Odd Biting Behaviour

[LizzyHoy]

Hello all,

I've decided to post after my female guinea pig has caused a nasty lump on my arm. She is very nippy in general - often bites my clothes and nips my hands/arms. I was hoping she would settle down as she got older but she's over a year old now and hasn't stopped. She also has a habit of getting my skin in her mouth and pulling (hence the lump on my arm). This particular behaviour is something I haven't really seen in other guinea pigs, I'm not sure what its purpose is.

Has anyone seen this before? Any suggestions about how to stop her biting? Thank you in advance!

 

[helen105281]

Has it got worse recently?

If it has, has she been checked for a skin issue such as mange mites? When some of mine have had mange mites they have been very bitey. Otherwise I am not too sure how to stop it, but others may have some advice.

Welcome to the forum, please could you update your location on your profile.

 

[LizzyHoy]

Hi Helen, thanks for your reply.

The guinea pig she lives with (Denise) has had some trouble with ringworm, but Shirley (the one who bites) hasn't shown any symptoms. When it first appeared I treated them both with spot on solutions from the vet. I then treated Denise again with some ointment and later with the ringworm spray from Pets at Home. None of the treatments seem to have made it go for definite, it seems to come back when I stop putting it on.

Having said that Shirley doesn't have symptoms of ringworm and her coat is very soft and shiny. But it is a good point that some kind of skin condition might explain her behaviour - she also doesn't like to sit still when I get her out.

 

[helen105281]

It would be worth getting her checked in case.

Have a read of this guide too:

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/ringworm-hygiene-and-pictures.115402/

 

[Wiebke]

I had a very tweaky piggy once; it was just her way of telling her displeasure - and a matter of dominance.
You may find this thread here interesting in establishing dominance over your girl in piggy language: http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/...stincts-and-speak-piggy-body-language.117031/

Please also have your girl seen by a vet in case it is ringworm or mange mites. Shop products are usually just geared towards the prevention of and not for the full treatment of; they are generally too low dosed. Mites for instance will require three rounds of a higher dosed ivermectin product, spaced 1-2 weeks apart; you always need to treat all piggies living together. With home treatment on spec you can make things worse. Mites and ringworm (fungal) also need different treatment.
We have got a piggy savvy UK vet locator on the top bar: http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/pages/guinea-pig-vet-locator/

 

[LizzyHoy]

Hi, thanks for your reply. She is quite a feisty pig so the dominance thing is a good idea, I'll look into that.

There is a good guinea pig vet near me so I will look into taking her to get checked.

 

[7squeakers.]

My Suzie (RB pig) was just the same. With her it was a dominance thing. The only time that she stopped biting me and seemed a bit happier was when she was living with a boar, Spirit. That's the only time also when she stopped fidgeting whilst sitting on my lap. But they had to be separated when he started bullying her.
Pic; Suzie (sleeping) and Spirit in happier times.

 

[LizzyHoy]

Aw they are cute

So you never managed to stop her biting you (apart from when she lived with a boar)? Shirley is quite dominant, the guinea she lives with (Denise) is happy with the hierarchy so it's not a problem pig wise.

 

[LizzyHoy]

Here is a picture of Shirley and Denise (Shirley's the black one) - apologies that it's not a great picture, I took it because I was amused at the way Shirley was sticking her leg out!