This biting behavior only regarded as nipping, wherein they do not bite hard and do not break your skin. This discomfort-ability may occur either due to a noisy environment or some fear. If they are feeling insecure when you are carrying them around, they might bite you to communicate that they are not feeling good about it. Guinea pigs are prey animals and their only defense mechanisms involve running away from and biting a … Getting to know your pets and their personalities is an effective way to avoid getting bitten. They may also give a bit of a soft warning nibble if they are on your lap and need to pee. Be aware that even nibbling can hurt small children. If your guinea pig runs to hide or pee you got your answer that they wanted to get back to their cage. But it is not the same for bites. When feeling under the weather, Guinea Pigs that are normally amiable might suddenly lash out at their fellow piggies. Such practices are commonly seen if you get a new guinea pig and try to start handling it from the very first day, and they develop a fear of your hand. Guinea Pigs are relatively social animals and usually do pretty well when living in the same vicinity as other guinea pigs. I suggest that you visit a vet on an immediate basis if you find these symptoms in your guinea pigs. Some are more skittish, but I don't agree with the "if its mother was tame" hogwash. Guinea pig nip one another to establish the order of dominance. Guinea pigs can develop a negative emotion towards those who have mishandled them before. One of the most common reasons is that your guinea pigs are not comfortable. So, if you are holding your guinea pig and they want to pee, then they will start nibbling you. (Causes+What To Do), What Should Guinea Pig Poop Look Like? Their teeth, used for grinding up tough foods like hay, grass, and fibrous veggies, can, by all means, leave a mark on your finger. Look for the following symptoms: The symptoms will be severe, like fever, nausea, weakness, and discomfort when the infection spreads. then they might end up biting you hard. The third step would be to use some Neosporin to help recover fast. They enjoy playing and grooming with them. Fear. The second step is to use some alcohol and clean the wound and prevent infection. Long hair guinea pigs are tough to care for and are not recommended for beginners. Guinea Pig Coloring Book: Let Your Anxiety Go Away! For instance, Guinea Pigs might bite when experiencing pain, fear, or even just during an affectionate nibble. Guinea pigs can be washed very gently, regularly, to avoid this being a problem. Some guinea pigs will immediately bite you before escaping, but most guinea pigs will just run away and start teeth chattering. You might need some antibiotics and tetanus shot after the bite. It will depend more on the shape and size of the teeth. Feb 17, 2012 #1 Please could you tell me if guinea pigs bite. Do you smell of something that your guinea pig will likely be afraid of, such as cats and dogs? Why do guinea pigs chatter their teeth, and how do I stop them from doing it! In some cases, there may be some skin infections due to the bite. The drying of the injury is also essential as any water particles will develop into pus and won’t let the wound repair fast. However there are also types of guinea pigs that really for one good reason bite harder. When the guinea pigs bite, you leave them back in their cage and see what they do next. Once the bacteria enter our body, they can be infectious. Source: CDC guidelines, Bites and Stings, Microbiology of Animal Bite Wound Infections. Biting isn’t a manner you need to fret about when planning to get a guinea pig as a pet. Also, when you are holding guinea pig for too long, guinea pig is most likely to nibble. Another reason can be due to fear or stress due to something. Guinea pigs also nip each other to show affection towards each other while grooming. Being readily available at an economical price, people often wonder if they can use straw as bedding... Is It Worth Getting Pet Insurance For Guinea Pigs? Although not aggressive, cavies might bite if you hurt them. The guinea pig was first domesticated as early as 5000 BC for food by tribes in the Andean region of South America (the present-day southern part of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia), some thousands of years after the domestication of the South American camelids. They don't bite as hard as rabbits (but they can … Pain for a more extended period than a day. Or the guinea pig might just like the taste of a person's skin. They have long sharp front teeth and they need to gnaw things to keep them at a comfortable and effective length. Guinea pigs are fairly gentle creatures and biting is not a serious issue to consider when getting a guinea pig. However, some types of wood are not safe for guinea pigs. This is because your guinea pigs are still not used to you or being handled. Do Guinea Pig Bites Hurt? Whenever a guinea pig bites you, then wait for the next ten days. There is a vaccine available for it also. This can be an indicator of mites or fleas. It is nearby to any sensitive area near the face or neck or nearby to any joints which need regular movements. It is recommended to use a towel or any other cloth to pick up your guinea pig. After you have applied pressure for ten minutes, observe the wound. We get confused between a nip and a bite, so we will also explore the difference between them. Guinea pigs often suffer from skin itching, mites, and other similar diseases which makes them very uncomfortable. That is not the case with domestic animals. And that’s exactly what it is designed to be. This shall ensure they get used to your hand. (Potential Disease+Treatment). Even people also feel threatened when we sense danger. (Normal & Abnormal Poop). Such behavior is because each one of them likes to show their dominance to the other one. Although the nibbling can hurt small kids; in general, it’s not that hard. We must look for the following symptoms of the viruses: Here are some of the most common diseases spread by guinea pigs to a human: Salmonellosis, Ringworm, Pasteurellosis, Lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM), Campylobacter, etc. (Normal & Abnormal Poop). good bond with our furry little pet and win his trust. Another reason can be not handling them properly. I have had 8 guinea pigs so far and only got bitten once (trying to break up a fight). Not every time! It hardly hurts and is not painful. After drying the wound, you put some antibiotic ointment like Neosporin. Some guinea pigs love to be cuddled and petted while others don’t. Guinea pigs are sweet, gentle, and docile animals, yet they bite sometimes. They don’t inevitably bite. This behavior is still visible in some form in our guinea pigs. Guinea pigs are sweet, gentle, and docile animals, yet they bite sometimes. If the bleeding doesn’t stop even after few hours of biting, then it would be best to visit a doctor. They’d much rather run away or freeze. There are some instances that they do bite or nibble but don’t happen without any reason. If you experience a puncture bite from a guinea pig, the first step in treatment should be the doctor’s office. They don’t bite without any cause. Sometimes the injury may be quite deeper than usual. Guinea pigs are very gentle pets that don’t usually bite when well cared for. once i got him out and away i could hold him without being bitten but he would be scared to death the whole time out. via: www.flickr.com. Although I am not a medical person myself still, I can suggest to you all with what I have learned with my experience. Straw is an agricultural byproduct consisting of dry stalks of wheat, rice, oats, or barley. Tap water or any bottled water will do as available. It can be your finger when you are trying to feed them, and It can be your hand when you are petting them or anything else. Results in continuous bleeding even after placing the cloth and applying pressure for ten minutes. In such cases, don’t pull the bandage with force, instead, soak the dressing with water to loosen up and then remove slowly. If the Pet is still alive by the end of 10 days, then it is absolutely free of such virus and you need not worry about rabies. where there is not much noise and the temperature is stable in that area. Cheryl L. 1 decade ago. They want to attain your attention, or when they want to move you away from its path, they will nip you. Do guinea pigs bite hard? Before you read further, Here are some of our popular books that provides you great value. Virus numbers could be erratic post-Thanksgiving. link to Is It Worth Getting Pet Insurance For Guinea Pigs? There have been some cases of the infection being reported after guinea pig broke the skin and drew blood. If the dirt enters the body through the cut, it can be infectious. If they don’t like how they are held, or they felt comfortable with their position, they may bite your hand or nibble your clothes. Visit a doctor immediately if your guinea pig is suffering from rabies. 16 Answers. The majority of biting behavior can be considered “nipping”, where … Guinea pigs are in general very calm and docile, but sometimes they can get stressed out and aggressive, which can result in a hard bite. It keeps the skin around the wound moist. Hello, I am Saurav the founder of this blog that's all about guinea pigs. They tend to 'mouth' their owners while being held, just to see if you’re edible! Other than that it is a rare guinea pig that will bite you hard enough to break your skin and then only if you scare it and it feels as though it is going to be hurt. These includes: Few other diseases like skin infections can affect us. You will need to separate them for a day and reintroduce them to see if it happens again. Guinea Pigs are relatively social animals and usually do pretty well when living in the same vicinity as other guinea pigs. As our article about Guinea Pig bites explained, aggression can often be linked to pain or discomfort. It is recommended to get some antibiotics as well as tetanus shots if your guinea pig have bitten you hard. However, if your guinea pig is irritated, it may bite hard, resulting in pain and bleeding. The bandage may stick to the skin if there is any bleeding. You should apply any antibacterial soap available to wash the wound. link to Is It Worth Getting Pet Insurance For Guinea Pigs? Guinea pigs seldom bite their owners. The stitching would be required if the wound is: If any of the above problems are observed, you better visit a doctor for treatment, else you can treat it yourself. no matter what i did i almost always got bitten by him. Do guinea pigs bite and scratch? They have a happy-to-go nature but if irritated or held with tightly for long periods of time, they do become angry and bite. One Guinea Pig might have just got too grumpy and lashed out. At Guinea Pig Center, most of the puncturing bites on humans have come from breaking up fights. You are trying to converse with them, so they get used to your presence and your sound. I am an Animal Nutritionist by education but a pet blogger by profession. Guinea pig bites you when you hold them incorrectly, or they don’t want to be held at all. If you go too fast, you may not develop a good bond with your guinea pigs. (Causes+What To Do), What Should Guinea Pig Poop Look Like? Skin diseases like mites, skin itching, etc. i wanna get one but i dnt want my sister to get hurt. If you see any signs of guinea pig scratching their body along with nibbling at you whenever you try to old them, then these diseases can be the cause. They don’t bite without any cause. My motto with this blog is to help guinea pig owners understand their pets better so they can provide them with the life they deserve. Guinea pigs might get irritated when you are trying to bath them. That is helpful to reduce bacterial activity in the injury and hence prevent any infection. Like other kinds of pets out there, guinea pig also bites in spite of their gentle and lovely appearance. Do guinea pigs bite hurt? Favorite Answer. Guinea pigs are docile animals, and rarely bite without cause. Some of the common reason for guinea pig biting their cage can be: Also read: Why does my guinea pigs keep biting their cage? Make sure to think carefully about getting a pig for young kids. 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