Nic bee
Junior Guinea Pig
Hi, I'll try and keep this as short as I can but there's a lot I need advice on please..
I had two pigs for 3 yrs from a fantastic rescue, unfortunately lost one so got another, from a local small rescue/boarder. I've been told my new one is 3.5yrs old. Bonding went ok, my existing pig tink, took charge and my new pig spud seemed content to run away or put his head down to avoid conflict. They'll sit in opposite ends of their large cage but Ive seen spud get the water, food, hay etc. Without tink minding (tink will push spud away if he wants what spuds eating but I think that normal dominance). We've had him about 4 weeks now.
The problems are-
1) my new pig is so brave, if I go in their room, he stands on his back legs and pokes his nose as far to me as possible, where as all pigs I've had previously always run away when I enter the room. However he's petrified when I pick him up, he flinches and jumps every time I touch him. He chatters his teeth at me and shivers whenever he's out.
2) he's so noisy- not a problem if I wasn't worried, but I'm guessing he's very unhappy. Sometimes when I go to catch him in his cage he wheeks, it can't be an excited noise (although sounds exactly like my other piggie when he hears the fridge opening) but he does it whenever he seems scared such as the vet is handling him or looking in his ears etc. He quite often makes little grunting noises when he's in his cage or can be a bit wheezy sometimes (this seems to tie in with him being scared).
3) he's really boney, He doesn't feel "normal" when I'm stroking him, I can feel his spine and hip bones. The vet said I need to keep an eye on his weight, which I am doing but even though he's constantly eating and pooing he's not putting on weight. He moves between 930g -990g.
4) ringworm! So he came to me with Ringworm, ugh we've treated it with oral intrafungal for 3 weeks and it seems clear, the hair has started growing back and the scabs all dropped off but there's still a white tinge to his ear? The vet told me not to bring him back unless the bald area was growing but all this hygiene is physically draining. Attached a photo.
5) when I took him to the vets 3 weeks ago with the Ringworm she noticed a small 5mm cut on his bum. We both thought it was probably from my other pig as they were still bonding. But the cut is still there, part has scabbed but part still looks sore.
Argh help me- I thought I was doing the right thing "rescuing" this pig but I'm not sure I'm experienced enough to deal with all this!
I had two pigs for 3 yrs from a fantastic rescue, unfortunately lost one so got another, from a local small rescue/boarder. I've been told my new one is 3.5yrs old. Bonding went ok, my existing pig tink, took charge and my new pig spud seemed content to run away or put his head down to avoid conflict. They'll sit in opposite ends of their large cage but Ive seen spud get the water, food, hay etc. Without tink minding (tink will push spud away if he wants what spuds eating but I think that normal dominance). We've had him about 4 weeks now.
The problems are-
1) my new pig is so brave, if I go in their room, he stands on his back legs and pokes his nose as far to me as possible, where as all pigs I've had previously always run away when I enter the room. However he's petrified when I pick him up, he flinches and jumps every time I touch him. He chatters his teeth at me and shivers whenever he's out.
2) he's so noisy- not a problem if I wasn't worried, but I'm guessing he's very unhappy. Sometimes when I go to catch him in his cage he wheeks, it can't be an excited noise (although sounds exactly like my other piggie when he hears the fridge opening) but he does it whenever he seems scared such as the vet is handling him or looking in his ears etc. He quite often makes little grunting noises when he's in his cage or can be a bit wheezy sometimes (this seems to tie in with him being scared).
3) he's really boney, He doesn't feel "normal" when I'm stroking him, I can feel his spine and hip bones. The vet said I need to keep an eye on his weight, which I am doing but even though he's constantly eating and pooing he's not putting on weight. He moves between 930g -990g.
4) ringworm! So he came to me with Ringworm, ugh we've treated it with oral intrafungal for 3 weeks and it seems clear, the hair has started growing back and the scabs all dropped off but there's still a white tinge to his ear? The vet told me not to bring him back unless the bald area was growing but all this hygiene is physically draining. Attached a photo.
5) when I took him to the vets 3 weeks ago with the Ringworm she noticed a small 5mm cut on his bum. We both thought it was probably from my other pig as they were still bonding. But the cut is still there, part has scabbed but part still looks sore.
Argh help me- I thought I was doing the right thing "rescuing" this pig but I'm not sure I'm experienced enough to deal with all this!
