Hair Loss: Odd bald spot

[bpatters]

Ruffles, age three months, has a strange bald spot behind her left ear. She scratches it occasionally, but no more often than she scratches anywhere else, which isn't often at all. The skin is not dry or flaky, and the dark spots that are visible in the picture are perfectly flat -- not scabs, not raised at all. The spot is considerably bigger than the normal-sized bald spot behind her right ear.

I don't know how long she's had it -- I noticed it last night. But she's got enough hair for her and a couple of skinny pigs, so it's hard to see things on her skin.

We're going for a first vet visit (first ever for her, my first with a GP), but I wondered if anyone had seen anything like this, or had any ideas. I have no idea how cavy-savvy this vet is going to be, so I'd like to be well prepared. (I have posted the same thing over at Guinea Lynx.)

[VoodooJoint]

Bald spots behind the ears is normal.

[Texas Rustlers]

All piggies have bald spots behind their ears - it's totally normal so no need to worry or visit the vet this time.

You do however need to find a vet before you need one that knows about guinea pigs, there are some listed on our website and silliecavies probably knows of more on GL

[bpatters]

VJ, I realize they're normal, but is it normal for them to be so wildly different in size? The one behind her right ear is tiny, while the one behind her left ear is larger than my thumbnail.

[bpatters]

TX Rustlers, I talked to you all about Houston vets when I picked Ruffles and Flourish up, and have looked at all the exotic vet lists I can find here, your site, and Guinea Lynx. There are two in Houston that I've found, but they only see patients who are referred from other vets.

The clinic where we take our dog has a new vet with an "interest" in exotics, but no specialization. Two friends with GPs have used her, and have been pleased. She's apparently quick to refer to Gulf Coast Avian & Exotics if she doesn't know what's going on. So I was going to start with her, since I'll need her referral if we ever have to go to either of the specialty hospitals.

[Texas Rustlers]

If the hair is white on the side you are concerned about and dark on the other, it often makes one side look larger.
Also hair loss associated with mites / lice / fungus would probably not be evident just behind the ears, you typically notice a v shape on the back from the piggy chewing at it's fur with both mites and lice and with fungus it often starts on the nose but can be on the main part of the body too and is typically a ring