Hair Loss Half-Bald Piggie!!

kristim23 · Jun 18, 2012

Hi all! I am currently pig-sitting for my cousin, her ( the cavy) name is Pudding, and she is 3-4 years old. She is missing a LOT of hair. They are treating her with Ivermection, and have been for a few months. It doesn't seem to be helping at all, and her bare skin seems perfectly fine- not scratching, no bumps, redness, or dandruff. So I think it must be something other. The thing is, (prepare yourselves), her enclosure is a 10 gal. aquarium. I KNOW!! She is out a lot, but I know this doesn't make up for it. I would like to keep her, but I want to be sure that she doesn"t have anything that could be passed on to my 2 guinea pigs. Could her hair loss be a result of being cramped? I appreciate any advice! (Again- I realize that the whole set-up is horribly wrong.)

bpatters · Jun 18, 2012

Are you sure she's not a skinny? Or part-skinny? Can you post a picture?

Ivermectin shouldn't be an ongoing treatment. They should just give the regular dose, and then quit. It is possible to give too much ivermectin.

foggycreekcavy · Jun 18, 2012

There have been some very tough cases of mites that take 4 or 5 treatments of ivermectin each a week apart. How many treatments has she had? Some people have luck changing the method of giving it--for example, if you usually do it topically, try orally next time.

There are even some pigs in which ivermectin seems to do nothing. You can try Revolution for them.

It is also possible for a pig to have a fungal infection with no itching. I can see how living in an aquarium without a lot of air circulation could contribute to this.

pinky · Jun 18, 2012

Where are the bald patches? Bilateral hair loss is often a sign of ovarian cysts.

vania · Jun 18, 2012

Where is the hair missing from? If it's by her belly and side area, it could be an ovarian cyst!

kristim23 · Jun 19, 2012

Thanks, everyone! I will try to post a picture later. I'm pretty sure she's not a skinny, or part skinny. She used to have a really nice coat. I think she has been on Ivermectin since before Christmas; I think they got the instructions online.

HannibalLecter · Jun 19, 2012

Does it look like the last picture?
https://www.guinealynx.info/ovarian_cysts.html

kristim23 · Jun 19, 2012

I'm not sure if that worked or not! I tried to post a few pics.

kristim23 · Jun 19, 2012

bpatters · Jun 19, 2012

Looks like ovarian cysts, from what I can tell. Is the hair loss mostly along her flanks?

You'll need to get her to a vet, as the cysts can rupture. Treatment is usually spaying, although sometimes hormone injections are used.

kristim23 · Jun 19, 2012

Ok, sorry about the above mis-hap. I posted Pudding above, she is also completely bald from just behind her front legs to her tail.

schavarry · Jun 19, 2012

Poor piggy!! Please take her to a vet - as others suggested, it sounds like ovarian cysts...

vania · Jun 19, 2012

Yeah, that definitely looks like an ovarian cyst, she really needs a trip to the vet,

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Hair Loss Half-Bald Piggie!!

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