Very Bitey Piggy.

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Squeaky_Ewok

Squeaky_Ewok

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hello!

I have had my pig over a year now he is perfectly healthy and always has been bitey I thought maybe he will snap out of it after a couple of months bonding. However I fear now the reason he bites when I hold him and cuddle is because of the many vet trips and oral treatment he has had to have in the short time he has been with me.

First it was treatment for ringworm.
Then treatment for econiculi which my other pig caught and unfortunately passed away from, thankfully GI never caught it.
These were both done within a month. Very bad luck.
Recently it was Eye drops and baytril for 10 days.

Because of the ringworm when I first got them I couldn't have cuddles or hold them (which I blame on pets at home as I was unaware of rescues, I had previous pigs from them and they lived very full long lives back then but obviously now seeing all the bad press I will never use them again.) I have been trying to locate a suitable friend for him with no luck as I want one of the same age and within a distance I can travel.

Would having a cage mate help?
Or is it now too late to stop him biting? He has never drawn blood and half the time it is him telling me he needs the toilet so I put him back but he never sits still! >.<
Or is it he is just not the cuddly type of pig?

Always happy to come out for some cucumber though cheeky!
 
I would take him boar dating to a rescue to see if he can find a friend. Guinea pigs are happier with a friend and can get very lonely and bored living alone. Did you try the rescue locator on here? It is difficult as he has been poorly and you handling him has been for things he would not enjoy. I would try feeding him his favourite vegetables while you hold him so he associates you with something nice.
 
What I would do is put on some gardening gloves & give him lots of lap time. While cuddling & stroking him also give some treats. It might not work quick but you should get there in the long run. He just needs to know that he has nice times with you as well as all the vet visits & meds etc.
 
Squeaky_Ewok said:
Hello!
I have been trying to locate a suitable friend for him with no luck as I want one of the same age and within a distance I can travel.
Click to expand...

Does he bite all the time? or just occasionally when you handle him?
My new boy is bitey if you let him, and bites often when he needs the toilet and wants to go back. He is a little wriggler when it comes to be put back in the cage, so the way I hold him to put him back he bites as well. If I don't hold him like that he likes to catapult himself out of my hands!

Although most rescues do not rehome over Christmas, you have some fab rescues in your area for after the holiday season is over. Although I don't think RSPCA Walsall do boar dating, but I may be wrong. The potteries in Stoke on trent are very good and do date piggies- single boars are not always listed on the rescue sites so it is always best to email them to see.
How old is your boy? Quite often different age pairings work quite well particularly if one of the boars is going through their hormonal period.
 
piggyfan said:
I would take him boar dating to a rescue to see if he can find a friend. Guinea pigs are happier with a friend and can get very lonely and bored living alone. Did you try the rescue locator on here? It is difficult as he has been poorly and you handling him has been for things he would not enjoy. I would try feeding him his favourite vegetables while you hold him so he associates you with something nice.
Click to expand...

I have looked at the rescue locator, unfortunately aren't any others close enough to me that boar date. :/ I know people get the train and travel with their pigs but I just can't travel that distance with such a nervous pig. :( Thanks for the advice
 
Stewybus said:
What I would do is put on some gardening gloves & give him lots of lap time. While cuddling & stroking him also give some treats. It might not work quick but you should get there in the long run. He just needs to know that he has nice times with you as well as all the vet visits & meds etc.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice! I will try some gloves and just make him sit there with his veg and see if it gets through to him xD
 
klee said:
Does he bite all the time? or just occasionally when you handle him?
My new boy is bitey if you let him, and bites often when he needs the toilet and wants to go back. He is a little wriggler when it comes to be put back in the cage, so the way I hold him to put him back he bites as well. If I don't hold him like that he likes to catapult himself out of my hands!

Although most rescues do not rehome over Christmas, you have some fab rescues in your area for after the holiday season is over. Although I don't think RSPCA Walsall do boar dating, but I may be wrong. The potteries in Stoke on trent are very good and do date piggies- single boars are not always listed on the rescue sites so it is always best to email them to see.
How old is your boy? Quite often different age pairings work quite well particularly if one of the boars is going through their hormonal period.
Click to expand...

He bites harder when he needs to go back for a wee and stuff, but he does bite as soon as I get him out of the cage sometimes. Rest of the time he won't sit still tries wriggle all over the place :( And mine does tend to jump too, urgh such an impatient little thing! And no they don't sadly I did contact them before about a young boy they had but that's when mine came with something which the vet suspected as a URI then on baytril. So was best for me to cancel the visit because of him having treatment. I would have a younger male if only it wasn't for the fact they could easily fight down the line then they'd end up being separated.

I've heard nice things about the rescues but they aren't close enough for me to travel (except walsall) to even with the option of trains, and such. The distance wouldn't be a good idea for my guinea pig, as he gets nervous going the vet which is only 10 mins away xD He is over one year now. I've often thought about getting him neutered but this I fear would make him even more nervous and less open to being handled. Knowing mine and his luck there would be massive consequences, not worth the risk to him I think. :/
Thanks for the advice! :)
 
A longer journey will be worth it if he finds a friend. He is nervous of the vets as he gets poked and prodded by a stranger.
 
I would agree with Piggy Fan, travelling with any piggy is not as stressful as you would imagine and the benefit of a good friend for him might make all the difference. I can see you are in the West Midlands so have a number of rescues not too far from you. Try having a chat with them, maybe they could meet you half way or help with travel?

To be honest it sounds like your little man is a little bored and that's why he is biting...but some pigs are always a bit nibbly/bitey. My Angus is 2 and a half now and has only really settled down to being cuddled for lap time in the last 6-8 months. He like to bite your clothes and chew on my collar bone but often it's because he's bored and wants down on the floor to run around. Struan can be bitey too for no apparent reason. Try having some treats on hand when he is on your lap to distract him and use a blanket etc so he can't get his teeth into you too easily.

Remember guinea pigs are herd animals and not designed to live on their own (for the most part, there's always the odd exception). A human companion is good but just not the same as another piggy, it's a bit like getting married to someone who you love very much but who speaks some obscure African dialect, you can have a relationship but it's so difficult to communicate that some of the love can't get through... Toys, food and love all make piggies happy but none of them really replace a friend of their own species.
 
Thanks for the advice!

Even though it says West Midlands when my postcode is entered they are too far, not too far if you have a car but sadly I don't. I live with my parents and would be unfair to ask them to travel all that way on my part, well it would be my mom as my dad is at work until 10pm xD And she already does so much :/ BUT after xmas Walsall is in reach so usually after xmas they have a lot of unwanted pets and I'm guessing they are closed now? I will email them to see if they have any younger pigs. I would prefer a piggy of the same age but I won't be able to 100% agree with myself until GI has a go at meeting a younger friend so I will try that. Then if all else fails I will have try my hinting skills with my parents to see if they would consider haha xD It seems all this christmassy feeling has gotten to my gi gi and he actually took a very rare 15 minute nap on me, until he need to eat. Was a nice treat! :)
Again thank you :)

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