One day, you might be playing with your guinea pig, and suddenly, they bite you! On the other hand, sometimes your guinea pig might be aggravated about something for reasons like being scared due to loud noises or wanting to claim their territory from another guinea pig. In any case, it is essential to know what to do if your guinea pig winds up biting you. So, what should you do?
The first thing you need to do is remain calm. If you are holding your guinea pig, the worst thing to do is drop, squeeze, or yell at them, which will only stress your guinea pig out more. The next thing to do is inspect it to ensure no wounds are punctured, and lastly, clean it with soap and water.
Learning to care for yourself and your guinea pig properly is imperative to ensure your safety and theirs. We will also look at how to train your guinea pig to stop biting you to ensure it is a rare case (as it is never guaranteed that your animal will never bite you).
However, knowing all of these things is essential as you want to do your best to prevent that from happening. If this article already resonates with you, we encourage you to continue reading for more information.
Why Do Guinea Pigs Bite?
Guinea pigs bite for multiple reasons. These can include fear, seizures, boredom, territory, skin issues, or fingers mistaken for food. Let us go over them more in-depth.
1. Fear
The biggest reason why your guinea pig may bite you is because they may be afraid of something. For example, if their cage is close to a wall with a TV on the other side and someone turns it up extremely loud, your guinea pig will become afraid. Other examples might be something falling on the ground, construction going on outside, or someone shouting.
2. Seizures
Another reason why your guinea pig may bite you is from seizures. There was a story of someone treating their guinea pig for bumblefoot, and their guinea pig had a seizure and then wound up biting them. Although unlikely, it could still happen.
3. Territorial or Boredom
Lastly, your guinea pig may bite you due to territoriality or boredom. For example, if you have a new guinea pig, the older one might get frustrated by something new in their space or environment. If this is the case, separating the guinea pigs and introducing them later is best.
They might also be bored, so keep things interesting by purchasing new toys, rearranging their “furniture,” or providing different stimulation.
4. Skin Problems
Suppose your guinea pig is usually happy and you pick it up, and then they bite you. This may be because guinea pigs, in general, are prone to skin problems like mites, ringworms, and lice. If this is the case, taking them to the vet immediately is imperative to resolve the issue.
5. Your Finger is Mistaken for Food
The last reason why your guinea pig may bite you is because they might mistake your finger for food. Keep your fingers away from their faces, or do not wiggle your fingers too much.
Also, ensure your guinea pig has plenty of food to ensure this is manageable. Although your guinea pig biting your finger might not be painful, it can still scare you or even little kids, so learn how to handle your piggy properly.
What To Do If You Get Bitten By A Guinea Pig?
First, you will most likely not suffer any serious injuries when you get bitten by a guinea pig. However, taking precautions to prevent something from occurring, like a sickness or worse, is crucial.
If the wound is bleeding, apply pressure and run it under warm water for several minutes. Once you are finished, clean the wound with soap and water. Lastly, some hydrogen peroxide should be put directly on the wound as an extra precaution to ensure all germs die.
Once the wound is dry, it would be wise to apply antibiotic cream and a band-aid to ensure the bleeding stops, especially if it has not already.
If the skin looks punctured, it would be wise to call your doctor. A guinea pig bite will often not require extreme measures, but this might rarely be the case. If anything, you better be safe than sorry.
Do Guinea Pig Bites Hurt?
Guinea pig bites do not generally hurt as they will nibble or nip at your fingers or wherever they bite. However, you should ignore these warning signs and continue doing whatever they tell you to stop.
In that case, they might bite you much harder than you anticipate. This can also cause blood to be drawn, so pay attention to their behavior before taking things too far.
Should You Be Worried If A Guinea Pig Bites You?
Regarding the bite itself, no, you should not be worried unless the wound might have been punctured. However, it is wise to be concerned with why your guinea pig is biting you in the first place. If their behavior is abnormal, then figure out why that is.
However, if your guinea pig is only biting because they mistake your fingers for food, there should be nothing to worry about as they only nibble on it. This is assuming they have the proper diet and only think of your finger as a small treat.
Should You Go To The Doctor For A Guinea Pig Bite?
You do not need to go to the doctor if a guinea pig bites you. However, if there is a deep puncture or your cavy tore the skin fairly severely, then yes, it is wise to go to the doctor. It is also good to call your primary care physician if any of the following occurs, as these are signs of an infection:
- Fluid draining in the affected area
- Pain in the area they bit you
- Swelling (redness around or on the bite)
- There is a distinctive bad smell
It is important to note that any animal can carry disease through its urine, saliva, or feces, so always wash your hands before and after touching them to ensure you are taking any safety precautions.
How To Train Your Guinea Pig To Stop Biting You
If you do not want your guinea pig to bite you, it is imperative to train it not to. Some things are easier said than done, especially if there is an underlying condition, but we will discuss all of them below.
1. Provide Plenty of Space
Humans can be overbearing sometimes, especially if we want to be around animals all day. However, it is crucial to give your guinea pig plenty of space.
For example, if you set up your playpen, make sure you give them ample time to play by themselves before holding them. If you constantly place your hands in their cage or play area, they might get frustrated and bite you.
2. Handle Your Guinea Pig with Care
If you are new to owning a guinea pig or have had one for several months or years, it would be good to note how to handle it.
Some cavy owners might pick them up incorrectly or even mishandle them. If this is the case, then learn how to hold a guinea pig properly. It is wise to pick them up from their bellies instead of above, as they will not consider you a threat.
3. No Sticking Your Fingers Through the Enclosure
This might be an obvious one, but it is important to make sure you do not stick your fingers through the cage, especially if your guinea pig is already stressed out.
Although it might be tempting, it is best to open the cage and let them know you are there first before making any sudden moves. Another thing to keep in mind is to ensure you are using slow movements to help avoid them being afraid of you.
4. Reward Good Behavior
Never hurt your guinea pig’s back if it bites you. Instead, use positive reinforcement if it does something right to help it understand what good and bad behavior is.
Do not provide them with any treats or attention for behavior you do not want. Instead, gently place them back in the cage. After a while, try again and reward them for being kind and doing what they should do.
5. Search for Underlying Causes
As mentioned above, there might be an underlying issue that you may not know about. Some examples might be skin issues, loud noises (like if they are near a window and you live in a city), new guinea pigs, other large animals in the home, etc. On top of this, it might be some other issue like boredom due to lack of stimulation or the environment needs a change up.
6. Wash Your Hands
Do you have a cat or dog you recently touched? What about going to someone else’s house, and now you have a specific animal scent on you?
There can be many reasons, but washing your hands before handling your guinea pig is a wise choice as this would eliminate any specific scent you might have. Changing your clothes might also be a good idea to ensure any odd scent, like someone’s perfume you recently hugged, does not linger.
Conclusion
To summarize, there are many things you can do if your guinea pig bites you, but the most important thing is to remain calm and not get overly upset. Remember, animals can sense your stress, and if you are stressed over a bite, it may cause them to potentially hurt you further.
Just like you would a newborn baby, it is best to set your guinea pig down than to do something you would regret. If anything, we hope this article was helpful for you, and we wish you the best in finding all the success in your guinea pig parenting journey!
If you have any more questions, we are happy to help. Feel free to look up any other articles we have about guinea pigs, and without further ado, we will see you soon
