Hi everyone and thank you in advance for reading my post.
I am a brand new piggie owner and have made all of the brand new piggie owner mistakes. You name it, I've made them.
We had our piggie for a few days when I noticed him sneezing a lot. Read up on what it could be and determined possible URI. Scheduled an appointment (with a vet listed on one of the guinea websites) and he prescribed some antibiotics. The very next day I notice a sore right behind his arm, about dime size that was scabby and bald. Called the vet, pretty upset because I felt maybe he should have seen it. He said it could be a cyst pushing itself out in response to antibiotics. I watched it over the weekend as instructed, and noticed my precious guy was very itchy. The sore never developed a "head" like the vet predicted, but did get a tad bigger. Now he has hairless scabs on top of his head as well as on his other side and now his ear.
I read more, and ran to the feed store and got Ivermectin and treated him this past Wednesday. Then he started losing hair around his eye and face (picture perfect for fungal infection) so I got some Lotramin and started rubbing on his patches, but I'm very scared to do it near his eye in case he twitches and I get it IN his eye.
I realize I have to wait to see results from ivermectin, but my question is, do I wait to give him baths with the medicated shampoo until the ivermectin has kicked in? I read that mites drive a piggie crazy in the water if they are still alive. Also, what is the best way to treat his patches on his face and around his eye.
I'm very concerned for his happiness and just want him to feel better. My heart hurts that he is going through this right now. On a side note, he is not losing weight (I weigh him with my kitchen scale) and he is eating and drinking very well.
Thanks for reading if you got this far!!! I will post pictures when I get off work (I am on lunch break).
I am a brand new piggie owner and have made all of the brand new piggie owner mistakes. You name it, I've made them.
We had our piggie for a few days when I noticed him sneezing a lot. Read up on what it could be and determined possible URI. Scheduled an appointment (with a vet listed on one of the guinea websites) and he prescribed some antibiotics. The very next day I notice a sore right behind his arm, about dime size that was scabby and bald. Called the vet, pretty upset because I felt maybe he should have seen it. He said it could be a cyst pushing itself out in response to antibiotics. I watched it over the weekend as instructed, and noticed my precious guy was very itchy. The sore never developed a "head" like the vet predicted, but did get a tad bigger. Now he has hairless scabs on top of his head as well as on his other side and now his ear.
I read more, and ran to the feed store and got Ivermectin and treated him this past Wednesday. Then he started losing hair around his eye and face (picture perfect for fungal infection) so I got some Lotramin and started rubbing on his patches, but I'm very scared to do it near his eye in case he twitches and I get it IN his eye.
I realize I have to wait to see results from ivermectin, but my question is, do I wait to give him baths with the medicated shampoo until the ivermectin has kicked in? I read that mites drive a piggie crazy in the water if they are still alive. Also, what is the best way to treat his patches on his face and around his eye.
I'm very concerned for his happiness and just want him to feel better. My heart hurts that he is going through this right now. On a side note, he is not losing weight (I weigh him with my kitchen scale) and he is eating and drinking very well.
Thanks for reading if you got this far!!! I will post pictures when I get off work (I am on lunch break).