My Sows Have Lost The Plot :-/

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oxtinamona

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so I'm back on here yet again searching for advice as we are experiencing something rather strange...just when I thought I experienced all pigs behaviours good and bad possible something ... 'new' happened.

We have two sows living together in a huge cage (2.5x5 grids) and recently (few weeks) we noticed random moments where one of the sows (Pixie) starts chattering her teeth really loudly at Biscuit,
Which sometimes was followed by her chasing Biscuit and Biscuit having a moan and then they would settle. I associated it with feeding time, Pixie appeared to have been extremely ( even forna Guinea pig) impatient when waiting for food...so I thought that's why she snaps and Biscuit.

However, yesterday I heard noise and walked into the pet room and pixie must have chased Biscuit as she was at the side of the cage also chattering her teeth and they both had heir fur raised which was a bit surprising. That persisted for at least a minute and they both were doing this thing when they stomp from side to
Side, clearly angry/frustrated... and then they settled.

I then found two, rather thick chunk bits of Biscuits fur on the floor... so obviously when I heard the bang that was Biscuit hitting the cage when pixie chased her.

Today it happened again after food time, they both are ok and it if blue when food was pretty much gone chattering started again. They run of opposite directions and settled. Then Biscuit came closer to pixie to get some hay and she started chattering again... now they had they pellets together and are fine...

Totally confused. Has anyone experienced anything remotely similar ? Nothing has in their circumstances...or food or anything ... it's really odd.
Any suggestions welcome x
I did wonder if pixie perhaps has ovarian cysts but I checked her and her nipples look normal and there is no abdominal
Swelling ...
 
so I'm back on here yet again searching for advice as we are experiencing something rather strange...just when I thought I experienced all pigs behaviours good and bad possible something ... 'new' happened.

We have two sows living together in a huge cage (2.5x5 grids) and recently (few weeks) we noticed random moments where one of the sows (Pixie) starts chattering her teeth really loudly at Biscuit,
Which sometimes was followed by her chasing Biscuit and Biscuit having a moan and then they would settle. I associated it with feeding time, Pixie appeared to have been extremely ( even forna Guinea pig) impatient when waiting for food...so I thought that's why she snaps and Biscuit.

However, yesterday I heard noise and walked into the pet room and pixie must have chased Biscuit as she was at the side of the cage also chattering her teeth and they both had heir fur raised which was a bit surprising. That persisted for at least a minute and they both were doing this thing when they stomp from side to
Side, clearly angry/frustrated... and then they settled.

I then found two, rather thick chunk bits of Biscuits fur on the floor... so obviously when I heard the bang that was Biscuit hitting the cage when pixie chased her.

Today it happened again after food time, they both are ok and it if blue when food was pretty much gone chattering started again. They run of opposite directions and settled. Then Biscuit came closer to pixie to get some hay and she started chattering again... now they had they pellets together and are fine...

Totally confused. Has anyone experienced anything remotely similar ? Nothing has in their circumstances...or food or anything ... it's really odd.
Any suggestions welcome x
I did wonder if pixie perhaps has ovarian cysts but I checked her and her nipples look normal and there is no abdominal
Swelling ...

Please have Pixie checked for ovarian cysts; the hormonal cysts that cause the aggressive behaviour are usually the small growing ones, not the large ones.

If this behaviour persists, you will have to split them as they have already had a fight. Sows usually only bite in defence, pulling a painful mouthful of fur is their equivalent. Sows can fall out with each other.
 
Please have Pixie checked for ovarian cysts; the hormonal cysts that cause the aggressive behaviour are usually the small growing ones, not the large ones.

If this behaviour persists, you will have to split them as they have already had a fight. Sows usually only bite in defence, pulling a painful mouthful of fur is their equivalent. Sows can fall out with each other.

Is there any obvious sign of the cysts other than ones i mentioned in earlier post, so I can check her again?
If not we'll take her to the vet... is it X-ray they use ?
 
Is there any obvious sign of the cysts other than ones i mentioned in earlier post, so I can check her again?
If not we'll take her to the vet... is it X-ray they use ?

There are not always obvious signs of ovarian cysts, sometimes there are no symptoms at all. When my Bumble had them there was no aggression or anything, we took her vets as she started sitting in her own wee, by that stage the cysts were substantial. Bea on the other hand got stroppier but not to the extent of your girl, then she barbered a strip down her stomach to her lady parts where she was clearly in discomfort. Either way this is out of the norm for your girls so I would have them checked in case
 
Is there any obvious sign of the cysts other than ones i mentioned in earlier post, so I can check her again?
If not we'll take her to the vet... is it X-ray they use ?

You will have to have her checked by a vet. By far not all active cysts cause visual or behavioural symptoms. In fact, the majority of ovarian cysts go unnoticed.
 
You will have to have her checked by a vet. By far not all active cysts cause visual or behavioural symptoms. In fact, the majority of ovarian cysts go unnoticed.


I'll be booking an appointment tomorrow. Last thing I need is a third pair of my pigs to fall out due to illness :(
@Wiebke what's the best approach for the vet to check for cysts? An X-ray or anything else?
 
I'll be booking an appointment tomorrow. Last thing I need is a third pair of my pigs to fall out due to illness :(
@Wiebke what's the best approach for the vet to check for cysts? An X-ray or anything else?

Depending on your vets skills either physical examination, ultra sound or both. I saw one vet who diagnosed without ultrasound and had felt the cysts burst during examination too. The other one was a different vet who suspected cysts but was confident until the ultrasound was done
 
Thank you
Depending on your vets skills either physical examination, ultra sound or both. I saw one vet who diagnosed without ultrasound and had felt the cysts burst during examination too. The other one was a different vet who suspected cysts but was confident until the ultrasound was done
x thank you x
 
Depending on your vets skills either physical examination, ultra sound or both. I saw one vet who diagnosed without ultrasound and had felt the cysts burst during examination too. The other one was a different vet who suspected cysts but was confident until the ultrasound was done


Pixie is booked for ultrasound on Thursday.
This way we will be able to eliminate bladder stones and cysts hopefully... best case scenario she's healthy and just doesn't like Biscuit anymore...

She has been given Metacam by the vet as she agreed it does sound she may suffer from some
Discomfort and there was no chattering since yesterday evening ...
 
Pixie is booked for ultrasound on Thursday.
This way we will be able to eliminate bladder stones and cysts hopefully... best case scenario she's healthy and just doesn't like Biscuit anymore...

She has been given Metacam by the vet as she agreed it does sound she may suffer from some
Discomfort and there was no chattering since yesterday evening ...

Hopefully you'll have some answers soon then. If she has got cysts there are hormonal injections that have been successfully used in guinea pigs and can be a lot less invasive than spaying. I've not had the experience of them but I know many members on here have
 
Hopefully you'll have some answers soon then. If she has got cysts there are hormonal injections that have been successfully used in guinea pigs and can be a lot less invasive than spaying. I've not had the experience of them but I know many members on here have
Indeed I was reading about it. We shall see. Pixie is far more active this evening which leads me to belind her behaviours could have been caused by pain :(
 
There are not always obvious signs of ovarian cysts, sometimes there are no symptoms at all. When my Bumble had them there was no aggression or anything, we took her vets as she started sitting in her own wee, by that stage the cysts were substantial. Bea on the other hand got stroppier but not to the extent of your girl, then she barbered a strip down her stomach to her lady parts where she was clearly in discomfort. Either way this is out of the norm for your girls so I would have them checked in case

So we have plot twist...we sat down after dinner and pigs were eating as well ( we moved pixie and biscuit to a play pen in living room now so they don't upset other pigs) and just as there was very little food left and pixie tried to grab some biscuit started being protective over food and chattering and then she chased pixie a bit and they both chattered...
She backed off after a while so I picked pixie up first quickly and then I picked Biscuit up and I thought I'll trim hail nails and as I was touching her belly I felt a firm lump, pea sized and quite prominent.

Looks like I got it all wrong and it is likely it's Biscuit that maybe be unwell. So we will be taking her for ultrasound as well, should the vet agree after examination.

I gave Biscuit metacam some 20 mins ago and they are both eating hay next to each other, no bickering whatsoever.
I cannot wait for the ultrasound results so we know what we are dealing with :(
 
So we have plot twist...we sat down after dinner and pigs were eating as well ( we moved pixie and biscuit to a play pen in living room now so they don't upset other pigs) and just as there was very little food left and pixie tried to grab some biscuit started being protective over food and chattering and then she chased pixie a bit and they both chattered...
She backed off after a while so I picked pixie up first quickly and then I picked Biscuit up and I thought I'll trim hail nails and as I was touching her belly I felt a firm lump, pea sized and quite prominent.

Looks like I got it all wrong and it is likely it's Biscuit that maybe be unwell. So we will be taking her for ultrasound as well, should the vet agree after examination.

I gave Biscuit metacam some 20 mins ago and they are both eating hay next to each other, no bickering whatsoever.
I cannot wait for the ultrasound results so we know what we are dealing with :(

Poor you! I hope that you can get to the bottom of it all!
 
Oh no! Hope your vet gets to the bottom of this quickly for you
Just when I hoped it's the ' healthiest' option and the girls aren't getting on anymore ( but st least are healthy) I find a lump! Typical. Well, I can't go anything else about it sadly right now. Biscuit is eating and not losing any weight... seems the hormones maybe causing some trouble hence her stroppy behaviours... we will see :(
 
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