Cat-like hyperesthesia in Female Guinea Pig

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Rynn21

Post   » Sat May 21, 2022 10:29 pm


I've had this rescue since August of last year. She was already 2 years old at the time and came to us by herself in a small cage. She's always been a lap piggy, relaxing and becoming a pancake on you. However, she will suddenly get up really fast then lay back down. At first I thought she might have mites, but I checked and there were no signs and her buddies don't have it. They even got ivermectin in case it wasn't visible but there. Lately when I scratch the middle of her back, she tilts her head back and starts licking like crazy then tries to get to the spot that was scratched. I've seen cats with this kind of hypersensitivity. She was in a home with kids and is very scared of being picked up, but is fine when held. I wonder if maybe she was dropped at some point and has some ptsd. She is healthy otherwise. No hair loss, beautiful coat, good appetite, walks around normally, etc. Has anyone else experienced it?

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sun May 22, 2022 7:30 am


I think of some animals (like the cats you describe) that have a neurological sensitivity to being touched or scratched in a particular area. It will be interesting to see if anyone has observed this in guinea pigs. I suspect they have.

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Sun May 22, 2022 9:55 am


Some form of PSTD sounds possible, if mites/fungus/etc. have been ruled out. We have a male who had sensitivity to being touched, and would sometimes nip at me and bite at himself when I would touch him a certain way after we first adopted him. It didn't seem to be related to mites or any other skin condition; we suspect he had been mishandled or possibly even attacked by other animals prior to being surrendered by his former owners (he lived under their house). He no longer does that, but it took a year of gently handling on his terms before it improved.

We also had a guinea pig a few years ago who would quite suddenly run around his cage and fling himself into things. It was terrifying to watch. He was a biter as well. He wasn't blind, and our vet felt that it was not seizure-related but anxiety. The guinea pig had been mistreated by a family who thought it was fun to allow their large dog to chase him around the house. Our vet put him on a low dose of Valium, and we paired him with one of our calmer boys and were eventually able to taper off the Valium.

Hope you can get it figured out.

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Rynn21

Post   » Sun May 22, 2022 6:28 pm


Oh wow Sef, that sounds horrifying to have witnessed. It's on a cuy level of fear. I'm glad he was able to calm down a bit and finally enjoy life.

Every single one of the rescues that came from a hoarder situation (split between two locations) absolutely hate being approached or picked up. These two hoarders knew each other. One lady was a failed breeder, and the other kept theirs in a drafty garage where they were allowed to hang out with bigger breed of dog.

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Rynn21

Post   » Sat Jun 18, 2022 8:11 pm


I scratched another female's back on the middle like this girl, and she is reacting the same way with the intense air licking. She's in a completely different enclosure and has never hurt her back. No signs of hair loss or scabbing. Same breed (American shorthair), but that shouldn't matter. They're also both a little on the heavier side cause they are both leaders and food aggressive, but they aren't given anything fatty to prevent weight gain.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Jun 18, 2022 10:03 pm


Sounds like you hit a nerve ;-)

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