Skin Problems What is this???

[Piggie Mom]

I picked Tiger Lily up to weigh her before putting her food in and she had this rough patch on her side. I looked at it as much as I could but my daughter was wanting to feed her and pet her so I had to put her up. I will get a better look during naptime and try and get a photo as well. Its like a thick scale about the size of a quarter. Its black, not white, but it doesn't move. She is mostly black, so if mites are black I would NEVER be able to see them. Her bedding is clean, no blood, so I don't think she is bleeding and even if she was I wouldn't know how she got hurt. She hasn't been scratching or making a fuss like she is hurting. In fact she has been super happy and playing a lot more lately. Also been a lot more cuddly. Do mites pop up that fast? I've tried finding a picture that looks like it online, but no luck yet. Could bathing her help me get a better look or would that be a bad idea?

She didn't have this yesterday as I check her over daily. I am worried it could be mites even though she had a good check up a few weeks back. I am worried about her and also because we are supposed to get three new girls tomorrow. I know I have to keep them apart anyways, but the idea of possibly having 4 piggies with mites freaks me out. I have had to wait a while to get the girls due to travel issues, so I am sad that we may have to wait again. I wouldn't be able to take her to the vet until next month. I have been buying the stuff to make a larger cage for all of the piggies once they can all be together, plus my daughter's birthday and Christmas are a week apart so funds are low right this second.


Man, my skin has been crawling since I saw this. I was the kid in school that would stay out for weeks when there was a lice outbreak because I had hair to my butt and didn't want to catch it. I am hoping the sudden cold weather caused it and not mites. Again, I will try to get a picture at naptime.

 

[Inle_Rabbit]

Did she squish a poo on her side? That is the only thick black thing I can think of if she isn't missing hair and it isn't a scab.

 

[Piggie Mom]

Did she squish a poo on her side? That is the only thick black thing I can think of if she isn't missing hair and it isn't a scab.

You know I wondered that. She sometimes poops in her little igloo at night and sleeps on it, so maybe she slept on a pile of poop. I have read up on how to treat mites and since I am adopting three more piggies it probably wouldn't hurt to have IVERMECTIN on hand to be safe. I am going to look closer at naptime, get a picture and if I think it's poop I will give her a bath. I know many people say no bathes, but if its poop she needs one, so would baby shampoo be safe, or just use water?

 

[SurfingPigs]

Definitely doesn't sound like mites... Inle probably hit it on the head.

You can just use water... don't use baby shampoo. If you want to actually wash her with shampoo, I would recommend gorgeous guineas: (broken link removed)

 

[Piggie Mom]

Definitely doesn't sound like mites... Inle probably hit it on the head.

You can just use water... don't use baby shampoo. If you want to actually wash her with shampoo, I would recommend gorgeous guineas: (broken link removed)

Yeah, just read about the possibility of baby shampoo causing cancer. Now I have to find new shampoo for my daughter as well. I was just on the Gorgeous Guineas website. Going to order that for the girlies for Christmas.

 

[Piggie Mom]

I think its mites or a fungus. Not poop. She has had a bath, it wouldn't come off and I noticed tiny black specs in the water. She has never been outside and we have no other pets, so I am going to guess she had them when we got her. She did act like it hurt or bothered her when I moved her fur to look. She has mixed length hair, but its getting super long, starting to think she is a long hair, so it was hard to see without parting all her hair which is probably why I missed it yesterday. I checked her all over and the only other place I could see is a VERY small place on her ear. I almost missed it all together. She is so fast and likes to sniff every thing so its hard to get her to sit still while I am keeping my daughter away from the place on her side.

My daughter still hasn't had a nap because people keep waking her up, but still trying to get a good look/picture.

 

[Piggie Mom]

Got a picture. She also has a tiny spot where her tail would be if she has one and its starting to shed some hair. It looks whitish and flaky in the photo but my camera is accurate when it comes to pointing out flaws so that's what it must look like if it wasn't for her skin being so dark. Going to upload it soon.

 

[Inle_Rabbit]

Is that the same place (on her butt where her tail would be) as the dark thick black spot? If so it may just be her grease gland

 

[Piggie Mom]

No, the dark spot is on her tummy in front of her back legs. She may have that though and something else as well. Going to upload a pic though. Ugh, makes my skin crawl, so I know she is miserable.

 

[janinehunt]

This page on the gorgeous guineas site has photos to help you identify problems.
(broken link removed)

My piggy had a similar problem, which looked like a small fungal infection on her snout, a blackish raised crust. Using a combo of treatments from a book called Piggy Potions and the author's website, I treated it with natural products and a few days later it is pretty much gone. Here is that page: (broken link removed) .

Good luck!

 

[Piggie Mom]

I think Ivermectin is what we need, but want opinions. I don't want to make her suffer longer until next month. The cavvy savvy vet is closed for the holidays.

 

[Piggie Mom]

This page on the gorgeous guineas site has photos to help you identify problems.
(broken link removed)

My piggy had a similar problem, which looked like a small fungal infection on her snout, a blackish raised crust. Using a combo of treatments from a book called Piggy Potions and the author's website, I treated it with natural products and a few days later it is pretty much gone. Here is that page: (broken link removed) .

Good luck!

Thank you!

 

[Inle_Rabbit]

Your mites may be back or it could be a fungus. It is hard to tell from the pictures (for me at least!) Do you have a black light? Fungus glows green under a black light. If she has one that spot will light right up!

If you think it might be fungus, you should wash your hands every time you touch her and I would not let your daughter hold the GP until this clears up. Fungus is very contagious. I once had it on my nose when I worked as a vet tech. I looked like I had a sunburned nose in the middle of December...

 

[Piggie Mom]

Your mites may be back or it could be a fungus. It is hard to tell from the pictures (for me at least!) Do you have a black light? Fungus glows green under a black light. If she has one that spot will light right up!

If you think it might be fungus, you should wash your hands every time you touch her and I would not let your daughter hold the GP until this clears up. Fungus is very contagious. I once had it on my nose when I worked as a vet tech. I looked like I had a sunburned nose in the middle of December...

Thank you. She never had an issue until now. I am sure she always had them though and it just now showed signs. We've had her a little over a month.

Not letting Livvie hold her and I scrub my hands. I do not have a black light, but getting a bulb tonight if I can if not I will get one tomorrow while I am out.

 

[Piggie Mom]

Thank you all for your help. I will let you all know what I find out.

 

[janinehunt]

I think ivermectin is for parasites, not fungal infections??? Have you got any of the following on hand: coconut oil, neem oil, aloe vera gel, grapefruit seed extract, patchouli and or lavender essential oils? I treated the spot twice a day with a blend of: 1 tsp aloe vera gel, 1/2 tsp neem oil, 1/2 tsp cocnut oil, 3 drops patchouli and 2 drops lavender essential oils. This softened and got rid of the black crust. Then I sprayed the area twice a day with a mixture of: 1 tsp aloe vera gel dissoved in 2 tablespoon water, 20 drops grapefruit seed extract and 5 drops lavender essential oil. Worked a treat - in a matter of days the crust is gone and healthy skin is growing and Pumpin is back to her beautiful self.

I happen to have all these things on hand though...

Made me realise the importance of regular checking over of piggies. If anyone has a basic guide as to what to check, I would appreciate it, as a new piggy person.

 

[SurfingPigs]

You can't see mites with the naked eye. The picture makes it look fungal to me. If so, a nizoral bath is what you need. https://www.guinealynx.info/fungus.html

 

[Piggie Mom]

You can't see mites with the naked eye. The picture makes it look fungal to me. If so, a nizoral bath is what you need. https://www.guinealynx.info/fungus.html

Yeah, I am thinking fungal too. Can you get nizoral from the drug store or special order only? I will google it, but just wanted to ask to be sure.

 

[ellisa]

I have never experienced fungus or parasites with piggies, but I agree with SurfingPigs that the picture looks possibly fungal. It looks sort of like the pictures I have seen on GL of fungus. I really have no idea, though. Hope you find out what it is soon! Poor piggie.

 

[SurfingPigs]

Yes, you can use monistat or similar products from drug stores.


ETA: Monistat would be a cream fungal treatment, while nizoral is a shampoo. Both are brand name products.