 
they can get pregnant from 4 weeks old and gestation is 10 weeks...so they would have 2 weeks left at the very least, 4 weeks at the most
 
I don't handle them tho as they hate it. I move them in a pigloo to their run. I'm still in stroking stage but they still run away. Would pregnancy make them irritable? Would I have to separate them if they are or when babies born?
 
they're flight animals, regardless of how tame they are most guinea's will run away if you try to pick them up, it's just in their nature. You will find that some will override that instinct though. If they hated being handled they would bite and scratch, some will just sit their frozen on your lap for a while, until they get used to you, but you have to handle them for them to get used to you.

With pregnancy it depends on the sow, some do get more irritable, whilst others relax and become more pliable. They can be left together if they get on well, but if they're fighting or don't like each other much it's best to split them and try re-introducing them when they've got really fed up of the babies.

But before you start panicking about what to do with babies, I think you just need to see what the vet says and take it from there. You might just have 2 boys :)
 
Just wanted to add that you're gonna have to hold them more and more in order for them to get used to you holding them. My guinea pigs are pretty skiddish but I try to hold them at least once a day so they get more used to it and now one of them isn't quite as scared of me holding him. I'm still working on the other. But it will take a lot of time for them to be comfortable with you.
 
As they're outside piggies, I panic about dropping one in the garden and it not coming out and dying. I nearly dropped one the other week because they just leap our of my hands. I've tried holding their bum, close to me etc... But they don't sit still .
 
guinea's are a bit silly, if you cover their heads they think that you can't see them :) you can always take a towel out with you when you go to get them, place it on your lap and put them in it, wrap them up and carry them in.

Or you can put your fingers either side of their neck and behind their front legs, they will push against you, but with having your finger's there it means they can't go anywhere - it's essentially the opposite way to what I said earlier, where they're laid across your arm, but their head is in your hand, you can then use your other hand to place ontop of them to make sure they don't jump up.

But you need to try and handle them, they will only get worse if you don't. It's a shame you're not closer to me, as I would quite happily show you a few ways of handling them where you would feel more secure.
 
I wish you were close by too lizzie . I'm really feeling desperate with them. At the risk of sounding silly, can you bring outdoor piggies inside for a while and then put them back outside in their hutch? If so I could rig up a play pen indoor and socialise with them a bit more. At the moment they only go out in outside run on good weather days which are few and far between. I have been stroking them in outside run and making progress but they run and hide in hutch as too many places to hide. I hate stressing them out.
 
All the piggies that I get in stay indoors with us for at least a month before they go out, so that they can get used to us and we can get used to them, and know their personalities. Bringing them indoors is the easy bit, they don't have to get used to any temperature changes or anything like that, so you can just bring them staight in.

If you're going to bring them in on a more permanent basis I would recommend putting them outside before september again though, if you are going to, whilst it's still a bit warm/mild. That way they get used to the weather before it gets too cold.
 
Hi,
I bought an indoor cage and brought piggies indoors for an hour or so. After a few minutes or so they came out from their huts and started eating carrots. They still had several little spats and tried to nip each other but on the whole they did really well. The tv was on quite loud as dad is luggy, but they didn't seam to mind. They jumped if anyone moved suddenly or was too loud but I expected that. I put them into the cage with their pigloo but I put them back by hand and I'm really proud of myself.

Plus ive managed to contact a guinea pig breeder who is going to sex my piggies and show me how to hold my piggies securely and give me advice. I feel better knowing I've gor someone to get help from. She too said it's unusual for sisters from birth to fight and suspects that they may not be females too. I'll find out tomorrow .
 
:) hopefully she can help you

it might helpful to you for them to only have hay in their indoor cage, that way they don't really have anywhere to hide and you're forcing them to confront you and the noises, as they relax and get used to you, you can gradually add tubes and things like that - they tend to prefer hay to anything else anyway :D
 
Just wanted to say that me and piggies visited the guinea pig lady today. She has 15 piggies at the moment and years of experience. She confirmed that they're both girls, no mites and nails are fine. She said they would be bigger if pregnant but can't rule it out. We worked it out and they would have couple weeks before due date, so watch this space. She showed me how to hold them safely and how to examine their bellies for mites etc...

I held both separately on my lap for about 1/2 hour each and they were fine. She showed me her piggies and they squealed like mad when being caught so I realise that it's normal to run and scream when picked up and it's not that I'm hurting them or they hate me. I feel a bit stupid really for getting so worked up. I feel much more confident now about handling them. I feel in control again.

They only had few spats while I was there (3 hours) and she said it was normal. I think I've just been overacting a bit and overly worried. They haven't bitten each other so I think they know when to give each other space. Thanks for all your support. I know we'll be fine now  x
 
good :))

it's just a case of understanding them and why they're doing what they're doing...and you being more confident in the way you handle them :) if that makes sense! lol! sometimes when you have someone there to show you what to do it all falls into place :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top