Can Guinea Pigs get dry skin?

[mefingas]

I am asking this because I was petting one of my pigs and it seems that every once in a while I see a small black dot. She is mostly black with a white strip. Is it just dry skin? I know having the heat on all the time is making my dogs skin dry so we've been adding some flax seeds to her meals.

[Piglet]

Yes, they can have dry skin. Can you describe the black spot in more detail? If it looks like a scab that may be a sign of mites.

[mefingas]

Nope not a scap, just a little black fleck. Yesterday I was brushing Connie and noticed it, but I can't find any today. I know it isn't mites because I looked it up first. I think it is dry skin. It is really dry in our house.

[Treen]

I'd post your query at Guinea Lynx http://207.58.139.33/~guinea2/forums/ - it's the best forum for health related questions, and personally with dry skin I'd want to make sure there were no health issues, even if you suspect it's the environment they're in.

Good luck.

[mefingas]

I would post my query on guinea lynx, but the only email account I have is a yahoo one. I am supposed to have one through my cable provider but for some reason we don't. I will have to check on it after christmas. I have noticed that lately I can't find any of the black specks on Connie. I will be going to the vet one of these days to get some medication for my dog and her liscense so I may just bring my pigs in.

[My Baby Mu]

If you bath them too much they can get dry skin.

[mefingas]

I know. I haven't even bathed them, and I know that they haven't been bathed at least since october. I don't plan on bathing them till spring or if they start to smell. Hopefully in spring. Thanks.