Guinea with scabs

[demolitionduo]

My one year old sow has a few scabs under her chin & a small bald patch where the scabs have come away on the side of her face. I have booked a vets appointment for her tomorrow & will take her cage mate too for a quick once over.

She doesn't appear troubled by them and isn't scratching them. I can't see any obvious signs of mites & the skin I can see isn't sore or broken. Obviously there is a problem, but has anyone got any ideas what it might be? At first I thought maybe they'd had a bit of a bust-up but they are both so laid back & sweet I can't see that being the issue.

Thank you.

Could be mange, ours had mange was easyish to treat, like treating a cat or dog for fleas

Hi there, - it sounds like you should take her to the vets to find out what is going on, it could be mange which is very easy to treat, but she needs looking at. Guineas have rather sensitive skins, especially the ginger, pale coloured ones, and some can be reactive to changes of hay and pellets, like a kind of allergic reaction. One of ours had recurring bald patches and then they cleared up - plenty of vitamins and even some bio oil (!!) seemed to do the trick, but guineas skin does not have the same PH as ours, so you have to be careful what you use.

If there are no signs of any fights,, she is not being bitten by the other one, or arguing going on - girls can get very arsey with each other, but it sounds like your two get on very well, so probably not that - ... you can't let it go on as they might get infected, so would be interested to hear what the vet thinks and recommends. Hope she gets on OK.

Hi demo

it could be a fungal infectiom that your piggie is suffering from. They are common around the face and can look a bit scabby.

Your vet might do a scraping of the pigs hairs and skin to examine under the microscope.

Don't rule out:
Vit C deficiency- can affect their skin
Fights/bites - even the sweetest tempered Guinea-Pig can let fly resulting in a wound.
Could be a bite from something Non Cavy. We've had loads of wasps and bees, they'd sting a pig if they felt like it.

Have a look at some of the photos on Gorgeous Guineas too, They have some good photos including ringworm and a GP with a scald mark (ouch)

Bear in mind there's no law that says they need just one condition either. Symptoms can be due to a couple of problems co-existing.
Guinea-pigs can be complex little souls

Hi,

Thank you for your responses. The vet seems to think it could well be a mix of mites & fungal infection. She has treated them both for mites & I have a lotion to rub on what is believed to be the fungal infection.

I have looked on GG & agree fungal is more likely, looking at the photos. Hopefully we have caught it early as the patches she does have are small. I have treated them to some GG products to try & aid the healing & soothe any itch.

Does anyone know if I can use the GG products (Manuka & Neem shampoo/melts & Kwench lotion) in conjunction with the prescribed medication? I don't want to overdo it but I do want her to feel better ASAP!

Thank you

Hi demo poor GP, hopes she improves quickly.
There's a number and an email for questions to GG but yes, you have to leave an 'overlap' time.
I dose my boars with Xeno450 then I have to wait a couple of weeks before I wash them (it absorbs into the skin but I don't want to overload them)

Does your vet want to see the piggie for a follow up?

Do you give your Guineas Vitamin C ? It is good for an convalescing guinea-pig (I don't routinely give Vit C but I have some dissolvable tablets if I need them. Reminds me I need to check the use-by date )

Hi 70

Thanks for that. I'll email GG for advice.

Yes we are back in 2 weeks for another check up with the vet, so hopefully some improvement will be evident by then.

I don't routinely give them additional vit C as the dry food I use (Beaphar Care Plus) has quite a high supplement in it. What is the best way to administer extra? I'll give it a go if it might help.

Bless my baby Caramel pig, she is such a lovely girl & I just want her better.

I usually do a full cage clean every week with a 'half clean' mid week & pick out the worst bits daily. Do I need to up this do you think?
What is likely to be the cause? Some of the hay I have had has been really dusty & musty. The latest batch seems better so maybe it was something in the hay I had before.

Thanks again for the advice- much appreciated.

Hi Demo and hi 70

Really pleased the vet was able to help out - hopefully you will see an improvement very soon and she will feel more comfortable and less itchy. We have farming friends and they told us that it has been such a bad year for hay - very bad quality and low nutrients ,plus because of all the rain last summer, very musty as you describe. - it is very possible this is where she picked it up from, like *708 said, they are complex little souls and their skin is very sensitive. If it were me, I would be cleaning them out pretty much everyday, or at least a paper and hay change to make sure nothing is lingering, and maybe try a different kind of hay for a while - it is hard work, but at least then you know everything is fresh and lurgs aren't lingering. Usually at this time of year, you have to do more regular changing due to the, ahem, heat.... looks like its going to be another bad year for hay - soooooo much rain!! :)

sorry 70, have just upgraded you to 708!

y'know 70 is a Limit refers to motorway speed. Makes mental notes not to drive near guineapiglet doing 708 mph

YY the hay is manky this last year. I'm not sure if it's been harvested and left or heatdried (it's shot up in price from £3.39 to £3.99 in a year) which might be due to the extra cost in harvesting?

Some people give VitC in the water bowl/bottle but it can react with the metal parts and it degrades quickly. (My little monsters don't drink water )
I've tried Vit C in cloudy apple juice in a syringe or a spoon but I ended up wearing most of it.
I give lots of Vit C rich veg (and the pellets are enriched as you say).
If my boars needed VitC I'd try Ribena to dissolve it and get them in a Half Nelson.

My messy pigs have a bedding change every 2-3 days (they are outside in their Pighouse now night and day). 3 days is the maximum (I changed the bed yesterday and couldn't believe just how much these animals pee in 2 days )

In summer they have a daily change but less hay.

Have you got a steamer to clean the cage? Works brilliantly, and just tap water.
Some recommend Dettol and in the past I've used Jeyes Fluid (it's got directions on the tin, it's ok for hutches and stables). I love the smell and it kills all sorts of nasties but I used it when the pigs were not using their Pighouse and rinsed like a demon. Had images of them picking up Jeyes fluid on their paws and licking them.

Thanks for all the advice. Been back to the vets today & Caramel pig is much better. The fur is re-growing so whatever it was, the treatment is working! I haven't bathed her yet with the GG concoctions, but will do so on Sunday.
Fingers crossed we are going to have a fully furry pig soon.