Shai (guinea pig) has a bald leg

[fortifiedwithtea]

This is following on from Millie being itchy. For those who read that thread we treated Millie for mites with 'Spot-on' but she was still itchy with dandruff. She saw a vet who did a skin scraping, couldn't find any mites but gave her a course of Xeno 450 just in case.

Millie still has very bad dandruff. And now Shai has a bald left front leg and some bald spots in her chin blubber. Plus a little scab on her lip, could be from eating too many strawberries.

I had suspected fungal infection the last time I took Millie to the vet but that fell on deaf ears.

After speaking to lovely lady at Gorgeous Guineas who also thought the girls have a fungal problem, I ordered some produces to try before opting for the vet again. Can't remember what its called but one thing I rub in and leave for 20 minutes before washing off with shampoo for problem skin. And I do that once a week for 3 weeks. It should all arrive in the post tomorrow. Bathing this weekend. The girls will be judgey.

I will keep you updated with their progress

Aww poor girl

Is she barbering herself (or is Millie 'helpfully' grooming her?)
The bathing treament should reieve their skin, and I'm sure if you explain to them that it's going to be For Their Own Good, they'll take all the baths in good faith

Take some Before Treatment photos then periodically throughout the three weeks, then if there's a change, you can keep track (and show the vet)

Good Luck.

Thanks 70. Good idea about taking pictures. I now have a phone with a camera, just not been brave enough to use it. I can almost hear Old Boy muttering new fangled thing .

I haven't noticed any barbering and Millie is a face washer. Funny thing is even though Shai is a black piggy her skin is black with white patches

Sorry to hear about Shai. Hope her luxury spa treatments do the job. From personal experience I've found that explaining things are 'for your own good' to pigs results in sulks and sometimes angry toothiness. I tell them it's a way to earn extra 'pocket parsley'.

My boys would like to point out to Fortified that it's not 'chin blubber', it's a built in pillow which only superior pigs can grow for supreme comfort.

My boys would like to point out to Fortified that it's not 'chin blubber', it's a built in pillow which only superior pigs can grow for supreme comfort.

Thanks Fernie Pigs I will bear that in mind when I give Shai a chin superior pillow rub

Hope your piggies are happy this morning Fortified.

My old Smoothpig managed to grow 4 chin pillows and had lovely long comfortable snoozes as a result. Scruffypig hasn't managed one.

Fernie, currently Shai is taking advantage while Millie is at the water bottle. She is sitting in Millie's favourite spot where she has the best view of me. The back door has already been opened today (I filled up the birdbath) they are hoping for hand picked grass.

Last night they ganged up on me. They'd been given a carrot to snack on before tea and still had some left over sweet corn. I gave them celery and a tomato for tea. They both stood at the edge of the hutch leaning out at me and pretended they couldn't see it. I picked it up and held it under their noses. Shai cracked and gave it a sniff. But they were still "food? What food, can't see any food." I went back to the fridge and came back with broccoli. "Ooo broccoli, we like very much nom, nom, nom."

I'm just a servant mug, I know my place

That was not a good experience they shrieked for England. I quickly realised I was going to get covered in oil so took my jeans off and sat on the back step in just my knickers and top and boots. That must have been quite a sight for the neighbours but sod it, if they saw they shouldn't have been looking. They hated having the oil massaged in and spent the 20 minutes soaking in time in the run munching grass to combat stress.

Then it was shampoo dry fur, rinse, repeat shampoo, leave for 5 minutes and rinse off. In practise Millie's second shampoo was rinsed off sooner because she was shivering. DD1 wrapped Millie in her dressing gown and dried her with the hair dryer while I bathed Shai. Then Shai was dried too and popped in the dressing gown with Millie. There was a lot of poo too - in the bath on the floor on my bed in the dressing gown. They are now hiding in their clean hutch.

However they smell lovely and their fur is so clean. It really got the dandruff out. Poor piggies have to have this whole process repeated at least twice.

Poor little souls (you did explain the "For Your Own Good" bit , eh? )

Hopefully once they find it isn't as arduous as they imagined and your NDN haven't reported you to the poilce for streaking exposure (though in Essex you can get away with semi nudity from what I;ve seen. I must buy a gun) they'll be better next time. Or you won't be able to catch them at all at Washy Time.

The random pooh deposits were a "Thank You Mum for all your care" treat, I'm sure

They girls had the longest sulk ever. Seriously they hid in their bedroom. I had to put their tea by the door because they wouldn't come out.

I have been forgiven this morning they were eyeing up my shortbread biscuit and 2 little noses were pressed against the hutch front. They are now in the run on lawn mowing duty.