Behaviour!!!

Question
QUESTION: Hi
I have two guinea pigs that are about 4 months old now. They are both eating the same and are healthy and lively, playing and popcorning around but I've noticed for the past week that Cookie has had really smelly poops!! So much so I'm having to thoroughly clean the cage out every other day. Spike is fine. Apart from the smell and the fact that they are maybe a little softer than usual Cookie's poops seem pretty normal. Could this be a sign of something serious? Is there anything i can do cos it doesn't smell good!!
Cheers
Trish
ANSWER: Hi Trish,

Cookie has early signs of diarrhea. Either Cookie isn't drinking enough water and has become dehydrated or there has been a change in the diet of fresh foods, like you're trying them on a new fresh food and Cookie has been eating a lot of it. Either way it is early signs of diarrhea.

Good news though you can home treat diarrhea, so you won't have to take Cookie to the vet. Make sure Cookie has plenty of hay and is eating a lot of it, cut back on the fresh foods so Cookie will eat the hay, give Cookie a little Pedialite or Dioralyte every hour from a dropper. Also give a little water from the dropper every time you give Cookie a little Pedialite or Dioralyte. This will get her hydrated again and the Hay will help in getting the fiber back into the diet to help firm the poop and do away with the smell.

Keep it up for about 3 days or when you notice that Cookie is back to pooping more normally. If it last longer then 3 days you'll have to take Cookie to the vet for treatment. Though it is very rare that after three days of the above that Guinea Pigs have to see the vet for it.

After Cookie recovers, make sure Cookie is drinking plenty of water and that the diet of fresh foods isn't change drastically but a little at a time to prevent it from happing again.

I hope this helps,
    Take care now,
         Jules

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Jules
Cookie hardly ever drinks which is a problem but she's always been the same. Spike drinks loads. Is there any way to make her drink more? I bought different hay recently, it couldn't be that could it? Or being out on the grass? I will start giving her a little dioralyte through a dropper tonight
Cheers
Trish
ANSWER: Hi Trish,

Cookie may not be drinking a lot of water because she doesn't like the taste of the water. This can be due to if you put vitamin C drops in the water which tends to taste awful, if you don't then it is most likely just the water itself. Try filtered water or bottled water and see if Cookie doesn't start drinking more of the water then.

The hay wouldn't have bothered Cookie that ways, it could be also due to being out on the grass. Break it up a little so it is every other day or so that Cookie is on the grass for about a week or so, that should give her enough time to adjust to the grass which is new food in the spring and summer months to them.

I hope this helps,
   Take care now,
        Jules

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Jules
I don't know if you can help but Spike has started acting really strangely lately. Her and Cookie used to be the best of friends but now Spike keeps growling and popcorning around the cage when they're first put back in and snaps at Cookie when she comes near. They are now sleeping in separate igloos and only play together when they are out. Spike can be quite snappy towards Cookie who just seems to accept it and backs away. It really doesn't seem to bother her. It still doesn't stop her following Spike around
Do I need to separate them cos most of the time they're fine?
Thanks Trish
ANSWER: Hi Trish,

Ok your girls are showing normal dominance behavior. It is normal and little odd at the same time. You don't need to separate them at all. They are fine together, here is a list of normal dominance behavior and dominance behavior to watch out for,

Safe, non-combative, dominance behavior
 
Rumblestrutting
Butt sniffing
Butt nudging
Chasing
Butt dragging (they are leaving their scent)
Mounting (any which way: rear mount, head mount, side mount, flying leap mount!)
Nose face-offs (higher in the air wins, one must lower their nose to be subservient to the other)
Teeth chattering: a little (signal of dominance)
Raised hackles (hair on the back of the neck and along the spine)

Posturing for possible attack, battle for dominance is escalating though not serious and no need to separate yet.
 
Teeth chattering: sustained (signal of anger, aggression, warning)
Nips, light bites, may result in little tufts of fur in their teeth
Wide yawn, but this is no yawn, they are showing their teeth
Snorting (like a strong puff or hiss)

These behaviors may sound serious and they should be monitored VERY CLOSELY, BUT do NOT separate the pigs exhibiting this behavior, yet. This is when the average pet owner loses it and pulls the pig out. Most of the time, this behavior will continue for a while until one backs down.

If they girls are showing any of these behaviors that I am about to name off then they should be separated if not everything is fine.

Fighting with intent to harm
  
Bite attacks are no longer warning nips, they are lunges with intent to harm.
Combination of raised hackles, loud and angry teeth chattering, rumblestrutting in place with the head staying in one position while facing the other guinea pig doing the same thing. Usually a signal of a biting attack. But they may back down before they engage.
Both pigs rear up on their haunches, face to face. This is a clear, brief signal of their intent to launch full attacks at each other. Separate if possible before the attack.
Full battle. The pigs are locked together in a vicious ball of fur. This is very serious. Separate immediately, but be careful. Throw a towel over them and use a dustpan or something other than your hand to separate them. Unintended bites from their very sharp incisors can cause serious damage.

The best indicator to watch for on when to separate guinea pigs is the posturing of the nipping and bite attacks. If that gets more serious, that's the time to separate them. If blood is drawn, it's definitely time to stop that session. Hopefully, you can separate your guinea pigs before any serious harm is done.

Your girls are fine and I really don't think their is any need to separate them unless they are show aggressive behaviors towards each other.

I hope this helps,
 Take care now,
     Jules

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Ok thanks. They've actually improved a bit recently. A few weeks ago they were out in the garden in their run and Spike bit Cookie who got a bite on her ear. I considered separating them then but instead i now put their igloos out with them because Cookie feels safe and will snap back at Spike if she tries to go in.
Do you think this could be due to adolescence and will improve as they get older?
Cheers
Trish

Answer
Trish,

They'll calm down as they get older. As long as Cookies ear didn't bleed when Spike bite it, then it is the normal one bite that all Guinea Pigs do. It happens as a mark that says what group they are with. My oldest has one bit in her ear (as she was the only one in her cage at the time of adoption) and my youngest has 2 bites on her ears (as she was in with another bunch as time of adoption). But they never seem to bit the ear again and normally the alpha or leader of the group is the one who bites the ear.

But they'll grow out of it as the get older, as they get older they get closer to each other as the bond is between the two is strengthened over time.

I hope this helps,
   Take care,
     Jules