Think my piggies had a fight!

[FauxFox]

Just cleaned out my two girl piggies and both have a small bloody scratch one on it's side, one on it's back - they seem quite happy, eating, squeaking etc but it def looks like they've had a punch up

They are about 2.5 years old and have never fought before...can I assume it's a one off? Should I put any cream on the scratches?

Hi - it is quite unusual for girls to fight and draw blood - I wonder what it was about, they can get a bit hormonal and arsey with each other if they are bored/haven't gone out/haven't had any attention/want that piece of broccoli and you are NOT sharing it/ type thing, it is a funny time of year for them as it gets cooler and they are not outside as much. You cannot use strong antiseptic as their skin has a different ph, best to clean the wounds with salt water to start with and keep an eye on it to make sure it doesnt get infected - I have in the past used very mild sudocrem / very dilute liquid anti septicwhen the vets were closed, just a very thin smear. Hopefully it will clear up quickly - keep an eye on them just to make sure they are not getting into a fighting habit, make sure they have lots of hay to keep them busy and preoccupied. Good luck!

Thanks guinea the hutch is all fresh and clean and I gave them a load of grass and plenty of hay so i think i'll leave them now and have a check on them in the morning. I've never had piggies fight before - mardy creatures, I noticed a bit of blood on the white one first and thought she must have caught or scratched herself but the black one had a tufty patch which was a little wound too so i'm pretty sure it must have been a scuffle. You're right it is a boring rainy time of year but I upgraded them to a bigger hutch last month so they would have more space...maybe that's a factor? Silly pigs!

YY it might be a food fight.
Or boredom (lack of outdoors and daylight)

Check there's nothing in their cage that they could snag their skin on (rogue nail or splinter of wood). I'd use boiled water with salt (cooled down) to clean.. So if they lick their skin it won't harm them.

Though when my boars had a fight last year GP2 attacked GP1 by climbing from his side and biting his back

At the moment they are sharing a hay trug whereas usually they like their own area> So maybe your girl pigs have been in each others way a bit more?

I've just been out to give them an evening snack and they seem OK, they were doing that whiskering chattering thing earlier when I was cleaning them but it seemed to be at me rather than at each other. They are a bit more wary of me than usual but i'm guessing that might be because they are feeling a bit fragile the fight must have been last night or this morning as they were fine yesterday afternoon.

Quick update: they seem fine this morning. I've given them a cuddle and checked them over but they've cleaned their own wounds - no blood and clean and pink looking so I think we're OK.

I'll have to make sure they get double fruit and veg to prevent any more squabbles!

Its quite normal. One of my guinea pigs has a chuck of her ear missing from when she was a baby.

Glad to hear they are both doing better, and that the wounds are healing up - just keep an eye on them and make sure they are occupied and have lots to eat - they can get territorial, bossy and stroppy, it is just the way they are - try and get them outside if you can even for an hour just to have a change of scene, but not in this horrible grey damp - may be it will dry out a bit for them.
Lots of grass if you can find it, I used to store mine for a few days and dish it out when they got tetchy with each other - bribery usually works!

On Saturday we put a big sheet of cardboard and a fleece in a cardboard box in the pigs rabbit run.
They sat on the cardboard and nibbled the grass (and leaves from the willow and peartree that had fallen).

They were out for an hour while I cleaned their Pighouse. Warm ,dry tummies and feet when they came in for their cuddle, but these days out are limited now.
I'm hoping for some dry days over half term.