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Conditions Possible mites?

SierraVii

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My pig acts a bit weird sometimes. I've been reading around about pigs that tend to bite when being held, and quite a few people say it might be because he has mites. Sometimes when I'm petting him and sort of stares at my hands and tries to bite them, and he's already taken a few good bites out of my fingers. I tend to pet him around his lower back / bum area because I love hearing him purr and he sorts of twitches his legs and raises them all funny. He also absolutely hates being picked up. No matter how I try to pick him up he's either bitting me or just trying to get away. So if I'm holding him in my hand, support all four of his feet and nipping at me, so I often have to hold him by his sides which I hate because I don't know if I'm hurting him, and then his legs are just going crazy because he wants down. :( He also tends to jump out of my hands and hit the bottom of the cage and I think he's going to end up hurting himself! Do you think he just isn't used to being held, or should I possibly have him checked out?
 

foggycreekcavy

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Those noises he's making when you pet him around his rear are not happy noises. He doesn't like what you are doing. That purring noise is a noise of irritation. Guinea pigs, to show dominance over other guinea pigs, mount and bite each other on the rears. So when you mess with him back there is makes him anxious.

Pigs are always trying to get away. When I have skittish pigs, I just have them sit quietly on my lap while watching tv or something, in a cuddle cup or cavy bed. I gently pet them from their noses to back behind their heads, but not all the way to their rumps.

There is a chance he has mites. I would treat him just in case. It won't hurt him if he doesn't have them.

As for jumping out into the cage, put him in backwards. You are right, he can injure himself quite severely by jumping out of your hands.
 

SierraVii

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I've been doing more research lately, because the other day I noticed he is getting brownish, black spots on his skin behind his ears. So far he only has one that's like that, but I really freaked me out. I noticed day 1 that he had two, pink bald spots behind his ears. But as i was holding him the other day noticed one had gotten spots on it, and when I looked it up and sort of pulled me into the 'my pig has mites' thought again.
I called my vet today and they just can't really help me, and I honestly can't afford to spend loads of money trying to find a vet that will take him. :( (My mother doesn't have a job because she's in college, and i'm still to young to get one myself.)
I honestly have no idea how I can treat this problem, so I'm super worried about him.

I tried getting a picture of the dots, though.
016.jpg I tried washing them off with a wet cloth too and it didn't help.
 

foggycreekcavy

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The skin looks normal to me. I'm having a hard time figuring out exactly where the bald spot is on him--most guinea pigs do have bald spots to varying degree behind their ears.
 

SierraVii

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Yeah I know. He only has those two normal bald spots behind his ear and my mom freaked out when we first got him because he thought he was in a fight hah. But the skin behind his ears there used to be completely pink and now there are those weird spots that don't want to come off.
 

foggycreekcavy

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It looks like the same color of skin that's on his ears. How old is he? Could be his skin is changing as he ages.
 
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