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Guinea Pig Trauma? Please Help!

SmilingPrincess

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When I had one of my friends over, I let her hold one of my guinea pigs, Grace. While she was holding Grace, GRACE JUMPED OUT OF HER HANDS!:ashamed: :sorry: We were close to the wall and Grace hit the wall! She was O.K., but I'm worried that she may be traumatized for life because, it's been several months and Grace still doesn't let me hold her.:weepy: My other guinea pig, Isabella doesn't let me hold her either! Could they be like this forever? I loved holding them before they stoped alowing me to do so, and now I really miss it. Please give me you thoughts on what I should do.
 

GuineaAddict

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Wow that massively sucks. I've had a few times where a few of my different guineas have jumped out of my hands or jumped off of things and hurt themselves. My male wedged himself behind a huge china cabinet and luckilly we put a broom where he was facing and he squeezed his little butt as fast as he could backwards and till he could turn around and run into my exes arms. I've never had any of my guineas hold it against me though.
 

Sugar

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Thats terrible =( There have been a few occasions where I have had a guinea pig jump from my hands or slip from my grasp, but they have never showed any signs of trauma. When Sugar was a baby and I was a new guinea pig owner, she got loose on the garden and we had to chase her for over an hour before we managed to get her. She didn't show any signs of trauma and has always allowed to me to hold her.

Could it be that Grace broke something? I would take her to the vet for a check up just to be sure. If everything is okay with Grace, then you need to build your relationship back up with her slowly. Give her pets and take her out of her cage for shorts periods of time and increase the time she is out slowly. Make sure she has a pleasant time while being held - you could even feed her favourite treats, that may help.

I wish you the best of luck and personally I would be seeking the advice of a proffesional vet who deals with guinea pigs, as they will likely be more knowledgable than us =)
 

SmilingPrincess

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Grace WAS NOT HURT! She is perfectly fine phisicly, I just think she is hurt physologicly, and there for scared to be held. Thanks for the advice and I will take any more suggestions.
 

Toadies

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You might take special effort to make sure that she feels secure; hold her close to your body, let her crawl under your sweater, don't suspend her in the air anymore than necessary. It must have been a scarely experience for her. Maybe the being close will help her feel safer again.
 

relay

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My guinea pigs were very skittish when I first got them. I started giving them pieces of their pellets at night when they had eaten the rest of their food. I was actully trying to teach them a trick but I've noticed ever since I started doing that they come to me easier but they still are hard to catch sometimes. Try holding Grace in a towel too. Do the girls mind being separated? Maybe if you held them together while on the floor, they might need some moral support :D Good Luck!
 

SmilingPrincess

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Thank you everyone, Grace does alot better while being held in a towel. I also gave a peice of cucumber to help her relax. She let me hold her for about fifteen minuets before she started wiggleing too much.
 

ittybitty98577

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When I got my first two pigs. I sat in their cage, only cause it was half of my room. But you can do the same with floor time sit with them let them come up to you be 'one of the girls' they might see you as a friend rather then an owner or personal chef. It helped gain my pigs trust.

Plus I think sugar could be on to something. She could have broken something and you might not be able to see it. Was she checked out by a vet after she fell? Have you been able to hold her at all since she fell. Or is it when you go to get her she runs away then when you catch her its awful?

Actually just a couple days ago, I was getting Blixa out and she started to run and the timing was just awful so I grabbed her in the wrong spot, I guess where the flank of the horse would be. It scared her to death, poor baby. But she screamed to the top of her longs when ever I tried to pick her up after that not even touching her just putting my hands near her. So I just took it step by step and petted her and talked to her and if she was ok left it at that. Then picked her up later. She got over it and is fine now.

wow sorry that was a long post :)
 

Dee Dee S

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You didn't drop the Guinea pig, your friend did, so I don't see how your guinea pigs, especially Isabella, are making a correlation between you and the accident. I am sure Grace now just has some fear of being picked up and possibly being held-which is easy to rehabilitate. If you are positive that Grace is not injuried (she could have muscle strain or be bruised, which depending upon her color you wouldn't be able to see) then I would say that maybe it is the vibes you are sending them. Remember animals can sense if your are nervous or apprehensive-why would guinea pigs be any different? Just start holding her maybe lower to the floor (if she seems to be afraid of the height) and work your way up, go armed with her favorite vegie or fruit treat so being held becomes an extra good thing and no nervousness of any sort from you, even if she starts to squirm-it is business as usual, and I think you will be well on your way. Good luck and keep us posted!
 

Dee Dee S

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You didn't drop the Guinea pig, your friend did, so I don't see how your guinea pigs, especially Isabella, are making a correlation between you and the accident. I am sure Grace now just has some fear of being picked up and possibly being held-which is easy to rehabilitate. If you are positive that Grace is not injuried (she could have muscle strain or be bruised, which depending upon her color you wouldn't be able to see) then I would say that maybe it is the vibes you are sending them. Remember animals can sense if your are nervous or apprehensive-why would guinea pigs be any different? Just start holding her maybe lower to the floor (if she seems to be afraid of the height) and work your way up, go armed with her favorite vegie or fruit treat so being held becomes an extra good thing and no nervousness of any sort from you, even if she starts to squirm-it is business as usual, and I think you will be well on your way. Good luck and keep us posted!
 

WICharlie

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If your pigs are young or are babies, then they are probably still very skittish and active. It's one of the reason that the rescue I volunteer for does not adopt babies out to families with young children. It also explains why they run from you and don't like to be picked up. It is exactly how baby pigs behave.

I would continue to try and handle your pigs daily, but do take precautions to see that they are not dropped again. If your friends want to hold them, you need to educate them on the proper way to hold them and then have your hands at the ready to help. Young people and people who have never held guinea pigs do not expect them to suddenly bolt off the lap, so they need warned about it.

As pigs get older, they often get more used to being handled, although there are some who never really like it. They also tend to get less skittish. They will always run "from the hands" as this is normal behavior for a prey animal. Don't take it personally, just accept it as being normal. I have had over 100 rescue pigs pass through my hands over the years and I have only met ONE that actually begged to be picked up (and he was 5 years old!).
 
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