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.

Infection Mites and Fungal Patches

rmeht

Active Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Mar 9, 2018
Posts
28
Joined
Mar 9, 2018
Messages
28
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).
 

FailedFoster

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Oct 3, 2015
Posts
111
Joined
Oct 3, 2015
Messages
111
Hi rmeht,

First, welcome to the forum! I'm sorry to hear your little guy has been struggling. Others can weigh in more on Ivermectin and fungal infections, but I would like to offer help in finding a cavy-savvy vet. If you feel comfortable doing so, can you post your general location, like city/ state, and I'd be happy to look at potential vets and interview them to make sure they know what they're doing. :)
 

bpatters

Moderator
Staff member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Posts
29,251
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
29,251

rmeht

Active Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Mar 9, 2018
Posts
28
Joined
Mar 9, 2018
Messages
28
Hi rmeht,

First, welcome to the forum! I'm sorry to hear your little guy has been struggling. Others can weigh in more on Ivermectin and fungal infections, but I would like to offer help in finding a cavy-savvy vet. If you feel comfortable doing so, can you post your general location, like city/ state, and I'd be happy to look at potential vets and interview them to make sure they know what they're doing. :)


Oh that is amazing thank you so much!

I'm in the Dayton Ohio area. I went to Beavercreek Animal Hospital..... obviously not a good choice?
 

rmeht

Active Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Mar 9, 2018
Posts
28
Joined
Mar 9, 2018
Messages
28
I'd wait four or five days to bathe him -- that should decrease the mite population quite a bit.

You need a prescription for an ointment (not drops) for the area around the eye.

A cyst pushing out in response to the antibiotics? I'd look for another vet.

Here's some recommended reading material for new pig owners:

https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/113176-Information-for-new-guinea-pig-owners
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/107827-What-NOT-to-do-for-your-guinea-pigs!


I got the feeling that that was a weird statement, but I pushed it away thinking I wasn't a professional. I'm hoping FailedFoster will be able to find me a good replacement?

Thank you guys so much for your quick replies!!! And I'll definitely read those articles if I have not already.
 

FailedFoster

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Oct 3, 2015
Posts
111
Joined
Oct 3, 2015
Messages
111
Sure thing! I don't have clients at work and I'm done with filing, so this is my next task. I'll get you some options.
 

bpatters

Moderator
Staff member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Posts
29,251
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
29,251
If you google "exotic vets city state" without the quotes, you'll usually find a bunch of hits.

You want to click on the clinic website and look at the bios of the vets to see if one is certified in exotic medicine. Failing certification, do they have one with interest AND experience in exotics?
 

rmeht

Active Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Mar 9, 2018
Posts
28
Joined
Mar 9, 2018
Messages
28
C2115443-C7E6-4CFB-8610-96FF521123C4.jpgC9023F50-60D0-4207-806F-FF7DFB47C872.jpg8CD3DF08-C5FC-41AD-9152-FF1227583C1C.jpg

This is my poor boy.

His fur looks greasy because I put coconut oil/aloe salve I use on my kiddos. I am now putting Lotrimin on all areas (one is not pictured because he was over me taking pics)

my my next question: I was going to build his C&C cage this weekend. Should I hold off until he is feeling better? I know I need to pitch toys and sanitize but figured it might be smart to wait? Please correct me if I?m wrong. He?s currently in a 1ft by 2ft standard pet store habitat.
 

FailedFoster

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Oct 3, 2015
Posts
111
Joined
Oct 3, 2015
Messages
111
I personally would wait, especially if you use fleece bedding. I would just hate for the fungus to hide in one of the corners and keep coming back. That stuff can be tricky. But that's just me of course!

I have it narrowed down to 2 options that looks great, but in one their vet is out of the country until the 19th and the other place's exotic vet is out sick. I'll let you know once I hear back from them! The two that look good so far (w/o me talking to the vets themselves) are Tipp City Veterinary Hospital and North Main-Clayton Animal Hospital. Note: It looks like Tipp City has emergency services, so for sure keep that in mind. :)
 

rmeht

Active Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Mar 9, 2018
Posts
28
Joined
Mar 9, 2018
Messages
28
You are amazing, FailedFoster! I’ll definitely look those places up. Just curious on if you came across a place called South Dayton vererinary clinic? Their website boasts on the best interest in exotic animals, but now I feel like I don’t know what vet to trust. ��
 

FailedFoster

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Oct 3, 2015
Posts
111
Joined
Oct 3, 2015
Messages
111
Sure thing! I did see South Dayton, but I also look at reviews of their animal hospital. The things I read, specifically about their exotics vet, were very concerning. While one must always take online reviews with a grain of salt, there were consistent issues with their exotics vet, which is why I didn't mention them.

Haven't heard back from the Clayton Animal Hospital yet, and Tipp City's exotic vet will be out of the country for another week, but I'll be sure to update you once I hear back. :)
 

rmeht

Active Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Mar 9, 2018
Posts
28
Joined
Mar 9, 2018
Messages
28
Thanks so much!!! You’re awesome! Peaches is doing well, and he’s gaining weight eating and drinking well, so I’ll just keep trucking on and hopefilly I’ll see some improvement soon!! It’s only been 5 days since his ivermectin treatment and there is still no improvement..... so hard to be patient!!
 

FailedFoster

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Oct 3, 2015
Posts
111
Joined
Oct 3, 2015
Messages
111
Happy to help! And I'm glad to hear Peaches is doing well! I know how hard it can be to be patient. It definitely doesn't help that they're so darn cute and we just want them to be better already lol!
 

rmeht

Active Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Mar 9, 2018
Posts
28
Joined
Mar 9, 2018
Messages
28
Just a little update, peaches took his 3rd ivermectin treatment yesterday. He’s scratching a lot less, and his spots are no longer sores, but just hairless areas. I’m so so happy he doing better. I will probably give him another 2 or so treatments. At least until I see him not scratching at all (he still does occasionally). The patches that I thought were fungal are getting better as well and actually sprouting some hair so I’m so very thankful it was just the mites. He’s growing like crazy.... already 100 grams heavier than he was 3 weeks ago!
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.

Similar threads

failur3byh3art
Replies
0
Views
200
failur3byh3art
failur3byh3art
pigglesworth_palace
Replies
3
Views
116
bpatters
D
Replies
1
Views
245
bpatters
bpatters
Top