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Hair Loss Nugget's Medical Thread

hkwalker1

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I'll give a bit of background information that I find relevant before I start with the current issue:
One of my piggies, Nugget, is a very special guy, he always has been. So much so, that I have him permanently tattooed on my body. He is the sweetest pig out of all of them, I have a small herd of seven boys. I seem to have terrible luck with guinea pigs and most of them either fight or squabble from time to time. Nugget never displayed any aggressive behavior, not even when other pigs have displayed aggression towards him. He ALWAYS makes happy chirping noises no matter what situation he's in. I always know when I hear him specifically because he's the only one who does this all day. He loves all of his brothers and especially loves people. Anyways, the point is that he never displayed any of the typical boar behavior: dominance, mounting, aggression, etc. He's about a year old at this point, maybe a bit older.

Now for the recent dilemma. He's began balding, and I understand that this doesn't just happen on its own and that he's doing it to himself. He's a texel so it became clear very quickly that he was losing hair. The most obvious situation explanation is mites. Even though nobody else was doing this, I treated them all for mites anyway. This did not stop him from pulling out his hair. At this point, he has a full band of hair missing from around his torso.
His behavior has changed as well. He has been insistently following around the other pigs. He sleeps with his head next to the other pigs. He just peaks his little head inside of the house and sleeps with them there. Nugget chases the other pigs around ALL day (to the point where it upsets the others). He is not chasing them aggressively or to mount them. He just chases them and then just stands there.

He's showing no physical signs of illness besides behavioral oddities. He's eating perfectly, drinking perfectly, and is about just as active as normal, if not more than usual. I understand that this is a weird situation, but I'd appreciate any input that anyone has. The ONLY reason I haven't taken him to a vet already is because I just brought home my bearded dragon who had surgery and the vet bill was a whopping $1061, and I myself am having surgery out of state next week.

I'll stick around to explain my set up a little in case anyone finds it relevant. If not, go ahead and skip this part :)
I have a custom build 7 ft by 4 ft wooden cage that sits like a table. I currently have 5 pigs up top in this cage. I sometimes move them around depending on who is fighting with who. Underneath this wooden cage is a 2x7 C&C cage with 2 pigs in it. The reason I have only two down below is because one of the pigs, Mousse, will ONLY tolerate his current roomie. He will try to kill anyone else who comes into his cage.
I feed all of them Oxbow timothy hay and Oxbow adult guinea pig food, and occasionally Pet Supplies Plus original guinea pig bulk food because I work there and it's cheaper. They have plenty of wooden chews and I usually give them each a little Oxbow simple rewards treat everyday.
 

Smileandnod

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Re: Mental Issues? Is it possible?

I am honestly not sure about the behavior, so perhaps someone with more experience with these can offer advice...but I am willing to offer up suggestions about the balding.

Since you already treated for mites...Where exactly on the torso is the hair loss? Is the hair falling out with what appears to be skin flakes attached? If so, it may be fungal in nature and treated as such. https://www.guinealynx.info/fungus.html

From my own personal experience, I have two girls who are especially sensitive to the dry air caused by central air heating during the winter months. They will get very dry skin and hair loss on their backs if I don't use a humidifier during this time period. I make sure I also have a humidity gage close by to make sure the humidity stays within the low end of normal range (not too wet, not too dry). If their skin gets dry, I rub a small amount of cold pressed coconut oil on the area or use gorgeous guineas kwench lotion. That seems to do the trick. So far this winter everyone is doing well.
 

hkwalker1

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Re: Mental Issues? Is it possible?

I am honestly not sure about the behavior, so perhaps someone with more experience with these can offer advice...but I am willing to offer up suggestions about the balding.

Since you already treated for mites...Where exactly on the torso is the hair loss? Is the hair falling out with what appears to be skin flakes attached? If so, it may be fungal in nature and treated as such. https://www.guinealynx.info/fungus.html

From my own personal experience, I have two girls who are especially sensitive to the dry air caused by central air heating during the winter months. They will get very dry skin and hair loss on their backs if I don't use a humidifier during this time period. I make sure I also have a humidity gage close by to make sure the humidity stays within the low end of normal range (not too wet, not too dry). If their skin gets dry, I rub a small amount of cold pressed coconut oil on the area or use gorgeous guineas kwench lotion. That seems to do the trick. So far this winter everyone is doing well.

IMG-8083.jpg
Here is a picture. Normally he is fluffy all the way down his body. There is no flakiness, redness, or overall irritation on his skin. Everything looks otherwise normal. Currently the humidity in my room is 45-50%, which I'm not sure is low enough to cause that level of dryness, but I suppose this is his first full winter as an adult, so it is possible.
 

bpatters

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Re: Mental Issues? Is it possible?

He's not doing that to himself. He can't reach that part of his back.

I'd assume fungal infection, and start with treatment for that. See https://www.guinealynx.info/fungus.html for more info.
 

hkwalker1

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Re: Mental Issues? Is it possible?

He's not doing that to himself. He can't reach that part of his back.

I'd assume fungal infection, and start with treatment for that. See https://www.guinealynx.info/fungus.html for more info.

I'll start treatment tomorrow, thank you. I'll update on how that works out. Any advice for his behavior (both recent and otherwise)?
 

bpatters

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Re: Mental Issues? Is it possible?

I'd think that whatever is causing the hair loss might also be causing the behavior. I wouldn't worry too much about the behavior until the skin clears up. If it persists then, at least you'll know that whatever's causing the hair loss isn't causing the behavior.
 

hkwalker1

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Re: Mental Issues? Is it possible?

Just an update, and some more questions. His hair is growing back! Yay! I don't know if it was the mite medication or the fungal shampoo, but his curls are coming back in :) In other weird news, Nugget's obsession with the other guinea pigs has shifted to only one guinea pig: Ginger. Ginger is our adopted 6 year old senior piggie. Over the last week or two, Nugget has refused to leave his side. Ginger, as an old guy, spends most of his time in one of the hideouts laying down. Nugget lays with his head inside the hideout. He sleeps there and spends most of his day laying with him. A little less than a week ago, Ginger was diagnosed with severe pneumonia. He was separated for a few days while the antibiotics and breathing treatments kicked in. Now that he's back with Nugget and the others, Nugget has been territorial over him. He's actually started to attack any other piggie that comes towards Ginger.

I suppose my question is about, firstly, if this is normal behavior, and secondly, if this will pass after Ginger is back to being healthy again. I know certain pigs have certain bonds, but I feel like this could possibly be because Ginger is sick and Nugget is worried about him? Or maybe guinea pigs can sense when another one is about to die, just like dogs can? (I hope that's not the case). I don't know honestly. Any thoughts are appreciated.
 

hkwalker1

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Re: Mental Issues? Is it possible?

(I need an admin to change the thread name to "Nuggets medical thread" or something relevant like that)

The situation with Nugget has taken a sharp turn for the worse. I'm afraid of losing him. Nugget seems to have gotten a URI or pneumonia from Ginger. I started him on antibiotics and breathing treatments just as Ginger did. I wanted to stop the infection as soon as possible. Today, I found him covered in LIQUID poop & some blood from his stool. He is still acting lethargic. I understand that this is life or death here. I need ANY advice. I don't understand why Ginger is improving but Nugget is so much sicker.

I want you to understand that I know he needs to go to the vet. I just don't know if this is possible right now. I don't want to bore anyone with my sob story, but this year has been so terrible for us financially and emotionally. My dad is fresh out of surgery due to an injury (ruptured quad), I just had a major surgery 2 weeks ago that I had to travel across states to get, I just spent all of my emergency funds on Ginger's vet bills and my bearded dragons total hysterectomy (it was over $1000). With all of this, I am out of work because of my surgery: I have no income right now. I want everyone to know that I have always been willing to provide veterinary care for my guinea pigs. I have racked up thousands of dollars over the last couple of years alone from their vet bills. I cannot explain to you how many financial hits we've taken all at once. I'm crying as I write this. I'm trying my absolute best to scrape up the funds to get him to the vet. Please help me keep my baby alive long enough to get him there.

My vet does not offer payment plans: all forms of payments are due up front
 
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hkwalker1

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Re: Mental Issues? Is it possible?

I missed mentioning the medication the vet prescribed.

- 0.4 mL of Azithromycin (Generic for Zithromax; 200mg/5mL)
- Breathing treatments consist of 5.5 mL of saline + .5 mL of Baytril. This is given through a nebulizer
 

hkwalker1

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Re: Mental Issues? Is it possible?

Update: he has a vet appointment at 4. That’s four hours from now. He’s curled up all stiff and shivering. I’m using a space heater to keep the area around his little quarantine cage warm. I really hope he makes it the next few hours, but I’m not hopeful. I’ll update again if anything changes, or after his vet appointment
 

Smileandnod

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Re: Mental Issues? Is it possible?

Update: he has a vet appointment at 4. That’s four hours from now. He’s curled up all stiff and shivering. I’m using a space heater to keep the area around his little quarantine cage warm. I really hope he makes it the next few hours, but I’m not hopeful. I’ll update again if anything changes, or after his vet appointment

I am very much hoping things go well. I am very glad you are taking him as soon as you can to the vet.

How long has he been on the antibiotics?

Has he been eating/drinking at all? It is important to keep him eating and drinking. See if you can tempt him with any veggies, hay or watered down pellets. You can get a syringe for free at almost any pharmacy if you ask for one for handfeeding critical care or pellet mash.

Did you give Nugget a probiotic with the antibiotics? Bene-bac is recommended.

Here is some info on hand feeding a sick guinea pig and info about probiotics.

https://www.guinealynx.info/handfeeding.html#top

Please let us know how things go.
 

hkwalker1

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Re: Mental Issues? Is it possible?

I am very much hoping things go well. I am very glad you are taking him as soon as you can to the vet.

How long has he been on the antibiotics?

Has he been eating/drinking at all? It is important to keep him eating and drinking. See if you can tempt him with any veggies, hay or watered down pellets. You can get a syringe for free at almost any pharmacy if you ask for one for handfeeding critical care or pellet mash.

Did you give Nugget a probiotic with the antibiotics? Bene-bac is recommended.

Here is some info on hand feeding a sick guinea pig and info about probiotics.

https://www.guinealynx.info/handfeeding.html#top


Please let us know how things go.

Ginger was given a probiotic & I gave it to Nugget today. It slipped my mind when I gave him the other antibiotics. I would say Nugget has been on antibiotics for about 2-3 days now. I’ll be home to check on him in about an hour, I’ll try offering him some veggies. If he won’t eat, I have critical care I can syringe feed. Luckily, Nugget is really good about being syringe fed things. I am worried that he hasn’t been eating or drink much because he did feel thinner when I washed the poop off him today. Expect another update in about an hour (hopefully not a grim one :/)
 

Smileandnod

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Re: Mental Issues? Is it possible?

I wanted to add a possible option to those who worry about vet costs which includes medicines.

Sometimes if you ask, a vet will be willing to send your meds to a human pharmacy to save you money on the meds. Our local Costco actually has a vet pharmacist on staff who my cavy vet trusts to fill prescriptions. You don't need a Costco membership to access the pharmacy and the savings can be substantial compared to buying it directly from vet's office. Once a $50 med at the vet office was less than $5 at the pharmacy.

In times where meds are urgent, I just get them directly from the vet...but for ongoing issues I use the pharmacy option to save. For some, it may be the difference between their guinea pig getting their meds or not.
 

hkwalker1

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Re: Mental Issues? Is it possible?

I tried offering some lettuce (his favorite). He seemed to try to take a bite out of it (showed a bit of interest), but his chewing sounded.... wet? I don't really know how to describe it. He is taking a few little tiny bites. But it sounds there's something wet stuck in his mouth. Thoughts? I don't want to syringe feed him if something is preventing him from eating.
 

Guinea Pig Papa

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Re: Mental Issues? Is it possible?

He's likely congested. If you syringe feed him, do so carefully. Small mouthfuls, maybe 1/2cc at a time. Too much and he may choke but he needs to eat, especially if he's noticeably thinner just by feel.
 

hkwalker1

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Re: Mental Issues? Is it possible?

Another update — he’s at the vet right now. Definitely has a URI. No answers on the bloody/liquid stool yet. He’s dehydrated, and getting fluids. The vet is very concerned about his current health: he’s hanging on pretty loosely right now. The vet is prescribing another oral antibiotic (Metronidazole), continuation of Baytril nebulization, and probiotics + Dozycycline. Syringe feeding critical care will be necessary.
The chewing issue I described is because his teeth are pretty overgrown. Molars and front teeth. They don’t recommend trimming them in his current state. The infection needs to be under control.
They want $162 to trim his teeth under sedation. I figure that’s normal but I’ll run it by you guys first.
 

Guinea Pig Papa

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Re: Mental Issues? Is it possible?

I'm sorry you're going through this with Nugget.

$162 does sound about right for a teeth trim with sedation. That's about in the ballpark with what my vet charges, but I'm in Canada so it may actually seem a bit cheaper for you. He WILL need his molars done soon, and you WILL have to syringe feed him the Critical Care.

Hopefully the antibiotics will get him under control in a few days. I feel your pain, I have a pig who has been fed Critical Care every 4 hours for about 5 weeks now and has had his teeth done, and is having them done again next week.

Syringing him water is also a good idea. If he's dehydrated, you can also give him some unflavoured pedialyte. Most pigs like it and it may also help with his diarrhea. When I give Scooter water, I give him about 1/3 of a 1cc syringe per mouthful.

Just out of curiosity, do you have a digital scale? You really need one to accurately gauge how he's doing health wise. You can pick them up fairly cheaply at almost any big box store.
 

hkwalker1

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Re: Mental Issues? Is it possible?

I’ve seen your medical thread with Scooter - your dedication to your guinea pigs is unmatchable. I’m hoping the teeth can be trimmed sooner rather than later. I have a long list of at-home care that will be done throughout the day for a few weeks. Let’s hope that Nugget can see some improvement soon.
 

Guinea Pig Papa

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Re: Mental Issues? Is it possible?

My fingers are crossed for Nugget. You can do this! Please let us know how he progresses!
 

hkwalker1

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Re: Mental Issues? Is it possible?

He took the syringe feeding + his meds really well! He didn't give me any problems. He's always been so good about taking medicine through syringes. Here's a picture of his messy little face. We're all rooting for you, Nugget.
IMG_8564.jpg
 
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