Bonding Picking up my baby guinea pig?

[ElissaSky]

I have a 2 month old reddish-brown Abbyssinian. I think that is what he is. His hair isn't laying flat against his skin. It kind of sticks up in places (I assume those are the rosettes people talk about). He has to go to the vet on Friday to be checked out. I'm going to have the vet make sure he's male first of all (I'm paranoid). I did get him from a shelter so I realize I might just be overly paranoid, but better safe than sorry.

In addition to a general check up, I want the vet to look at a spot on his head, just above his eyes. When he first let me pet him I was able to feel something kind of bumpy or maybe crusty; like a scab. I didn't see any dried blood there and I haven't picked him up at all for fear that I'll scare him back into his fleece forest. He and I have been working on getting used to each other the past few days and it's been going pretty well. He will run up to the cage and put his paws on it when he sees me come in the room sometimes. He doesn't seem to be too frightened by taking peppers or carrots from my hand. He does slowly approach, then he darts into his fleece forest or under his ramp to actually eat the pepper. I've been spot cleaning his cage twice a day at the same times. He's not afraid of that at all. He seems more curious as to what the heck the big hand is doing in his house, but that's about it. He walks around after the small broom I use and tries to sniff it. Then, he'll be sniffing my hand. I actually like cleaning his cage because he's so active during that time. It's a lot of fun watching him.

I want to make sure he's used to me enough that he won't be traumatized back into hiding if I were to pick him up. Also, I've never owned a guinea pig before and I'm afraid he'll bite me so we're both a bit skiddish, I suppose. Are there signs that I should be looking for to tell me when he's ready for me to try to pick him up and have lap time with him? I won't try to do it if I'm too nervous because well that would go badly.

 

[MrCavyMadness]

Just keep giving him his favorite foods by hand. He'll come around. He will not bite you unless your hands smell like food. Even then, you'll see it coming and it's easy to prevent. He won't do it fast or anything he'll just open his mouth for a bite lol. Give him time. He will love you in no time. Take him out for lap time daily, even if he doesn't really want to come out. Make sure you win his trust first, though.

 

[ElissaSky]

Should I be trying to pick him up even though he's still a little unsure of me? Should I re-schedule his vet appointment for a time when he's more comfortable and will let me hold him? I'm going to have to pick him up to get him out of the cage and into the carrier for the vet appointment on Friday. So far he's taking the food and running away lol

 

[bpatters]

Yes, you should pick him up at least once a day, if not more often. You can shoo him into a cuddle cup or a small box to keep from having to chase him.

Go ahead and take him to the vet. In the meantime, you can post a picture here and we might be able to help identify the lesion.

 

[ElissaSky]

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I'm not sure how well you can see it, but there is a dark spot there kind of off center, but between his eyes. At first I thought that was a little rosette, but it does feel bumpy like there is a scab there.

 

[MrCavyMadness]

It looks like just a scab. He might have rubbed his head on the cage bars or something. You can still take him to the vet.

 

[bpatters]

On the other hand, if it's a scab, it'll come off by itself and will save you vet visit.

Can you get a much closer-up picture?

 

[ElissaSky]

I tried to get a close up picture of it, but it came out pretty blurry. I did cancel his vet appointment because he seems too skiddish to be picked up right now. He will come up to my hand when I put it in the cage and as soon as I try to pet him he runs under his fleece forest. He does come to me when I call him. He will also eat and drink in front of me so we're making progress. I just don't want to halt the progress we're making by doing something that will scare him.

 

[CavyTV]

I understand that you don't want to ruin your bond with him, but the truth is, you're gonna have to do things he might not like many times (e.g. clipping nails, taking him out for laptime even if he doesn't feel like it, health checks, etc.) So he might be a bit more cautious around you after you've picked him up and brought him to the vet. That still doesn't mean you should postpone a necessary vet trip just because you're worried he doesn't trust you enough. Besides, it takes several months or even years to get a guinea pig to fully trust you. If I were you, I'd try to leer him into a carrier by placing some veggies inside, then close it once he's in. That way you won't have to grab/catch him. As for the taming, I don't think you have too much to worry about. From what it sounds like, it seems like he's still a baby, and in my personal experiences, baby pigs are much easier to tame than older ones. (But then again, it mainly depends on the personality ) Also, to me, he looks like an abysinnian mix. Maybe a teddy/abysinnian? Good luck

 

[jaycriae]

It actually might help with bonding to have you take him to the vet- the vet will be the bad guy, and you'll be there to comfort him and give him treats afterwards, and he'll associate you with safety more.
My pigs always think I'm going to save them from scary things even if I'm the one who scared them. They're wonderful animals, but not nearly as smart as we sometimes think.


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