I don't know what to do

guineapogmum

guineapogmum

Junior Guinea Pig
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perth, Australia
Hi all,
This is about my herd 2, Honey soy (neutered boy) And his 3 lady friends, jaffal, Pepsi and skittles.
They have all been bonded for about 4 months+ now, I haven't previously noticed any arguments between them, the occasional chase/ give me some space grumble but I haven't seen/ heard anything major between them and they seem comfortable eating food near each other.
about 2 weeks ago (the day I go away 🙄) I noticed some blood on honey soys back, after being caught and taken over to the vet we determined that it was just a graze, not deep at all, and there should be anything to worry about, keep an eye on it anything abnormal straight back to the vet. as previously mentioned I was going away so I relayed the instructions to the sitter. After returning today I noticed it had become many scratches/ grazes all healed over and scabbed up and overall looking okay, he's still eating well and hasn't lost weight. Theres been nothing obvious on the girls. I will try and get a photo later.
I don't know if this is a bond fail and fights are happening or if there is abother thing attacking just him?
Help! What's the best thing for honey soy? And the girls
 
If you think their bond is in trouble then you may need to separate them permanently.

You say you don’t know if there is another thing attacking him - has he been checked for parasites?
Have you noticed any excessive scratching or bald patches? Any eggs in his hair?

Wiebke

Thread 'Bonds In Trouble'

1 Causes for bonds to fall apart
2 Bonds in Crisis
- What are the signs of a dysfunctional bond?
- Bullying
- How can I test whether a bond is no longer working?
3 Failed bonds and what next?
- What to do if my piggies have had a major fight?
- When rebonding doesn't work out


1 Causes for bonds to fall apart

Every fall-out has of course its own...
  • Like
 
guineapogmum said:
Hi all,
This is about my herd 2, Honey soy (neutered boy) And his 3 lady friends, jaffal, Pepsi and skittles.
They have all been bonded for about 4 months+ now, I haven't previously noticed any arguments between them, the occasional chase/ give me some space grumble but I haven't seen/ heard anything major between them and they seem comfortable eating food near each other.
about 2 weeks ago (the day I go away 🙄) I noticed some blood on honey soys back, after being caught and taken over to the vet we determined that it was just a graze, not deep at all, and there should be anything to worry about, keep an eye on it anything abnormal straight back to the vet. as previously mentioned I was going away so I relayed the instructions to the sitter. After returning today I noticed it had become many scratches/ grazes all healed over and scabbed up and overall looking okay, he's still eating well and hasn't lost weight. Theres been nothing obvious on the girls. I will try and get a photo later.
I don't know if this is a bond fail and fights are happening or if there is abother thing attacking just him?
Help! What's the best thing for honey soy? And the girls
Click to expand...

Hi

I am very sorry for your problems.

Please have him vet checked for potential skin parasites (especially mange mites) in case it is self-inflicted.
Wiebke

Thread 'New Guinea Pigs Health Problems: URI - Ringworm - Skin Parasites'

1 Vets and your customer rights
- What makes newly bought guinea pigs so vulnerable?
- Do I need to see a vet?
- Documenting illness and your customer rights
2 URI (Upper respiratory tract infection) and sensitivities
- Typical symptoms in order of development
- What to do immediately
- Sensitivity to hay dust and pollen
3 Ringworm (highly contagious fungal...
  • Like

Try a two day separation with a re-intro on neutral ground outside the cage that is not part of the group territory and see how they interact. If there are any major underlying grudges, they will usually show up fairly quickly during a formal bonding re-intro. If they do, the bond is no longer viable.
The bite pattern is more typical for bullying by a boar, to be honest than; the sow equivalent of it is usually a mouthful of painfully pulled out hair because they have a different social wiring to live in a group whereas boars will leave a breeding sows group to be hopefully accepted by another one.
Wiebke

Thread 'Bonds In Trouble'

1 Causes for bonds to fall apart
2 Bonds in Crisis
- What are the signs of a dysfunctional bond?
- Bullying
- How can I test whether a bond is no longer working?
3 Failed bonds and what next?
- What to do if my piggies have had a major fight?
- When rebonding doesn't work out


1 Causes for bonds to fall apart

Every fall-out has of course its own...
  • Like

Wiebke

Thread '" Biting" And What You Can Do (Biting, Tweaking, Nibbling and Nipping)'

1 Serious defence bites
- On edge, spooked or cornered
- During cuddle time
- During bonding
2 Nibbling and accidental bites
3 Tweaking
4 Nipping other guinea pigs


Biting can be a worry or a problem for new owners, especially those with small children. However, there are some very different issues lumped together under the broad umbrella of “biting”, sometimes with fatal consequences for the poor, misunderstood and not appropriately handled guinea pig that...
  • Like

All the best for getting to the bottom of it.
 
Hi all, there doesn't seem to be anything up with the bond after watching them a bit closer.
I managed to get a better photo of honey soy this morning, the blood is because he pulled a scab off not a new wound, we've dabbed some antiseptic on it. His appetite hasn't been affected at all, and he hasn't seemed to loose weight.
IMG_20250128_075000.webp
 
I fully agree with @Piggies&buns . Please have him vet checked for mange mites. You will need to treat all piggies with 3 rounds of vet grade ivermectin once properly diagnosed.

Wiebke

Thread 'New Guinea Pigs Health Problems: URI - Ringworm - Skin Parasites'

1 Vets and your customer rights
- What makes newly bought guinea pigs so vulnerable?
- Do I need to see a vet?
- Documenting illness and your customer rights
2 URI (Upper respiratory tract infection) and sensitivities
- Typical symptoms in order of development
- What to do immediately
- Sensitivity to hay dust and pollen
3 Ringworm (highly contagious fungal...
  • Like
 
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