Warning: Undefined variable $href_target in /usr/home/drmarie/public_html/askavetquestion.com/phpGiggle/phpgiggle-config.inc.php on line 44
Aggressive guinea pig is biting me. How to make her stop? | Ask A Vet
 

 


Dog ate chocolate?

 ask a vet

Guinea pig biting.

Species: Other
Breed: Guinea Pig American/
Age: 3-6 months
How I can gently dissuade my guinea pig from nibbling and nipping me?

Recently my guinea pig has been trying to nibble my fingers, and she gave me a nip on my lower arm today. It broke the very, very top layer of my skin.

This behavior usually happens when we are watching television on my computer together.

She has a salt lick and I give her apple branches, hay, kibble, apples, and carrots all the time.

Usually, we have amiable relations, and she is excited whenever I come from work.


Warning: Undefined variable $related_questions in /usr/home/drmarie/public_html/askavetquestion.com/related1.php on line 75

Deprecated: strlen(): Passing null to parameter #1 ($string) of type string is deprecated in /usr/home/drmarie/public_html/askavetquestion.com/related1.php on line 75

Warning: Undefined variable $related_articles in /usr/home/drmarie/public_html/askavetquestion.com/related1.php on line 75

Deprecated: strlen(): Passing null to parameter #1 ($string) of type string is deprecated in /usr/home/drmarie/public_html/askavetquestion.com/related1.php on line 75

Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Guinea pigs are wonderful little creatures but they can have some annoying habits at times!

Female guinea pigs (sows) can have a very strong tendency towards territorial aggressiveness and this may be what you are seeing.

Here are some things that you can try. The idea is to gradually desensitize her to your presence and change her attitude so that she feels very comfortable with you.

For a couple of days, don't pick Squeaky up at all. Several times a day, go to her cage and drop in some kind of treat/veggie that she likes. You can talk to her but don't try to touch her.

Then, after a few days, do the same thing but instead of dropping the treat in, put it next to her with your hand. Do that for a couple of days.

Then, do the same thing, but after you put the treat in the cage, then pet her a little bit. At any point in this process, if she gets aggressive then go back to the previous step for a few days.

The next step would be to actually pick her up while you have a treat in your hand.

You can gradually take her to different places in the house and give her a small treat every now and then so she is comfortable with you.

If this isn't working then another option would be to find a vet who is able to do a guinea pig spay. Spaying her will greatly reduce the hormones that are likely causing her to be aggressive.

Dr. Marie.





Warning: Undefined variable $displayed in /usr/home/drmarie/public_html/askavetquestion.com/answer_np.php on line 253
Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?

Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Want to receive pet coupons, vet advice and info on new pet products in your inbox?

* indicates required

We'll only send you great stuff, never spam. Unsubscribe any time.

Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Search for similar questions:

ask a vet

Popular questions...

Pattern baldness in dogs. Hi Dr. Marie, I have noticed that over the last few months my dog seems to be... (16233 views)

Dog had large tumor and died. Our dog Jessie, just passed away suddenly on Friday morning. She went off on her... (15805 views)

Pigmented spot on belly. Dr, Recall my 9 week old golden named Max... I noticed something today on his... (16275 views)

Stomatitis and FIV. my cat has stomatitus and fiv. i hate to give her up but she may be suffering and i... (17723 views)

Coughing after spay. My cat was spayed 6 days ago. At first she was great.Incision looked great and still... (18755 views)

64 days pregnant. hello, I have a 1 1/2 year old Pomeranian half jack russel. I just found out she is... (21448 views)

Licking at foot. About 4 years ago we had one front dewclaw removed, after ruby caught it on... (15094 views)

Bump in dog's mouth. My dog was taken for a walk her ball went under a car, she retreived her ball... (10840 views)

Cat howling at night. Our 25 yo orange tiger stripe male developed kidney failure and we had to make the... (11839 views)

Large lump on dog's side. A lump (about the size of a quarter) showed up suddenly on his side, about an inch... (32922 views)

See all questions...

Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.