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Original poster

What is this please?

34 replies

BewareOfTheCarpet · 21/07/2022 22:19

Posting here for traffic. My Guinea pig seems really unwell. Don’t think he has eaten - certainly for a day at least. And I’ve just noticed this on his back end. ☹️

I will take him to the vet tomorrow but does anyone know what this is?

Thanks

What is this please?
OP posts:
extrapineappleonmypizza · 21/07/2022 22:22

I'm definitely not an expert, but is it fly lava?
It looks like what appears on my cat's food if she doesn't eat it.

extrapineappleonmypizza · 21/07/2022 22:23

*lavae

JustKeepSw1mming · 21/07/2022 22:25

That looks like flystrike - try to remove all those eggs (trim the hair away carefully with scissors) and also any maggots you can find. It might look a whole lot worse by morning if you leave it

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Floralnomad · 21/07/2022 22:25

Has he got fly strike , as I agree with pp . If it’s fly strike he needs seeing tonight .

extrapineappleonmypizza · 21/07/2022 22:25

*larvae 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Applesfortea · 21/07/2022 22:31

Definitely remove it ASAP. Use a flea/nit comb, a toothbrushe, whatever you have to remove it. If it's fly eggs they will hatch & to be blunt, the maggots will start to eat the guinea pig. Don't leave it overnight, they hatch within a very short time.

Original poster
BewareOfTheCarpet · 21/07/2022 22:32

Floralnomad · 21/07/2022 22:25

Has he got fly strike , as I agree with pp . If it’s fly strike he needs seeing tonight .

Oh gosh I have had a couple of glasses of wine & have a child on a sleepover so it would be a bad night to have to do this. Can I was him?

Don’t mean to be flippant just not very knowledgeable

ive moved his cage earlier in the week because of the weather warnings so that it was in total shade - but there were more flies around.

He also has diarrhoea.

I have to find a vet don’t I?

OP posts:
Original poster
BewareOfTheCarpet · 21/07/2022 22:33

Wash him

OP posts:
Afternoonteaandicecream · 21/07/2022 22:34

They are fly eggs, take to a vet ASAP, if they hatch into maggots they will get to work very quickly eating your guinea pig alive.

ElegantlyTouched · 21/07/2022 22:34

I'd try and find a vet tonight if you can. The diarrhoea is not good.

Afternoonteaandicecream · 21/07/2022 22:35

Agree the diarrhoea is not good and small furries can go downhill very quickly.

emmeline7725 · 21/07/2022 22:36

I think that's fly strike. It can be fatal very quickly. Wash off whatever you can but he needs to be seen by the vet ASAP.

JustKeepSw1mming · 21/07/2022 22:37

I would trim the hair with the eggs attached as they won't be easy to wash off (too firmly attached). Then wash him to remove any poo stuck around the area. Dry it well. Check very carefully in all crevices for maggots and pick those off. If no maggots and you have removed all eggs then should be OK till morning. But try to get him to have some water and some food (Cucumber if you have it)

FatAgainItsLettuceTime · 21/07/2022 22:38

www.guineapiggles.co.uk/flystrike-guinea-pigs/

You need to get the Guinea pig to the vets today.

FictionalCharacter · 21/07/2022 22:40

Yep, those look like eggs, and they’ll quickly hatch into maggots which will eat him alive. Fly strike is horrendous.
Get as many as you can off him immediately and get him to a vet as soon as you can.
I’m not a GP expert but if it’s normally possible to bath them, yes do wash his back end thoroughly. As well as washing off the eggs / larvae it reduces any poo smell which attracts flies more.
Is he an indoor pig? If not I’d definitely keep him indoors for now.

Original poster
BewareOfTheCarpet · 21/07/2022 22:47

I’ve rang the emergency vet. They use a service. WAiting for a vet to ring. I’ve also washed him. Will get him to a vet tonight I hope.

Very grateful for your help everyone.

OP posts:
Original poster
BewareOfTheCarpet · 21/07/2022 22:47

I’ve rang the emergency vet. They use a service. WAiting for a vet to ring. I’ve also washed him. Will get him to a vet tonight I hope.

Very grateful for your help everyone.

OP posts:
Floralnomad · 21/07/2022 22:47

Definitely get him to a vet tonight and I hope poor piggy is ok but do be aware that fly strike is often fatal and piggies often do not do well with illness .

Afternoonteaandicecream · 21/07/2022 22:57

Good luck, hope he gets on ok and the vet gets back to you soon

LilacLemur · 22/07/2022 07:09

@BewareOfTheCarpet

How's he doing today?

Floralnomad · 22/07/2022 10:16

@BewareOfTheCarpet how is piggie today , did you manage to get hold of a vet last night ?

Original poster
BewareOfTheCarpet · 22/07/2022 14:40

Hello everyone, sorry to take an age to come back. Stayed up with him but sadly he died between 6am & 8am this morning.

He was 5.

I am very grateful though for your responses, because it meant I tried to make him more comfortable & at least gave him a long cuddle which hopefully helped on his journey.

We got to the vet at 9am.

OP posts:
Original poster
BewareOfTheCarpet · 22/07/2022 14:43

My favourite bit about him was this: I would wheedle my index finger into his front paw & he’s wrap his paw around it. I liked the feel of his little pads.

I do wish I had brought him into the house on Tuesday instead of putting him under an old yew tree. Lots of flies. Dropped the ball on that one.

OP posts:
coolernow · 22/07/2022 14:49

sorry to hear that

stayathomegardener · 22/07/2022 15:27

We lost our ram to fly strike last summer, it can happen very quickly and to the most experienced, try not to blame yourself.