Naughty bores!

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Jeniva

Jeniva

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So I have a pair that I bought back in the summer form pets at home. They lived outdoors in the summer and seemed fine, then one started humping the other a lot and being a pest. The one being humped developed a load of face abscesses - not sure if it was from fighting or hay as it was the side of his face. I had to separate them whilst the one with abscesses underwent flushing, surgery and post op infections. They were separated probably for about two months - with letting them see each other as often as I could by putting one in a carrier in the run whilst the other ran around etc.
Now they are both living together indoors in a cage in my room. When first re-introduced there was a slight battle but I pushed them away from each other and since then they seemed to be ok. Would see them sitting together and pop corning together etc. However lately for some reason there's been a lot of teeth chattering, finding clumps of fur and small minor wounds like scratches.
Today I've disinfected their cage and all their toys and give them both a bath together with the same shampoo - I am hoping this will help them get on again. If they are still bothering each other is there anything else I can do other than separating them?
 
It sounds like your boys really don't like each other!

Fur being pulled out and minor wounds time and time again is just setting you up for a big fight and more vet bills I am afraid. Unfortunately piggies from places like Pets at Home and other large stores are not sold in bonded pairs and piggies like people don't get on with just anyone despite the fact they might have lived together or even be family. Picking anytwo from a cage that contains 20 or so may seem ok but is not in any way ideal. You wouldn't pick a husband or wife out of a catalogue and then expect to live with them for 20 years without any arguments and that is exactly what many people expect their pets to do...

Take a look at these threads that will help you work out your guys behaviour but I would seriously consider keeping the separately for their own health and wellbeing.

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/boars-a-guide-to-successful-companionship.76162/http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/boars-simple-dominance-displays-or-fighting.28949/

If you are going to keep them separately then please consider getting them a friend each via a recommended rescue (see the locator at the top of the page) sot hey can pick a friend they get on well with and you have someone experienced to help you bond them. That way if there are any issues you have the rescue to help you out.

If you don't fancy another male friend then you could consider getting them neutered and having a lady friend each. Neutering is a surgical procedure and has possible complications so please research carefully and find a good recommended vet before pursuing this option (see our vet locator at the top of the page). Any boar that has been neutered will need to wait 6 weeks before meeting any ladies to make sure he's safe...

If you continue to keep them together then they need as much space as possible (the RSPCA minimum recommendation is a 120cm cage) but the more space the better and make sure you have two of everything to avoid bullying and fights over food, hideys etc. But I think that in the long term this pair sound very much like they will continue to fight and it is not a good idea to have any animal living in a continuously stressed state with a risk of injury. :(
 
Oh dear :( I am afraid that my honest opinion is that if things are really as bad as you describe, it will only be a matter of time before there are more injuries and vet bills :( even a minor wound like a scratch could get infected and cause a whole host of problems. Its really not worth it.

How do you feel about keeping them separately - is it a space issue for you? I think you have done everything within your power to help them get on :( x
 
agh they are a pest! I did try rescues originally but there was only one nearby and it was taking a long time to get anything going.
I am not willing to get them neutered after the infection my pig got from his op last time. And I don't want to end up with four boars in two separate enclosures for them only to end up not liking their housemate and needing to house 4 separately. I seriously wish I had gotten girls now, everyone always raves about how boars are better pets though. It wouldn't be an issue if it was summer, I could just put one straight back out in the hutch. I also have reptiles in my room in vivariums and a hedgehog in a zoozone 2. I'll have to invest in another cage and stack them up or something.
 
How far are you from Northampton? There is a really experienced piggy neutering vet with a great operating team, where you won't run into complications with a neutering track record that is as close to 100% as any good vet and surgeon can reasonably get.
He's done bigger ops on some elderly and pretty frail sows of mine, and they have all just bounced back, including a much more invasive emergency spay on a fragile five year 700g sow. I have lost piggies in and after ops by other vets before, so I can judge the huge difference that he is making.
Simon Maddock at http://www.catandrabbit.co.uk/html/contact_us.html

Neutering won't bring your boys back together, but fall-outs with cross gender pairs are virtually unknown, especially if you date your boys at a good rescue and take character compatibility into account. You will have to wait a full 6 weeks post op until your boys are 100% safe to meet girls, but it will be worth it!
PS: I have a surprise baby courtesy of a supposedly safe over 5 weeks post op boar (not one of mine). Many of my very happy "husboars" are boys that didn't get on with other boar, but you would never think that seeing them now!
 
Live no where near there. I used a gpig specialist who is good and did a great surgery on my pig before - but post op infections aren't really anything the vet can avoid. I wasn't there for the aftercare some one else was as I was unfortunately abroad during that. But I was so nervous putting my pig under and don't want to do it again. I'll invest in another cage for now. Will have to order it online as won't be able to go to the shops until sun 15 earliest.
 
at least if you could put the cages side by side they could talk (or hate each other!) through the bars. Its a horrible situation when you have piggies that wont get on. its not just boars though - and I dont really think girls are any easier. I had Antonia and Caroline who were PEWs from Bramcote rescue and they just hated everyone they were put with, and didnt even like each other most of the time! After Caroline died I had Antonia matched with Honey for a while because Honey was so good and sweet she got on with everyone but it soon became apparent that Antonia was just bullying Honey and pushing her around - it was just that Honey never retaliated. So I moved Honey and put her with Evangeline my texel and they adored each other.

Piggy dynamics can be really frustrating.

x
 
If you got your boys paired up at a good rescue then it should give you the best chance of ending up with two happy, settled pairs and not four singles. A good rescue will spend a good amount of tie getting to know your boys and match them with someone they are likely to get on with. Sometimes an age difference can help and a rescue will know the personalities of all their potential matches to make sure a bond works well.

Keeping the boys separate but side by side is also a possible solution, that way they have company but can't do any damage. I'm sorry there's no good answer to this, I've been there before with the vets bills and nasty injuries and trying decide what to do for the best. It's horrible. In the end I had to rehome one of my boys as I didn't have space for a third cage and now Arran lives with my friends and has been neutered and is happy with a wifeypig. It all worked out in the end but it was awful trying to decide how best to solve the situation and keep everyone and every pig safe and healthy. You have my sympathies :(
 
It's very frustrating! Cage should arrive tomorrow. I suppose I can put them side by side, they will completely block off half my room and my cupboards >< My hedgehog is v v old and I'm expecting her to pass soon so that will free up a bit of room in my room.
Well when I thought Chewie caused all Han's abscesses I was half thinking of rehoming him if they couldn't go back together - but they were in a hutch outdoors at the time when the abscesses appeared and I wasn't around them enough to observe their attitude to each other. Since they have been back together it seems like it's Han doing the damage. But I spent £300+ on that gpig with his wounds and it was heart breaking all the turmoil we went through together, he went through a lot of pain with twice a day flushing and ended up having two ops. So there's no way I'd get rid of Han. And I've gotten super close to Chewie, he's the friendliest of the two and loves attention, popcorns when you talk to him etc. So really I refuse to rehome either! For now I'll have them side by side, possibly get them a friend in the future - but I'm quite reluctant to get more after the vet bills for Han. I'm not some one who would refuse treatment for their pig or try and do the best by them. I went to two vets, ended up going to the specialist but had to beg people to drive me as I don't drive and it took a lot to get there each time i needed to go. Ended up after all his abscess drama getting a culture for fungal which came back negative - but just trying to keep my boars healthy!
 
Wishing you all the best! Take one step at a time and keep them side by side. I am sure that you will be able to find a suitable solution; but it doesn't hurt to do your research into all possibilities first anyway.
 
Oops meant I try and do the best by my piggies.
Cage arrived and is setup. Moved chewie in. They were at the bars knawing them to try and get to each other. Hope they will be happier now. They are side by side
 
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