Guinea Pig Wound Care

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aaotto2710

Post   » Thu Nov 21, 2019 1:18 pm


Hello all, I have two female pigs have been living together for over a year now and recently have had quite bad luck with them. My older pig of 1.5-2 years old recently developed and was being treated for an ear infection causing her to be very grumpy with her friend around 1-1.5 years old. 2 year old with the infection attacked her pen mate and caused her to limp right before I had to leave my house for the day. Since I had to leave and couldn’t supervise I made the choice to separate them as I was highly uncomfortable with the fighting resulting in a limping injury and didn’t want it to progress further while I was away. Also they had never fought with such aggression before only normal dominance bickering. I kept them in a C&C enclosure with a shared wall, so they still had a buddy, but could do no harm.

Now that my older pigs ear infection has cleared up they had been snuggling through the pen and seemed to be doing really great again. Last night, however, the younger one pushed passed her barrier during floor time and was out with my other girl while I was in the room. I decided since the older pig was healed up that I would let them have a chance to interact. They had a really great time for about 30 minutes. They were running around popcorning and seemed to be actually enjoying each other’s presence. Then the next second they were a flurry of fur and there was a big fight.

My older pig bit the cheek of my younger one leaving a nice split. I have washed/flushed it with salt water and placed a pig safe antibiotic cream on it. Is there anything else I should be doing?

Also does anyone have any idea as to why all of the sudden they would be not getting along? I understand initially it was more then likely due to the older one not feeling well. Now though with her feeling better and them seeming to want to be close and play I am confused. I just want my girls to be happy and safe.

Thank you!

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu Nov 21, 2019 8:17 pm


"placed a pig safe antibiotic cream on it."

Make sure any topical antibiotic cream you use is applied extremely sparingly because you do not want it licked off and ingested. Pretty much all antibiotic creams contain antibiotics that are a danger to guinea pigs - but not if used topically (and not ingested).

Things do change when one guinea pig gets ill. Aside from those stresses, sometimes a female guinea pig will become more aggressive due to hormonal issues.

User avatar
Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Thu Nov 21, 2019 8:35 pm


You can also use a weak (diluted) Betadine solution:
https://www.guinealynx.info/antiseptic_solutions.html

Do watch for any sign of infection: redness, swelling, discharge, etc. If it's a deep wound, it should be evaluated by a qualified vet right away.

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