Hello,

I have popped accross from the cat section for some help

My mum works in a mental health day centre, they got 2 pet guinea pigs 6 months ago. They are indoors most the time, with an outdoor run on grass when the weather is good.

They eat plenty of fresh grass, hay, supa guinea and a mix of veg and herbs.

One of the guinea pigs bites, she will bite anyone! they are handled everyday and have been since they were young, this guinea seems confident - she is very vocal, she mounts the other guinea etc.

Its a real shame because she is beginning to miss out because people are scared to get her out and handle her because she hurts them.

Advice please, I'm a vet nurse and don't think I have ever met a aggressive guinea pig. She seems in good health, so I just don't know where to start.

Thanks in advance

I've never met one either, males yes, females no!

Guineas have such different characters, if she is healthy, then it's just something to be accepted ... I doubt she'll miss being picked up and handled.

When she does need to be picked up, a pair of gardening gloves should help or a thick towel

Maybe a daft question, I know you are vet nurse ... But are you sure it IS a female ... have YOU checked

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Fairy smiling, smokes cheroot ...
Simply doesn't give a hoot.

Yeah she is definately a female. That was the first thing that crossed my mind.

She will bite anything, she had my forearm yesterday and a ladies chest last week! Naughty little girl!

Will try the gloves and see how we go, feel so bad ignoring her and getting her friend out.

These piggies couldnt want for more!

yOU NEED TO TRY KEEPING THE HANDLING UP IF YOU CAN EVEN IF YOU NEED GLOVES SHES PROB PICKED UP PEOPLE ARE NOT GETTING HER OUT IF SHE NIPS THEM. YOU CAN GET DOMINANT GIRLS AS ONE OF MINE WAS AND USE TO BOSS OUR MALE AND OTHER FEMALES ABOUT. IT MAY BE WORTH TRYING TO GET HOLD OF A BREEDER TO ASK THERE ADVICE. SOME CAN BE AGRESSIVE THROUGH FEAR. SORRY CANT HELP MORE.

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I have a dominant female too - she always freaks my stud out when its her turn as he mounts her then she mounts him

Thats why she's called daisydude, used to just be daisy then that jessie j song out and it stuck cus she "does it like a dude"

Back off from the handling a little bit except to take her out to the run and use gloves so she cant bite and have a nice treat in your hand ready so she associates being picked up with treats.

Then every time you feed them get them to take all the veggies etc straight from your hand (this may take some time and keeping still with arm ache for a while) - this will get her used to human hands without feeling threatened.

Hopefully that should just about sort it with some time and patience and when she stops biting the gloves, try moving her to the run without the gloves on still with treat ready etc. Time and patience and she'll come round but she'll always be dominant and still probably bite occasionally if she's not in the mood to be handled

Has she been checked for mites? If they are itchy or sore this could cause them to bite when handled due to it being uncomfortable. She could be biting out of fear. Is she being handled correctly? Most guinea pigs like to have their feet on a solid surface so to be picked up is quite scary for them. I have a mad boy guinea who used to bite me pretty much everytime I picked him up. He is now 2 and doesn't do it hardly at all anymore just the occasional nip if my fingers are too close to his gnashers! She may grow out of it but I definitely would not stop handling her, just be patient.