piggy slave mistake making poor baby nervous resulting in bite

[fanniephina]

Well, we have our rescue guinea pigs and then the ones we've had from babies but our first rescue is a little more personality then the rest. We learned to always be more careful with this guy as he may have some previous problems. I forgot this today and it was very bad of me. We have really tried to bond him in the past and it always ended very badly with both males and females (he's neutered). I have been working on trying just one more time. He really attacked this time after some weeks of trying to slowly date them and get them used to each other. They have previously done well for some minutes then fur flew and it went past aggressive to blood and serious. This time, I did panic when I saw him come at our other one and wouldn't back away or pull back a bit so I went to get the first one out and I was bit hard by Tybalt. My daughter said she thought he was bleeding but it turned out to be mine :-). He's fine. I had to go to the urgent care clinic to be sure with it and it had been bleeding pretty steady for about a half hour; even with pressure. A couple tiny stitches later, shot and antibiotics and back home with the little one.

What frustrated me in this had nothing to do with Tybalt but rather the nurses and practitioner at the urgent care hospital. My world, like yours, is the wonderful babies these are but to anyone outside this world, they are rodents and there is not a whole lot of understanding. The admitting nurse didn't know how to spell guinea pigs and the others just couldn't understand that this behavior was my fault and not just a horrid little rodent. It was impossible to explain our babies and the wonderful world I live in and get from them. The only comments were some faces of distaste and to stay away from guinea pigs (that was the nurse practitioner and dr).

I came home appreciating these babies more for being surrounded by so many not understanding their wonderful selves and have made up with Tybalt after asking most sincerely for forgiveness. My daughter had already cleaned him up, took him back upstairs to his cage and was spoiling him. He is very, very close with her and seems to respond completely different and I'm happy for that. I just don't think we can really find him a companion and I don't want to put him through that anymore. I don't know if that's right or wrong as male bonding is still somewhat confusing to me about whether it's just me unable to get him bonded (however, I had no problems with any of the others after taking the steps necessary) of if there is such a thing as it not being able to be done.

I also sincerely apologized to my poor baby I was trying to bond as he didn't get away totally unscathed either. However, they have both been sweet as can be since and this slave is learning to be better :-).

 

[VickiA]

I’ve seen some terrible bites from people separating fighting piggies, so when I’m doing introductions I keep an oven glove (for me to wear) and a chopping board and dustpan to out between and separate piggies safely. It’s hard to believe such small gentle creatures can inflict such damage. It’s always unintended as they simply lash out.
Sorry that the bonding didn’t work. Tybalt sounds like a very tricky character. Perhaps he’s best living alongside but not in the same space as other piggies. I’d certainly give him plenty of time before attempting any future bonding.

 

[Wiebke]

Well, we have our rescue guinea pigs and then the ones we've had from babies but our first rescue is a little more personality then the rest. We learned to always be more careful with this guy as he may have some previous problems. I forgot this today and it was very bad of me. We have really tried to bond him in the past and it always ended very badly with both males and females (he's neutered). I have been working on trying just one more time. He really attacked this time after some weeks of trying to slowly date them and get them used to each other. They have previously done well for some minutes then fur flew and it went past aggressive to blood and serious. This time, I did panic when I saw him come at our other one and wouldn't back away or pull back a bit so I went to get the first one out and I was bit hard by Tybalt. My daughter said she thought he was bleeding but it turned out to be mine :-). He's fine. I had to go to the urgent care clinic to be sure with it and it had been bleeding pretty steady for about a half hour; even with pressure. A couple tiny stitches later, shot and antibiotics and back home with the little one.

What frustrated me in this had nothing to do with Tybalt but rather the nurses and practitioner at the urgent care hospital. My world, like yours, is the wonderful babies these are but to anyone outside this world, they are rodents and there is not a whole lot of understanding. The admitting nurse didn't know how to spell guinea pigs and the others just couldn't understand that this behavior was my fault and not just a horrid little rodent. It was impossible to explain our babies and the wonderful world I live in and get from them. The only comments were some faces of distaste and to stay away from guinea pigs (that was the nurse practitioner and dr).

I came home appreciating these babies more for being surrounded by so many not understanding their wonderful selves and have made up with Tybalt after asking most sincerely for forgiveness. My daughter had already cleaned him up, took him back upstairs to his cage and was spoiling him. He is very, very close with her and seems to respond completely different and I'm happy for that. I just don't think we can really find him a companion and I don't want to put him through that anymore. I don't know if that's right or wrong as male bonding is still somewhat confusing to me about whether it's just me unable to get him bonded (however, I had no problems with any of the others after taking the steps necessary) of if there is such a thing as it not being able to be done.

I also sincerely apologized to my poor baby I was trying to bond as he didn't get away totally unscathed either. However, they have both been sweet as can be since and this slave is learning to be better :-).

Most piggy bites are actually in defence when they feel on edge and cornered; they can instinctly overreact. Never go between fighting or nervous piggies with your bare hands! Always have oven gloves at the ready.
" Biting" And What You Can Do

Here are our bonding tips: Bonding: Illustrated Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics

 

[fanniephina]

Thank you for the responses and support on this (something I always have here when completely unsure if I've done right or wrong and what I can know better to do). It's absolutely so helpful and I feel a bit more relieved. My daughter and I are going to keep working with him but a bit more carefully now and I did add some gloves. Actually my husband was more concerned but we went out, got some good gloves and we've both been spending extra time making certain no one was nervous today.