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Aggression Piggie displaying heightened aggression since larger cage move

Calebgbart

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My fiance and I got two guinea pigs about 4 months ago and one has always been abit of a bully but the other never really minded and shrugged it off. Recently I decided they needed more space so I built them a space with 16 Sq ft (next time I have time I'm building a full second tier to double their space) anyway the bully didn't seem to appreciate the change of space and he got more aggressive with our second piggie. I didnt think much of it until I decided they needed more friends for the extra space and got two more. They are about half the size of the original two and the bully has been more aggressive than I have ever seen him. That being said his original "victim" seems to stick up for the smaller ones if he deems it too much. I feel like this should calm down after a few days (this all happened yesterday) but I'd appreciate some input (and yes I realize now that I should have given him adjustment time before introducing new "friends" into the new house... Hindsight being 2020 and all)
 

bpatters

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How did you introduce them? If you just put them together in the cage, You probably just set them up for squabbling. See https://guinea-pigs.livejournal.com/3002707.html for how to introduce guinea pigs.

Exactly what is he doing that you deem "aggression?" If there's not all-out bleeding, biting, rolling balls of fur, they're probably OK.

I have three sows in a 16 square foot cage, and I wouldn't put a fourth sow in there, much less a fourth boar.
 

Calebgbart

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I assumed it was dominance but I've been told certain sounds suggest "danger will robinson" so to speak and I've been hearing it alot... Bpatters I'm planning on doubling the size of the space sometime over the next few days.
 

bpatters

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There are no certain sounds that mean danger. Warning signs include head raising with teeth bared, and biting attacks at the head. Mounting is totally normal, as is chasing and nipping.
 

jaycriae

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Since nobody said it yet- don't separate them unless there's bleeding. (But do get them a bigger cage ASAP.)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Calebgbart

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So blood has officially been drawn. Although I'm not sure how. I picked up the non dominant pig from my original pair (clumpy) and i noticed some patches of thinning fur... I checked it out and found a few scabs... I put him with the others at bedtime as all this happened right before bed last night, woke up to give one of the new piggies his antibiotics and saw a fresh drop of blood on clumpy. It looks like a pinprick but it is there... I'm not sure if it's from hair pulling or a deliberate attack ��
 

bpatters

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Thinning hair can also be a sign of mites, and thus biting and scratching by the pig who has them. Where on his body are the scabs? If they're at a place he could have reached, he may have caused them. If not, someone else did.

That said, a pinprick of blood is not anything I'd worry about. It could easily have happened from a nip rather than an all-out war. What you need to be concerned about is slashing, biting injuries and puncture wounds.
 

Calebgbart

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The scab I saw last night was more of a scratch (roughly 1/4 inch long). It's close to his rear end on the side. I'll upload a picture when I'm not the only one in the house awake.
 

Calebgbart

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He is also being very sensitive about being touched back there period. I usually pet from head to tail and until yesterday he was fine with that... He isn't having it right now though. If I get too close he starts to turn so I'm trying to only touch his front half for now
 

lissie

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Has he ever been treated for mites? Sensitive to being touched is a sign of mites.
 

Calebgbart

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No he hasn't... I'll look into it
 

bpatters

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There's a thread in the Medical and Veterinary forum here that tells you how to treat for mites. Way cheaper than going to a vet.

And ditto [MENTION=11509]lissie[/MENTION]. If he's sensitive to touch, I'd treat him for mites.
 

Calebgbart

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Should I dose all the piggies with the ivermectin? Just to make sure if I missed something they are all fine?
 

bpatters

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Yes, treat them all.
 

Calebgbart

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Went to runnings (kindof like tractor supply) and got some ivermectin and a syringe (didn't come with the bottle was surprised) have dosed them all (everywhere I read said injectable could be applied topically behind the ears) and now we wait.
 

PigAtHeart

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You should put them in the old cage for an hour or 2 every day then lower it to 1 hour and 30 minutes and give them less time in the cage very day. The 'bully' probably felt very nervous with everything changing and he might just be show his domianance to the other pigs. Give him time to adjust to everything that is happening in his life.
 

Calebgbart

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So I am now convinced it wasn't mites. They have all gotten 3 doses of ivermectin and clumpy continues to get worse. I have also witnessed spaz (the bully) literally run eight feet to attack clumpy and he bit him right where he is continually scabbing. My fiance and I are seriously considering separating him from the rest of the pigs... we don't want to as we aren't sure solitary is healthy but it's also not fair to the other pigs. The pigs that are friendly toward us seem to be the targets... the ones who don't run and cuddle up with us seem to be the ones he is targeting the heaviest. He doesn't want anything to do with us and seems annoyed that the others do... I'm at my wits end on this one... if we have any piggy whisperers now is the time to speak up
 
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