Skin Problems: Dry Skin Treatment?

[AnimalHouse36]

[quote=WICavy;398988]

Originally Posted by Wheek Weak

There are other sources for information; some good, some very bad. I review all points of view and decide what is best for MY situation. I will not be bullied into changing my opinions.

I see no bullying. Only people telling you that in taking the easy way out by feeding your guinea pigs seeds, will only cause health problems. But if you want to risk your guinea pigs life because your to stubborn to change what your doing, then be my guest. I won't have to live with the guilt now will I?

This site is biased in some ways and I take everything with a grain of salt. There are just as many if not more people (with more experience and expertise) that say sunflower seeds are okay.

Who are these people? I'm sure they breed guiena pigs ,too. We have vet techs (prior) like voodoo, I'm sure she knowns plenty from going to college and such for them, and people who have studied them for 3+ years (Ly). If thats not experience I don't know what is.

And there are more sites promoting breeding and petstores. I'm sure there are people there who have bred for years. Does that mean they learned to elimantate the risks in it? No. On this site we've learned to eliminate risks in guinea pig caring. Like what to feed, what not to feed (seeds).

I'm not trying to make a big deal out of this, but I had an opinion and stated it. Someone else showed interest in what I said and I expanded on it. Next time I'll take it to private messages since obviously differing opinions are not tolerated here. :D

Your opinion was wrong there for after you were corrected on your wrong doing, you should have dropped the subject. Whether somebody showed intrest in it or not. (sorry PiggieMammaKelly)

WRONG opinions are not tolerated here. THis is a place to learn how to care for a guinea pig right, not spread bad advice.

Just thought I'd add my two cents since I don't know much about dry skin.

Edit: Who was this posted by? WIcavy, or Wheek Weak

[Henle15]

While sunflower seeds are helping the skin, they are hurting the inside of the piggy. You may not see what the fat from the seeds are doing but you will over a few years or if your piggy doesn't live long (7-10 years). That is why nobody recommends sunflower seeds, not the choking hazard (that is only for the ones that are still in the shell).

We don't want to be the people who say "we told you so" when something happens to your piggy later on. Have you tried using a humidifier to make the conditions a little more moist? How about the coconut oil? If you have tried those and they don't work, then I can see why you refuse to change your ways, but we don't know what you have tried and haven't.

Giving bad information any place is not tolerated, weather it's here or any other place in life.

[5guinea5pig5]

[quote=WICavy;398988]

Originally Posted by Wheek Weak

There are just as many if not more people (with more experience and expertise) that say sunflower seeds are okay.

Who?

[PiggieMamaKelly]

[quote=AnimalHouse36;398990]

But if you want to risk your guinea pigs life because your to stubborn to change what your doing, then be my guest. I won't have to live with the guilt now will I?



You have GOT to be kidding me. Did anyone notice we are talking about SUNFLOWER SEEDS here, and not uranium. You all need some perspective.

There are risks and there are cautions that go with feeding sunflower seeds. But not a death sentence.

As for who feeds sunflower seeds, I have run across a couple threads over the years of highly knowledgable guinea lynx members who feed sunflower seeds to pigs who have difficulty gaining weight. I guess they will have to live with the guilt when their pig keels over from the poison won't they?

[5guinea5pig5]

We're not talking about pigs gaining wait. We're talking about dry skin. Those people on gl who feed their pigs the seeds probably know what they're doing. They're probably ready to pull the seed out with tweezers or something if their pig chokes. They probably have permission from their vet to do so.

[rabbitsncavyluv]

I don't recall those threads - I only know of people feeding certain types of oats. Which is different than seeds

[AnimalHouse36]

[quote=PiggieMamaKelly;399002]

Originally Posted by AnimalHouse36

But if you want to risk your guinea pigs life because your to stubborn to change what your doing, then be my guest. I won't have to live with the guilt now will I?



You have GOT to be kidding me. Did anyone notice we are talking about SUNFLOWER SEEDS here, and not uranium. You all need some perspective.

There are risks and there are cautions that go with feeding sunflower seeds. But not a death sentence.

As for who feeds sunflower seeds, I have run across a couple threads over the years of highly knowledgable guinea lynx members who feed sunflower seeds to pigs who have difficulty gaining weight. I guess they will have to live with the guilt when their pig keels over from the poison won't they?

Is this guinea pig underweight in any way? Not that she's mentioned. Feeding such a fatty food to a trim, healthy guinea pig will only cause damage. I'm not an expert on the matter.

I agree with everyone else. They are experts. And I just did a search. I came up with none.

[5guinea5pig5]

Please show us links to those threads so we now you're telling the truth.

[PiggieMamaKelly]

Rabbitsncavyluv- the thread was about mum's pig sundae. I remember it because I followed it for so long and because I was surprised to see the sunflower seeds mentioned. Obviously it was not for a dry skinned pig, but a very sick one who needed to gain weight. I recall a thread or two more but don't remember the details.

5guineapig5 I'm not going to go hunting for threads because I simply don't feel like spending the time on that tonight. This issue was never a big deal for me. I don't care to prove anything to anyone. I know sunflower seeds are not a nutritious food and I'm not trying to state that they are. You can do your own research if you are interested.

[5guinea5pig5]

I am going to do my own research if I find out that there are none... Oh man will I be peed off...

[gooberific]

Is there such a thing as sunflower oil that we could use topically? That might be a solution. Still would love to know if anyone knows about the grapeseed oil in the meantime. I can't get coconut oil until mid-month.

[Ly&Pigs]

Originally Posted by WICavy

Very obvious... I bow down and ask forgiveness for voliating the all mighty policies. Freedom of speech and differing opinions are only okay as long as it agrees with policy. I forgot... Sorry I offended your god complex...

Your comments don't bother me in the least. I have a pretty tough skin, have to because being a mod on this forum for almost 4 years certainly takes one. This is a private site so Freedom of Speech really doesn't apply here. I don't have a god complex, I have a "Let's do what is in the best interest of the pigs" complex. This site strives very hard to put out good information, there is no place on the forum for bad advice. I don't really care what one or two people on some other site have done, it hasn't been proven by hundreds of people that it's good or safe.

If you want to give sunflower seeds to your own pigs, that's your right I suppose, but to come on this site and recommend doing so to others, well you don't get to do that.

As far as the argument, well that's pretty much done and over so let's please get this thread back on track and if WICavy has anything further to say to me regaring this sites "almighty policies", then he/she can private message me or another moderator.

Gooberific- there is sunflower oil. I would think it would be safe to use just like coconut oil.

[guineapigluver1]

Hey Ly-Would pure, unrefined, organic shea butter be okay to use on pigs' dry skin? I'm guessing from what you said that coconut oil would be fine to use to?

[guineapigluver1]

Anyone has the right to take care of/give animals whatever and however they want, but it doesn't make everything they are doing right (some people do take care of them right, but you know what I mean). There are other things you can do to help with dry skin. Coconut oil, for example, is moisturizing and from what I know it's fine to use, and I'm waiting to find out if shea butter is okay.

[WICavy]

I understand where everyone is coming from, but I'm not sure how you'd go about putting something topical on a teddy without making a huge gressy mess. Their fur is remarkably dense. Before I tried sunflower seeds, I did try jojoba oil and it was not effective.

[Ly&Pigs]

WICavy, I unapproved your last post to me because I asked that the matter be taken to private message. It will continue in private messages between you and I.

[guineapigluver1]

Use one hand to hold the fur apart so you can get to the skin, and use the other to apply it. You may make the fur a little greasy but you can use a cloth to wipe it off, and if you want you can get the cloth wet with warm water to get it off better. And honestly I wouldn't give them a bath at all unless it is absolutely neccesary(sp?).

[gooberific]

I was told when I adopted my first two boys, that they are teddy mixes, but they were rescued by Arizona Piggie Poo Rescue during a petstore seizure.

Anyway, they both have the really really dense fur, compared to my abby. They have really active grease glands, so I'm always oiling that spot anyway to get gunk off.

What I was going to try was using a q-tip with some of the oil on it and applying it to their bad spots, then just kind of rubbing it in a bit. Basically, the same thing that I do when I clean their grease gunk, only in more places.

[PiggieMamaKelly]

I think the problem is when the WHOLE pig is dry. Not only is it messy and difficult with a squirmy pig to part the fur and apply something directly to the skin over the whole body, but some places are really not that easy to do that with.

My last vet trip was for my teddy and the scratch on his eye. We figured he got it because he is always scratching his face because the bridge of his nose is just as dry as his back. (I have never felt safe putting the humilac spray on his nose for fear it would drip into his eyes.) He had to have a round of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories and he still has a huge scar on his eye and keeps it half-shut most of the time.

I guess my point is that it's a very difficult and complex issue when you have a teddy with chronic dry skin. It is easy for someone who has never dealt with this to toss out simple solutions but it's really not an easy thing to fix. It would be great if there were an oral remedy that would moisturize skin and did not come with risks and harmful side effects.

[katiewilson]

Originally Posted by PiggieMamaKelly

I think the problem is when the WHOLE pig is dry. Not only is it messy and difficult with a squirmy pig to part the fur and apply something directly to the skin over the whole body, but some places are really not that easy to do that with.

Sometimes we have to take a route OTHER than the easy one for the safety and health of our animals. Suggesting otherwise and encouraging everyone else to do so is the real problem.