Help please! Female guinea pigs attacking each other!

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Dottygirls

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We’ve had our pair of girls for 3.5 years and they are just coming up on 4 years old. They have always been together (are sisters from a rescue) and I can only think of once when they have teeth chattered at each other, which was solved by removing a hide they were fighting over.

Suddenly late this evening I heard lots of squeaking and running, went to them and they were teeth chattering like crazy. I thought something had spooked them but on closer inspection one has a torn ear!

I separated them immediately and tried a gentle closely observed reintroduction after they had both calmed down but they clearly were not at all happy together and immediately started being aggressive.

I have built them separate small c and c cages for tonight and will be calling the vet first thing.

Both are now calm, eating and drinking.

What could have caused this? I’m shocked and really upset. Thank you.
 
I’m sorry to hear this.

If this kind of thing occurs, they need to stay apart for several days before you attempt a reintroduction. Calming down enough to reunite will not happen any sooner than several days - it certainly will not be possible to reunite them on the same evening the altercation happened.
You also cannot attempt to reunite them in their normal cage - you must do it on totally neutral territory.

Unfortunately though, sows can to hold a grudge and don’t often change their minds once they have had a falling out. So you do need to prepare that they could, unfortunately, need to stay apart permanently.
Each piggy would need their own minimum of a 2x3 c&c cage (side by side for interaction between the bars).

Please do see the vet not only for the injury but to see if there are any underlying health issues that could be the cause - generally feeling unwell can make them behave like this but also issues such as ovarian cysts can cause problems in bonds.

Let us know how things go at the vet.

If they are given a clean bill of health, you can
give them a few days apart but then put them in neutral territory with just a pile of hay , no hides, in the cage. This is their chance to make their decision about each other - they will either go back together happily and you can then move them back to their normal (cleaned out) cage after several hours in neutral territory; or issues will start again and that means they will need to stay separated permanently.

Bonds In Trouble
Sows: Behaviour and Female Health Problems (including mounting and ovarian cysts)
 
Saw the vet and they have no signs of ill health. He cleaned up the ear and gave us some anti-inflammatory to help with healing. He suggested trying a reintroduction in a week or so but it may be that their bond is broken and they need to live side by side but not together. We’re very upset at the thought.
 
It’s good news that there isn’t any illness.

Yes sadly it’s most likely the case that their bond is broken. It is sad when it happens but if there are issues between them then they will be happier in their own spaces.

One of my boar pairs had a huge fight but it happened when they hit their teens, they were just 18 weeks old (they’d only been with me for 9 weeks). They’ve lived happily side by side for almost three years now.

Do come back to us if you would like more advice on any reintroduction.
Do note that they may or may not show signs of interactions between the bars. They communicate with scent and body language so they are still communicating even if it doesn’t appear that they are. Equally piggies are territorial so behaviours such as laying beside each other between the bars don’t necessarily mean they want to be together - they can just be territory marking and making sure the other doesn’t cross
 
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