Hair Loss Barbering?

LadyLazerStar · Mar 16, 2017

My piggie has this bald spot in the middle of her back, I think it's barbering from her more dominant cage mate but I wanted some more opinions. Her cagemate has no hair loss and I haven't noticed any changes in either pig except the hair loss in the one. They do need a bigger cage honestly, but I'm working on that. Can close quarters cause cagemates to barber each other from the stress?

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CavyTV · Mar 16, 2017

She may have gotten it from the other pig, or she could've done it herself. A guinea pig will sometimes pull its hair while grooming. Also, some pigs might try to nibble on their cagemates hair/ears. My boys do this a bit. If I were you, I'd keep an eye on them to see if there is any warning signs or aggression between them. If not, then check her over to see if she has mites. Common symptoms include flakes in the fur, constant itching, pain/discomfort when touched, and hair loss.

jaycriae · Mar 16, 2017

CavyTV is right, just wanted to answer your question that yes, a small cage can make guinea pigs squabble more, including barbering. Similarly to how long car rides often make families bicker.

bpatters · Mar 16, 2017

Actually, it might be mites. Do you see her scratching?

LadyLazerStar · Mar 17, 2017

bpatters said:
Actually, it might be mites. Do you see her scratching?

That was my second concern and the reason I wanted a second opinion, I do use aspen which I've heard can be semi common for carrying mites. The skin isn't irritated at all and the bald strip is pretty straight and even, it almost looks like she was shaved honestly and it hasn't gotten any worse.

LadyLazerStar · Mar 17, 2017

LadyLazerStar said:
That was my second concern and the reason I wanted a second opinion, I do use aspen which I've heard can be semi common for carrying mites. The skin isn't irritated at all and the bald strip is pretty straight and even, it almost looks like she was shaved honestly and it hasn't gotten any worse.

Oh, and no itching that I've seen

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LadyLazerStar · Mar 17, 2017

CavyTV said:
She may have gotten it from the other pig, or she could've done it herself. A guinea pig will sometimes pull its hair while grooming. Also, some pigs might try to nibble on their cagemates hair/ears. My boys do this a bit. If I were you, I'd keep an eye on them to see if there is any warning signs or aggression between them. If not, then check her over to see if she has mites. Common symptoms include flakes in the fur, constant itching, pain/discomfort when touched, and hair loss.

I do see little flakes in the fur, they look like dandruff and are very tiny, but no irritation of the skin of excessive scratches. Do GPS take revolution?

CavyTV · Mar 17, 2017

Here's a thread about giving revolution:
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/70307-Revolution-for-treatment-of-mites

Good luck!

LadyLazerStar · Mar 17, 2017

So update, the girls fur is growing back quite nicely already, I'm pretty inclined to believe it's just barbering as I've seen it many times from my hair envious hairless rat but was wondering if you guys still think I should treat for mites. I read some where even pigs with mites test negative about 91% if the time anyways so wasn't sure about the vet just yet, especially since it's growing back.

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CavyTV · Mar 17, 2017

You can treat them yourself. It's easy and cheap. Even if they turn out to not have mites, it wouldn't hurt. From what I heard, taking guinea pigs to the vet to be treated for mites is not a good idea. They usually do a skin-scraping, which is expensive and causes a lot of pain for the pig.

I'd really suggest you do it yourself. Here are some links that will help you:
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/111160-How-to-treat-for-mites-and-lice?highlight=mites
https://www.guinealynx.info/mites.html

LadyLazerStar · Mar 17, 2017

Okay thank you I'll get a tube tonight.

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bpatters · Mar 17, 2017

A tube? Of ivermectin? Please don't use that. It's by far the hardest to dose correctly, and the easiest to overdose. If you're going to use ivermectin, get the smallest Durvet pour-on you can find, usually about $20 from Amazon.

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