Some Advice Please Regarding Stress And Mites

[Linzig33]

Hey, I’m looking for some advice. I have two roughly 5-6 month old boars. They are in a fleece lined 5x2 c&c cage. They have free run of my spare room where their cage is for around 3 hours each day (more when I can).

They come and take food from me when they are in their cage but are still very timid out and about. They are still nervous being handled but I go at their pace and give them lots of affection/speak to them so they get used to me. I have had them since they were around 5/6 weeks old.

I have one section of their cage darkened with a fleece over it and this is where they prefer to sleep/eat etc and I find this easier to clean. The other section is open top but has the cosy bed and teddy I have given them. They never toilet in this section which I suppose is easiest for me as it’s less cleaning. However, I feel they are still so timid that they don’t want to venture out much. I’m worried that I haven’t created a safe enough environment for them that they don’t feel comfortable being out. I have no other pets and it’s just my boyfriend and I in the house. I am in their room a lot as I get ready in the morning in there as well as spend most of my time popping in and out and being there for floor time.

I have noticed a slight balding on one of the boys. His hair falls into random sides every day as he has long hair but I am concerned about this patch. I will upload a photo.

So my questions are is there anything I have missed in regard to what I am doing at the moment for them? Are they at an age where they should be more easy handled/less timid? And more so, should I be concerned about this patch possibly being mites?

Thank you in addvance, Lynsay.

 

[Wilbur&Otis]

Hi Lynsay!

First of all don’t worry about the bald bit that looks like a totally normal hair parting to me. If it changes or you notice excessive scratching / dandruff then get it checked out but it’s normal to have bits like this where their hair naturally parts / the centre of a rosette.

I’ve had boars for the last few years and had very similar worries at first. It sounds like their cage is so safe and cosy that they don’t want to leave. If I were you I would start handling more - get them out (together at first if you can for comfort) and give them their veg on your knee so they associate coming out to see you with other nice things. If they don’t like being picked up encourage them to go into some sort of hidey / tunnel that you can lift them out in.

I would move their cage layout around regularly if you can. If they are staying in the darkened bit swap this to the other side one day and start to make it slightly less dark and cosy removing one side. If there is a super safe place to hide their instincts will make them stay in it. Make it less super safe and you should find they go out more and realise the rest of the cage feels safe too.

When put out for floor time I strategically place bridges and tunnels and piles of hay etc so that they have a ‘safe route’ around the room and this encourages them to run around and explore. I try to avoid putting a favourite hidey out though that they can just stay in and opt for wooden bridges cardboard boxes / open hay trays etc. I like to sit at one end of the room with a bag of leaves and rustle it occasionally and the boys will run over now for a fuss and a leaf.

Hope this helps, Natalie x

 

[Wilbur&Otis]

Another thing you could try - as well as moving the layout around and making the dark corner much less dark and cosy...

If they are only pooing in the covered section I would try taking some soiled bedding / poos and scatter it round the rest of the cage. They poo in ‘safe places’ to avoid their scent being picked up by predators so you will know they feel secure in the whole of their cage when they start to poo everywhere (although this will make cleaning duties harder!) Smelling their scent all over the cage should make it feel like home.

 

[VickiA]

Some great advice from @Wilbur&Otis.
I don’t see any skin reddening or broken hair. Does the piggy scratch or gnaw at the spot? It could just be a parting of the hair. Just keep an eye on it and check it doesn’t turn into a bald patch, sore spot or you see scratching and gnawing - anything that could indicate mites. If that happens then please get the vet to check them over.

 

[Wiebke]

View attachment 82411 View attachment 82410 Hey, I’m looking for some advice. I have two roughly 5-6 month old boars. They are in a fleece lined 5x2 c&c cage. They have free run of my spare room where their cage is for around 3 hours each day (more when I can).

They come and take food from me when they are in their cage but are still very timid out and about. They are still nervous being handled but I go at their pace and give them lots of affection/speak to them so they get used to me. I have had them since they were around 5/6 weeks old.

I have one section of their cage darkened with a fleece over it and this is where they prefer to sleep/eat etc and I find this easier to clean. The other section is open top but has the cosy bed and teddy I have given them. They never toilet in this section which I suppose is easiest for me as it’s less cleaning. However, I feel they are still so timid that they don’t want to venture out much. I’m worried that I haven’t created a safe enough environment for them that they don’t feel comfortable being out. I have no other pets and it’s just my boyfriend and I in the house. I am in their room a lot as I get ready in the morning in there as well as spend most of my time popping in and out and being there for floor time.

I have noticed a slight balding on one of the boys. His hair falls into random sides every day as he has long hair but I am concerned about this patch. I will upload a photo.

So my questions are is there anything I have missed in regard to what I am doing at the moment for them? Are they at an age where they should be more easy handled/less timid? And more so, should I be concerned about this patch possibly being mites?

Thank you in addvance, Lynsay.

Hi! This is a normal parting and nothing to worry, unless it gets bigger in a matter of days. I see these patches in my own perus and they never come to anything.

What I would recommend for your own peace of mind is to check the bum hairs at the back, especially underneath the top layer or hair for hay mite egg cases that are fixed to the hairs. They look like somebody has ground a peppermill over your boy and should be clearly visible on your boy. They are the most harmless of skin parasites and can come in the hay (they are also called fur mites or static lice from their egg cases).

If you want your boys to venture out more, peg a towel over part of the hay area! That will give them a feeling of safety. Just dot tunnels, cardboard boxes with at least two exits or children's stools around - the latter is especially useful for teenage boars like yours.

Guinea pigs are prey animals; depending on how stressed their mum was and what conditions they come from, this can be internalised more and take longer to overcome. Patience will get you there.

Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips

 

[Linzig33]

Hi Lynsay!

First of all don’t worry about the bald bit that looks like a totally normal hair parting to me. If it changes or you notice excessive scratching / dandruff then get it checked out but it’s normal to have bits like this where their hair naturally parts / the centre of a rosette.

I’ve had boars for the last few years and had very similar worries at first. It sounds like their cage is so safe and cosy that they don’t want to leave. If I were you I would start handling more - get them out (together at first if you can for comfort) and give them their veg on your knee so they associate coming out to see you with other nice things. If they don’t like being picked up encourage them to go into some sort of hidey / tunnel that you can lift them out in.

I would move their cage layout around regularly if you can. If they are staying in the darkened bit swap this to the other side one day and start to make it slightly less dark and cosy removing one side. If there is a super safe place to hide their instincts will make them stay in it. Make it less super safe and you should find they go out more and realise the rest of the cage feels safe too.

When put out for floor time I strategically place bridges and tunnels and piles of hay etc so that they have a ‘safe route’ around the room and this encourages them to run around and explore. I try to avoid putting a favourite hidey out though that they can just stay in and opt for wooden bridges cardboard boxes / open hay trays etc. I like to sit at one end of the room with a bag of leaves and rustle it occasionally and the boys will run over now for a fuss and a leaf.

Hope this helps, Natalie x

Thank you so much, that’s all excellent advice. At the moment I sit at their cage with a grid taken off and they come right up to me for veg and treats but then scamper away haha. I will swap this for having them on my lap and hopefully that will soon settle them.

I used to have both ends of their cage covered and found their toilet all over the cage. I changed it to one end so that they only done the toilet in one section. Whilst this has made my life easier, I worry that they are just confining themselves to one area. When I would love for them to roam freely. Floor time usually involves them dashing around the room, popcorning and then finding the nearest hiding place haha.

Thanks so much again for your advice

 

[Linzig33]

Some great advice from @Wilbur&Otis.
I don’t see any skin reddening or broken hair. Does the piggy scratch or gnaw at the spot? It could just be a parting of the hair. Just keep an eye on it and check it doesn’t turn into a bald patch, sore spot or you see scratching and gnawing - anything that could indicate mites. If that happens then please get the vet to check them over.

Not particularly, I had them treated for hay lice and I think they scratch a normal amount. No redness of skin or dandruff that I can see. I will keep an eye on it though, thank you