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    What is Guinea Pig Barbering and How to Stop It

    Barbering refers to a guinea pig nibbling its own or another guinea pig’s fur until there’s a scruffy or bald patch where the fur’s been trimmed away. When a guinea pig barbers itself, it can take the form of a V-shape on their back because of the spots they’re able to reach when they turn around to bite at their fur.

    Why do guinea pigs barber or chew off their fur?

    There are a few reasons why guinea pigs barber themselves or others. Let’s take a look at the most common reasons why a guinea pig would be barbering another guinea pig.

    Why guinea pigs barber each other

    A guinea pig may barber another guinea pig as a way to assert dominance, and as a response to conflict between competitive piggies, often an older to a younger male.

    Guinea pigs may also barber each other due to boredom or stress.

    Why guinea pigs barber themselves

    Similarly to why they barber others, guinea pigs may barber themselves as a response to stress or boredom.

    Bald patches or evidence of barbering can also be responses to itching or uncomfortable skin due to an allergy, parasitic infection, fungus, or other undiagnosed skin condition. If you notice bald patches on your guinea pig and your piggie seems agitated or has inflamed skin from where they’ve been biting at themselves, a trip to a reliable guinea pig veterinarian would be the best next step to take to make sure they’re not suffering from an underlying skin condition.

    How to stop your guinea pig from barbering

    Take away their barbershop license! *badum-ching*

    Ok, in all seriousness, there are some effective ways to help stop your guinea pig from barbering itself and others.

    1. Separate submissive piggies from dominant ones if the behavior is driven by competition and fighting. Isolation is not ideal as guinea pigs are social, but if bonding exercises have proven ineffective and guinea pigs are injuring each other, the barbering piggie may need to be housed separately from the others.
    2. Reduce stress in the environment by providing plenty of places to hide, a lot of space if they share a cage with a cagemate (or more than one cagemate), human contact, stable temperature, etc. Also watch for any recent changes in environment that may have coincided with the barbering beginning, like having the cage in a new spot, different noises, etc. and adjust to a calmer environment if possible.
    3. Give them alternative things to chew like guinea pig appropriate chew toys
    4. Get them checked for skin conditions by your guinea pig vet
    5. Depending on your vet’s recommendations, changes to their diet may be necessary

    We hope this has helped you learn more about guinea pig barbering and how to help stop your guinea pig from barbering itself or others. For over 100 pages of illustrated guinea pig care advice just like this, check out The Guinea Pig Guide book here!

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    Fatty Eye – Why Does My Guinea Pig Have a Lump Under Their Eyelid?

    Have you ever noticed that your guinea pig has a little bulge under their lower lid on one or both of their eyes? Almost like it looks swollen or like it’s drooping? Is it dangerous? What IS it?!

    Most likely, your guinea pig has a completely harmless condition called fatty eye.

    guinea pig with fatty eye / pea eye

    A guinea pig with fatty eye / pea eye (source)

    What is Fatty Eye?

    No, fatty eye, also sometimes used interchangeably with a similar condition called pea eye, is not the name of the latest hip hop sensation (though if there were ever a rapping guinea pig… it’d be pretty dang perfect. Magnum Pea Eye? 🤣). Fatty eye is a generally completely harmless condition that some guinea pigs have where their lower eyelid looks puffy or a little droopy. Medically speaking, fatty eye is a ‘subconjunctivial protrusion’ caused by ‘deposition of lipid in the inferior bulbar conjunctiva’ (source) … aka fat deposits under the eye causing it to bulge a little.

    Why do Some Guinea Pigs Get Fatty Eye?

    Fatty eye can be caused by excessive caloric intake, but also can be hereditary.

    Can Fatty Eye be Cured?

    While generally there’s no need to do anything about fatty eye, if it’s negatively impacting your guinea pig’s ability to see, or looks inflamed, a veterinarian can use a laser to remove or lessen its effects. This would only be in extreme circumstances. Generally, fatty eye or pea eye is permanent and doesn’t cause any problems for your guinea pig. Some find reducing calories can help it go away, but don’t change your guinea pig’s diet without talking to your veterinarian first!

    We hope you’ve learned a little something and this has helped reassure you that your guinea pig is A-OK! Want to learn more about guinea pigs all in one spot? Check out the fully illustrated Guinea Pig Guide book here!

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    What is that White Stuff in My Guinea Pig’s Eyes?

    Have you ever noticed that sometimes your guinea pig has white stuff in their eyes? Almost like little milky tears? Does that mean they’re sad? Do they have an infection? Allergies? What is going ON?!

    What if I told you that guinea pigs’ eyes are soap dispensers?

    …….

    Well… not actual soap like you and I would use. But believe it or not, guinea pigs’ eyes secrete a white fluid right before they give themselves a bath. It acts as a cleaning solution! They wipe their eyes with their hands and then wipe themselves all around to get clean.

    Seeing these little guinea pig ‘milk tears’ is completely normal, and if you watch you will almost always see that they take a lil bath when it’s happening. Gives a whole new meaning to getting soap in your eyes!

    When Guinea Pig Eye Discharge is Cause for Concern

    Let’s get past the cringiness of the word discharge and look at when guinea pig ‘eye gunk’ is a problem:

    If your guinea pig’s eyes are looking ‘weepy’ constantly, definitely have them looked at by a reliable veterinarian who treats guinea pigs. Similarly, you will want to seek a medical opinion if your guinea pig’s eyes have any of the following symptoms:

    • Crusty around the edges all the time (a little crust in the corner from time to time can be normal just like yours and mine when we get ‘sleepies’)
    • Cloudy or foggy look to the eye
    • Thick, sticky yucky white/yellow/green eye goop that makes it hard for them to blink or keep their eye open (sorry, I know it’s so gross.)
    • Bleeding or a weeping wound in/near the eye (this goes without saying)
    • Swelling or inability to open the eye

    Worried about a puffy little ‘lump’ under your guinea pig’s lower eyelid? This can also be normal! Read more about ‘fatty eye’ here.

    I hope this has helped put your fears to rest (or at least quelled your curiosity) about the white stuff in guinea pigs’ eyes!

    Want answers to countless other guinea pig care questions AND fully illustrated, step-by-step guinea pig care all in one place? Check out the official Guinea Pig Guide book here!

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    Why Do Guinea Pigs Eat Their Poop?

    If you have a guinea pig, chances are at one point or another you’ve seen your guinea pig sit back on their haunches, curl up and tuck their face down like they’re giving themselves a bath, only to see them eating… something… when they resurface. (hint: it’s poop. That something is poop 💩 😂)

    Guinea pig p

    *frrrrp* oops!

    “EW!” You’re thinking. WHY IS MY GUINEA PIG EATING POOP?! 🤢 Won’t they get sick?!

    Not to fear! While it seems gross to us humans who would surely get sick if we ate our poop, guinea pigs eating their own poop is actually perfectly normal guinea pig behavior! The fancy term for guinea pigs eating their poop is coprophagia, which sounds like a beautiful tropical island. An island of poop, apparently. While guinea pigs will occasionally eat one of their ‘pellets’ from their cage, most often they’re eating a special kind of poop that their body makes called a cecal pellet. This poop is nutrient-dense and softer than the harder, more uniform brown ‘beans’ you see sprinkled around.

    Why do guinea pigs eat their poop, you ask? Guinea pigs, like some other herbivores, actually digest their food twice. They eat their food, it goes through their digestive tract, their body makes poop #1 (the cecal pellet). They eat that poop, and then their body makes poop #2 (ha…poop… #2…), the regular poop we all know and… love?

    So the next time you see your guinea pig having a snack from ‘down under’, don’t fret. They’re just doin’ what guinea pigs do. Just maybe don’t kiss them on the lips next time. 😉

    Want answers to more guinea pig questions, step-by-step care instructions and a whole lot more? Check out The Guinea Pig Guide official book here!

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