What to do?

[Mr66769]

Hi,
I have three female guinea pig’s! They are all well behaved and very friendly and love cuddles. But one of them goes crazy out of nowhere and starts to purr and goes in circles and starts to bite the other two piggies! When I haven’t even touched them or the other piggies haven’t! What should I do? This goes on for about a minuet but it scares me sometimes and I get worried!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Welcome to the forum

a bit more context is necessary -

how old are they?
how long have they been together?
how big is their cage?

the purring is rumblestrutting which is a dominance behaviour. Does it happen a lot or only occasionally when she is in season?
if she is actually biting them enough to break the skin then there is likely a problem between them, but mostly sows nip but don’t actually make contact with the other piggy. it’s a well judged nip, not a full on bite

Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs

 

[Mr66769]

They are all 4 years old! They have been together since they were born, and I can quit tell if it a full bite but they freeze for a few seconds when they have been bit. And they do look quit affected especially the smaller guinea pig. They have a two floor hutch and is big enough for two rabbits so it should be fine for three piggies! Also we put the in a outside cage when the weather is warm enough to eat fresh grass and run around! Also she does it quit often maybe 2 or more times a day.

 

[Piggies&buns]

They are all 4 years old! They have been together since they were born, and I can quit tell if it a full bite but they freeze for a few seconds when they have been bit. And they do look quit affected especially the smaller guinea pig. They have a two floor hutch and is big enough for two rabbits so it should be fine for three piggies! Also we put the in a outside cage when the weather is warm enough to eat fresh grass and run around! Also she does it quit often maybe 2 or more times a day.

What are the measurements of the cage on one level? Being two floors doesn’t double the amount of space (upper levels don’t count) so it needs to be big enough on one level. The cage may say it is big enough for two rabbits but very few actually are, so this is why I am checking!

how long has this behaviour been going On?
Has she been checked for ovarian cysts? She is at the age where any sudden change in behaviour may be explained by the presence of cysts. She would need to see a vet for diagnosis and to discuss the next steps.

 

[Mr66769]

It is 44 by 17 inches and she has not been checked for ovarian cysts but she has only been doing this for around a year!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Are those measurements definitely correct? If so, sadly the cage is far too small even one piggy. (it’s definitely not big enough for two rabbits - this is why I wanted to check. Rabbits need a total of 5 square metres so I'm always wary of cages when they say can fit two rabbits!). That comes out at 111cm x 43cm. That is well below minimum welfare standard for one piggy (a single piggy or a sow pair need an absolute minimum of 120cm x 60cm). For three piggies you need a cage of 180cm x 60cm.

Definitely have checked for cysts. Anything from around 2 years old onwards then cysts can crop up - the symptoms can be varied (the sow guide I linked in earlier explains further). A vet check would definitely be the next thing to do.

 

[Mr66769]

Thank you.