Biting is one of the bad situations that might take place when guinea pigs are kept as pets. It might be harmful whether it is done consciously or not. Usually, there is a cause, and we naturally don't want this behavior to persist, especially if it has only recently begun to happen or has started to become normal. I decided to do some study to learn the causes of guinea pig bites. Today, I wish to share this information with you.
 |
| Guinea Pig Biting: Why Does My Guinea Pig Bite Me? |
Why is my guinea pig biting me? maybe a question you have if you own a guinea pig that bites. Guinea pigs can bite both consciously and unconsciously, and for a variety of reasons. The main causes include the feeling of threat, insecurity, stress, or annoyance in your guinea pig. This might occur if you handle them roughly, stop them mid-feeding or mid-defecation, back them into a corner, or don't give them enough room.
Furthermore, many guinea pigs dislike being carried around the house; they prefer to feel secure and having their feet elevated only makes them feel more uneasy. Most guinea pigs are adorable and have very sweet dispositions. It comes as no surprise that these animals are so well-liked as pets. Guinea pigs are frequently recommended as good pets for kids or beginners on websites and in pet stores, but you should be aware that they can bite.
Your guinea pig may be biting you for various reasons, but the most frequent one is how you are holding them. Biting or nibbling you is their way of expressing how uneasy, insecure, or unsafe they feel. Some guinea pigs don't enjoy being fussed over a lot and petted. You must stop doing this right away if you think it's making people bite. This is due to the possibility that you are stressing them out; while they don't want to bite, they may do so if they feel it is necessary.
It's not like guinea pigs bite their owners very often. When they do, they are simply communicating their need to express their discomfort; it is not personal. Let's look at guinea pig biting in more detail, as well as what you can do and how to teach your guinea pig not to bite in the future.
Are guinea pig bites painfully?
Guinea pig bites can hurt, especially if they bite hard. Usually, guinea pigs will bite and lick you without breaking your skin. Be aware that even nibbling can hurt young children. If your guinea pig feels threatened, anxious, or irritated, it may bite hard and even break its skin, which will definitely hurt you.
It's fair to assume that the harder the bite, the more threatened your guinea pig feels in the moment, and the more he tries to escape such a situation. Guinea pigs sometimes bite their owners' fingers unintentionally, mistaking them for food. For this reason, you must be very careful in how you feed your guinea pigs, as such bites can be painful.
Overall, guinea pigs are very gentle creatures and aggression is not their character. But if they're feeling stressed or a little too excited, they can become aggressive, which often leads to biting. So, as an owner, you should avoid stressing your guinea pig as much as possible.
What to do if you get bit by a guinea pig?
You should immediately wash the wound with soap and water if a guinea pig bites you and punctures your skin to stop infection. Even better, using an antimicrobial ointment like Neosporin, which is available on Amazon, will quicken the healing process and guarantee that no bacteria can accumulate and cause infection.
If you bleed from the bite, apply pressure to the area for 5 to 10 minutes with a bandage or clean cloth. Depending on the severity of the skin break, will depend on whether you need to see a doctor quickly. Fortunately, rodents, like guinea pigs, have a low risk of carrying rabies. However, they can transmit other infections.
Whether your guinea pig carries such bacteria will depend on many factors; including their age, cage cleanliness, and where your guinea pig came from. Medical treatment following a guinea pig bite depends on the type of injury, its location, and the severity of the wound.
After consulting an appropriate doctor, you should consider a long-term solution to prevent your guinea pig from biting you and others; this is especially important if children live in your home. We will look at the method in the next section and decide to have an action plan to avoid further bites.
How can I stop a guinea pig from biting?
Guinea pigs rarely bite. Instead, they are more likely to run and look for a place to hide. However, if you have a guinea pig with dominance issues, you might have biting issues.
You need to give your guinea pig the attention it needs so that it doesn't feel the need to exert dominance over you.
Condition your guinea pig to expect kindness and affection from you whenever he sees you. If you can do this, your pet will probably refrain from biting you. Let's see how to stop your guinea pig from biting you (step by step).
Keep your fingers out of the cage
Never stick your fingers through the guinea pig's cage's bars. This is probably going to stress out your guinea pig. If your guinea pig feels threatened, it is likely to lash out and bite you. Don't allow them to hurt you.
Wash your hands
Be sure to wash your hands before and after contact with your guinea pig. These rodents have a very developed sense of smell; they associate certain smells with danger and may react negatively to those smells.
Consider the causes
Consider the reasons why your guinea pig bites. Bites occur out of fear, but environmental and biological reasons can also play their part.
You need to think about how you handle your pet and how often. If you own an unneutered male, he tends to show more dominance than females, which can cause him to act aggressively.
Does your guinea pig bite the bars of its cage? Maybe they are lonely and want attention. It may not be threatening behavior at first and the biting may be accidental. Either way, approach with caution, nonetheless.
Consider the location of the cage
Consider the location of your guinea pig's cage. If the cage is placed in a busy part of your home where there is a lot of activity and noise, it can stress your guinea pig. Put their crate in a quieter, quieter part of your home; it will make a huge difference in their behavior.
Make sure the room is warm enough, without drafts, and without other causes of stress. For example, if you were to own other pets - like cats, avoid letting them come in and be in that room.
Space
Allow your guinea pig to freely explore its space; if your pet is new, it will take time to adapt to its new environment. Letting them explore their surroundings and find appropriate hiding places will help them feel more comfortable. If you don't have a large enough cage, consider upgrading it. Guinea pigs need to be able to move freely and can be very stressed if they live in cramped conditions. Also, it's a good idea to give your guinea pig time outside of the crate every day to walk around, exercise, and explore.
Using a safe indoor/outdoor park is ideal here. You can minimize their movement to a confined space and not risk them getting hurt by anything in the environment. If you plan to do this outdoors, beware of the sun and other potential predators. Getting a playpen with a roof is the best. Giving your guinea pig time to get out of the crate and explore a new environment will bring him a lot of happiness and satisfaction. This can calm them down and put them in a better mood, which reduces the risk of biting. Just be careful how you hold them and scoop them into the cage (which we'll cover below).
Familiarity
Slowly introduce yourself to your guinea pig so that it gets used to it. You must speak to them softly at all times if you want them to get used to hearing your voice.
You can offer greens and other vegetable scraps to your pet when you notice that they are becoming more comfortable with you. just be sure to cut them into thin strips to avoid any unintentional biting. Carrots, for example, work particularly well when cut lengthwise.
Holding
You can work on holding your guinea pig but only do so for short periods at a time. Don't grab or hold him against his will and only do so when he seems relaxed and not busy eating, defecating, or playing.
If your guinea pig seems to accept your hand, try petting it for a few seconds at a time. You can put them behind their ears and on their head. Lift them off the ground under their chest and put them back down immediately.
Rewards and treats
When your guinea pig is well-behaved, reinforce her good behavior by giving her treats. But never reward bad behavior, either by paying attention or offering treats. You can give your guinea pig some attention once it has calmed down later.
If you ever try to appease their biting behavior with treats, they will associate biting with receiving a reward and will probably never stop biting you or others. Therefore, if your guinea pig bites. Just drop them/secure them in the cage and go. Give them time to calm down and don't come back for a sufficient amount of time.
Final words
Thankfully, guinea pigs are gentle and calm rodents. It's unlikely that you'll ever get bitten. If you have one and it bites you, you'll naturally be curious as to why. There is always a reason, and it likely has to do with how threatened, unsafe, uneasy, or insecure they feel.
If you can figure out why they feel that way, it will really help you to not put them in that position and reduce/eliminate biting altogether. It can be very difficult not to bite personally, but you have to take into account how your guinea pig is feeling.
You should tell your children and anyone else who comes into contact with your guinea pig. They need to know how to properly look after and care for them. For example, if you have children living with you, they too should learn how to handle guinea pigs properly, under your supervision.
Once you've had your guinea pig for a while, you'll get a better understanding of its behaviors and soon learn when it's best to approach it, how to handle it, and what's probably going to set it off.
Comments