Hair Loss Dry skin and bald patches?

This sounds almost for sure like mites. The bald patches usually begin in the hind area, then spread to the rest of the body. Take Sweetpea to the vet immediately. You'll need to treat all the pigs who live with Sweetpea, as they can be carriers but not show sypmtoms. If you do not take Sweetpea's cagemate to the vet, make sure to ask for enough dosages of Ivermectin for Sweetpea as well as her cagemate. Learn more here: https://www.guinealynx.info/mites.html

Most guinea pigs do have bald spots behind their ears. However, the scratching so much that she's injured herself does sound like mites. You can treat for mites yourself following the directions at www.guinealynx.info .

foggycreekcavy said:

Most guinea pigs do have bald spots behind their ears. (broken link removed)

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well my Sweetpea's spot inder her ear is halfway down the side of ner face.

Im pretty sure it is mites also, but it did start in one of her ears. I will make sure both pigs get maedicine, but my other pig. Buttercup is showing no signs

The flaky bald patches on your guinea pig can also be caused by dryness in the air. My guinea pig has bald patches too, so I am also trying to determine what it is. In the past, my guinea pig had fungus, so I had to give it baths weekly using guinea pig shampoo. Also giving your guinea pig PLAIN yogurt helps.

MyAngel said:

Also giving your guinea pig PLAIN yogurt helps.

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NEVER give guinea pigs yogurt - plain or otherwise! They cannot digest the dairy.

MyAngel said:

The flaky bald patches on your guinea pig can also be caused by dryness in the air. My guinea pig has bald patches too, so I am also trying to determine what it is. In the past, my guinea pig had fungus, so I had to give it baths weekly using guinea pig shampoo. Also giving your guinea pig PLAIN yogurt helps.

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NEVER give yogurt plain or otherwise, guinea pigs can't have dairy.

I had a piglet with flakey skin and the others were barbering her. It was a fungal infection and we treated her with some shampoo (can't remember name) once every week for a few weeks and it is gone now. The only way to know for sure what she has is to visit the vet.

PrincessAngel said:

I had a piglet with flakey skin and the others were barbering her. It was a fungal infection and we treated her with some shampoo (can't remember name) once every week for a few weeks and it is gone now. The only way to know for sure what she has is to visit the vet.

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Was the shampoo called KetoChlor (ketoconazole/chlorhexidine) or Malaseb (miconazole/chlorhex.)? DVM's Malaseb is currently still unavailable, but Virbac's KetoChlor is attainable. Another is ANM Pharmaseb (keto./chloroxylenol), yet it's never been Rx'd to any cavies I've known, and despite chlorhexidine's safe, effective use in gp's, chloroxylenol's effect is unknown to me.

Conofite (miconozole) serous ointment is the topical antifungal a small animal doc recommended after conferring with exotics vets online, and I do like its consistency better than the vaginal creams. They also let me know doses of salemectin to draw up for cavies, as it's also an effective ascarcidal treatment for cavies, but is ivermectin safer or more effective?

Thanks in advance for any and all insights

TillyToots said:

Was the shampoo called KetoChlor (ketoconazole/chlorhexidine) or Malaseb (miconazole/chlorhex.)? DVM's Malaseb is currently still unavailable, but Virbac's KetoChlor is attainable. Another is ANM Pharmaseb (keto./chloroxylenol), yet it's never been Rx'd to any cavies I've known, and despite chlorhexidine's safe, effective use in gp's, chloroxylenol's effect is unknown to me.

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I checked and it was Nizoral (sp?) It is human shampoo but it was recommended on Guinea Lynx and had the ingredient ketoconazole in it which is what we needed.

My Vet said that plain yogurt, with no fruit or anything in it is actually, and suprisingly, good for guinea pigs. It gives them vitamins. ALSO vaseline is good to put on the bald spots of a guinea pig.

MyAngel said:

My Vet said that plain yogurt, with no fruit or anything in it is actually, and suprisingly, good for guinea pigs. It gives them vitamins. ALSO vaseline is good to put on the bald spots of a guinea pig.

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My vet said the same thing but most vets are not cavy saavy. Guinea pigs are lactose intolerant and cannot digest the dairy in yogurt. The important ingredient that they would get from yogurt can be found elsewhere, in non-dairy products.

Yogurt, plain or otherwise, is NOT okay for guinea pigs.

What about appliying Vaseline?

If a pig has bald spots (anywhere but behind the ears) then that is a strong indication that the pig has mites or another condition. Putting vaseline on the pig will not help at all. In such a case, the pig would need to be treated for the condition.

I have been putting vaseline on my guinea pigs for a few days now, (since I think my guinea pig has dry skin) and it actually has helped a little.

It's not going to make the condition go away. You're going to end up with a greasy pig and bathing is something that only needs to be done rarely.

If it's in a spot where the pig can lick it off, that's not good either due to all the chemicals in vaseline. It would be better if you just stopped using it.

There are safer things you can use such as coconut oil.

ok. maybe I will try that. Anything else to recommend for a guinea pig with dry skin?