Where People & Piggies Thrive

Newbie or Guinea Guru? Popcorn in!

Register for free to enjoy the full benefits.
Find out more about the NEW, drastically improved site and forum!

Register
  • ONE THREAD per pig please!
    We really want your pig's history all in one place to help you. Please don't start a new thread for a new issue. Just reply to your old one. We can edit the title for you if needed.

Skin Problems Thinning hair with scabs

Juicybeanie

Juicybeanie

Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Feb 28, 2009
Messages
14
My guinea pig (Juicy) began loosing hair in clumps about 8 months ago and scratching herself alot. She had baldness at her bottom. Immediately I was concerned and took her to the vet; the vet looked her over and told me that she was fine and that it was "normal" and he did not see anything wrong with her (no mites). He told me to look into getting her a female friend and maybe her baldness would go away and to bathe her twice a week with Dial antibacterial soap and let it sit on her for a few minutes before rinseing her off. The baths didn't seem to bother her but they didn't help her either. So about 2 months ago I went to a rescue and brought home a baby female guinea pig. I did the quarentine stage and made sure that she was 100% healthy before intoducing them. Everything has gone fine. Except now my guinea pig (Juicy)'s baldness that started at her bottom has now covered most of her back and sides and she has developed a scab that she scratches at constantly. And today I noticed that my other guinea pig (Beanie) has the same baldness starting at her bottom. PLEASE help me, I feel at such a loss right now. Does this sound like mites? What medicine should I ask for? Was the vet that I went to completely wrong??
 
First, find a new vet! I wouldn't recommend taking any animal to that vet and would probably report him to the state vet and anyone else I who would listen. It is not normal for any animal to be losing clumps of hair and to be scabby and bald and itching. And to use Dial soap! Grrrrr!!

All of your piggies likely have mites. They cannot be seen by just looking and are often difficult to catch to be seen under a microscope. The symptoms (that you have described) are sufficient for diagnosis for a competent vet.

Please check out this site https://www.guinealynx.info/mites.html
Ivermectin will kill the mites but they may now have other issues that need to be treated too. Guinea lynx gives the doses need by weight that you can give yourself but I would really recommend that you find a new vet and make an appointment. Take the information from guinea lynx with you for reference.
 
I agree that mites are far more likely, I will defer to more knowledgable persons than myself, but a fungal infection is also possible since it began on the bottom. (I have birds, and fungus=baldness.)

Even the Grad student who did our visit ages ago for mites knew better than to say it was "normal." I would DEFINATELY report this vet. If s/he did not know, they should have known where to send you.

Are you using fleece or disposable bedding? How often do you clean?
 
I would suggest finding a competent cavy savy vet and having them treat for mites. Now that there are scabs along with bald spots you really need to get your pig to a vet now. It seems like this is a bad case of mites. Make sure they don't do any skin scrappings as that can be really painful.

Please don't bathe your guinea pig as it can make it worse. Also never use human shampoo or dial antibacterial soap on them as well.
 
Another incompetent vet who gives bad advice, who would have thought? This one is quite incompetent as far as cavies are concerned.

Bathing only aggrevates mites and makes the condition worse. Since there is scabbing, I'd lean more towards mites than a fungal infection. Bad cases of mites cause hairloss, scabbing, sores and will kill your pigs if you don't treat it. Treat both at same time or they will just transfer back and forth.
 
Thanks Ly, I thought y'all might know better. I hope you find a good vet and that your piggies get to feeling better. Ivermectin worked very well on my piggies, though I let the pro set up the dosing. They drank it down like little champs.
 
Friday evening I took my piggies to a local animal hospital where they did skin scrapes and found that they did in fact have mites. The vet administered Ivermectin and the piggies have to get 3 more oral injections of it. Thank you all for your help!
 
I would still try to find a different vet. Skin scrapings are very painful and cause a lot of pain and aren't even that accurate. It can't hurt to treat for mites whether they have them or not.
 
Glad they're feeling better! Poor babies!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.

Similar threads

E
Hair Loss Hair loss/poop stuck
Replies
4
Views
378
ep1
E
L
Skin Problems Scabs on skin
Replies
11
Views
459
bpatters
bpatters
M
Weight Loss Two nursing mamas very very thin 😢
Replies
2
Views
398
bpatters
bpatters
D
Skin Problems Guinea pig skin problem with redness and roughness
Replies
1
Views
383
bpatters
bpatters
O
Skin Problems Small dry raised skin/scab on both GP noses
Replies
2
Views
544
bpatters
bpatters

Share this Page

Newest members

  • A
  • G
  • H
  • J
  • F
  • H
  • rajeshmalhotraclinic
  • embroramprakash
  • J
  • T
  • B
  • flowerpaw

Online statistics

Members online
0
Guests online
80
Total visitors
80
Totals may include hidden visitors.

Key Resources

Members online

No members online now.
Total: 80 (members: 0, guests: 80)
Top