A very young child may pull out a guinea pig s hair. Richardson reported a case where a guinea pig kept outside was losing hair to a robin to provide nesting material. The first thing you notice is a bare patch which then develops sores on it. Its lost about 20% of its fur and has been scratching until it would bleed. My guinea pig currently has small amounts of discharge in one eye and weve noticed under her chin is almost constantly wet. The best way to keep your guinea pig healthy is to keep a close watch on your pet. Jan 20, 2011 hi everyone, my 3 year old female guinea pig, ellie, has two bald patches. Im quite worried as the guinea pig is only about 6 months old, as it was a baby of 2 of my other guinea pigs. Guinea pig ringworm medication is systematic, not just topical. The cage they were in was very small, and crowded, and of course it was a stressful environment for them, with this change, etc. Guinea pigs can suffer from foot problems originating from injury, obesity, and disease. Guinea pig hair loss on belly i am going to schedule a vet appointment for my guinea pig but in the mean time i want to post here and see if i can do anything before hand. Abscesses in these areas can become large very quickly.
Yeah, if its fungus, you can get the monistat7 and use that. Make sure it is eating and defecating, wash your hands before and after handling, freeze your pets bedding and food before use, and keep it away from drafts. It can also be caused by things in your hamsters environment. Sometimes her back legs and tummy are almost completely bald, then the hair grows back only to fall out again. A suggestion would be more toys and an indooroutdoor run as a change of scenery. Pregnant females often lose a lot of hair because their hormones are unbalanced and this always grows back, so there is no need to worry if this happens to your. We have now started to handle her and have noticed that behind each ear is a bald patch. Ringworm infection is a common infection in guinea pigs is. Her companion had died shortly before so i think it was stress.
The animal will not simply present as going a bit bald, but will scratch frantically, drawing blood from the inflamed skin, and will also be very twitchy and ill at ease. Hamsters are supposed to be cute and fluffy so hair loss and bald patches are typically a sign that there is something wrong. Id noticed the fur thinning down there before but i thought it was due to old age as hes almost 5. A guinea pig s color has nothing to do with its life, except for if it is getting bald patches or patches of color that werent there before. A congested guinea pig is a sad, frightened guinea pig. Hair loss in guinea pigs guinea lynx a medical and. Guinea pig pick up and holding techniques demonstrated duration. As prey animals, guinea pigs hide signs of illness.
An exception is that sometimes guinea pigs may have a bald patch on their behind, caused by the substance they use to mark their territory. Guinea pigs hair loss can also be caused by guinea pigs. But its gradually got bigger and im worried somethings wrong with him. I decided to take her to the vet anyways and it turned out she was just scratching her fur and it wasnt anything to be worried about. Guinea pigs can get several types of cysts, with the most common being a sebaceous cyst. Fungus can cause bald patches, scaly skin, and hair loss. I was very nervous, however i wasnt sure if it was a big enough problem to take her to the vet. The place where the hair is gone doesnt appear to be red, or. Again the signs to look out for are constant scratching and hair loss. These actions will help you prevent the bulk of the most.
How to deal with common problems in guinea pigs pets4homes. The twoweek interval allows the eggs to hatch and the lice killed before they lay new eggs. Parasites too can cause skin problems, these include lice and mites that live on the guinea pig s hair. I told my 4 year old that we would have to give patch away, to someone who could care for her a little better. Abscesses can also form in the mouth or jaw of a guinea pig. Dec 18, 2010 sometimes her back legs and tummy are almost completely bald, then the hair grows back only to fall out again. When the other guinea pig started to get defensive, my oldest one started plucking himself bald where he could reach on his own body. When i spray my guinea pigs i spray them 4 times on the tummy,back,bottom and top of the head with you hand over their eyes nose and mouth good luck. The most common reason for hair loss is when a guinea pig is infected with parasites. We noticed that our new female rabbit has a bald patch on her tummy slightly to one side that is about a centimetre and a half square. A very young child may pull out a guinea pigs hair. Unlike humans, guinea pigs cannot sweat so this handy way of cooling down in humans, isnt available for them. The skin underneath the hair loss did look healthy, and after a couple days, so did the skin surrounding the bald patch. The area doesnt seem to bother my guinea pigs, but is a bit dry, and flaky.
There are some short hairs and some flakey yellow skin when you scratch at it. When you handle your guinea pig, gently open its mouth to see the abscess. Many many cases of hairless guinea pigs come to the sanctuary where mites and fungal are a problem. Her other rossets although have all the fur but do look quite flakey. My guinea pig has been scratching his back a lot every single day.
There are five very common diseases in guinea pigs. Parasites arent the only cause of dry, itchy skin and hair loss in guinea pigs. This guinea pig still has her companion and i cant think what can be causing stress but dont know why else her hair is falling out. The new guinea pig owner, after reading about hair loss and mites, lice and fungus diseases, will. This may have been a trivial argument over an extralarge sunflower seed. At the end of may, roughly, i went on holiday and dropped my pigs off at a family members house for a week. The most common reason for hair loss in guinea pigs is usually mites.
Skinny pigs typically have hair on their muzzles, feet, and legs, but are hairless over the remainder of their bodies. The skinny pig is an almost hairless breed of guinea pig. Many owners assume that guinea pigs lose their hair as they get older, but this isnt true. Sebaceous cysts contain oil from the skin glands that produce oil sebaceous glands. Guinea pigs can become obese if fed too much of the wrong food. The ringworm infection is characterized by bald patches that commonly start at the head. Even elderly cavies wont lose hair as a result of their old age. This is normal, especially in boars, but if it looks a bit sore then there might be another underlying problem. Contrary to its name, this infection is not due to a parasitic worm, but to a microsporum species of fungus, typically the trichophyton mentagrophytes fungus, also clinically referred to as. The infection can clear up on its own as long as your guinea pig is healthy and their environments kept nice and clean. These itchy spots get worse as the guinea pig does everything it can to scratch it repeatedly.
When i got them back, josh who was a rescue and always kinda skittish, though is much better now, had a bald patch on his belly. The familys guinea pig, patch, has been looking worse and worse lately. According to the rescue people she had only recently read about 46 weeks been paired with the male we have. In this case, these two guinea pigs were taken at 2 different times to a local vet who i shall not name and shame here. Cure guinea pig and cavies skin disease caused by mites. They do look quite dry flakey on and around the bald patches.
Her tummy is stained and sticky from the urine shes forced to sit in. Guinea pig hair loss how to identify and treat fungal and. Your vet will likely also direct you to wash your pig a couple. Jul 22, 2010 ringworm infection is a common infection in guinea pigs is. Annie has a wet bum guinea pigs cutiecavies guinea pig. Jan 03, 2012 yes you must spray the cage if the mites are on the guinea pig the will be living on the cage well i also suggest moving you cage 2 a far away patch of grass. If your guinea pig is fit and healthy in every other way and not scratching i would not worry too much. Yesterday at evening feed, i noticed a bald patch, about the size of a desert spoon on her right side. Up until recently i thought it was just barbering but now im not too sure. The bald patch is not sore, flaky, red, itchy or anything at all. Some of them have a thin covering of fuzzy hair on their backs as well. Guinea pig ringworm symptoms and treatment for ringworm.
Jan 26, 2020 causes of guinea pig hair loss the most common reason for hair loss in guinea pigs is usually mites. Fleece is a wonderful bedding medium but needs to be changed every day or every other at the most. Contrary to its name, this infection is not due to a parasitic worm, but to a microsporum species of fungus, typically the trichophyton mentagrophytes fungus, also clinically referred to as ringworm. Your guinea pig may have an intestinal blockage torsion andor a dangerous buildup of gas. He is keep on biting his back and his i can see his skin. May 24, 2018 if you or your child has caught ringworm from your guinea pig, you will likely see skin lesions appear around the face, neck and arms. This is the same guinea pig picture as that seen in photo 5, showing the genitalia of the male guinea pig. Cure guinea pig and cavies skin disease caused by mites treatment is safe and inexpensive.
I havent noticed him scratching a lot, although he couldve been without my noticing it. So basically it sounds as if your guinea pigs are getting bored and trimming each otherstheir own fur. I also recommend treating the environment every four days by removing and replacing the substrate and spraying with a spray containing the same ingredient as. In another case, a combination of unprepared vet and uncooperative guinea pig resulted in a painful patch of fur loss. Nov 04, 2014 eventually, this will kill a guinea pig so it is very serious. Naturally occuring bald spots behind the ear of a guinea pig. Nov 28, 2019 identify abscesses in your guinea pigs mouth and jaw. If you notice any bald spots or patches of missing hair on your guinea pig, treat it as something serious and investigate as to how it happened. I rang our vet, but our regular guy is off tomorrow, and the locum just hasnt got enough guinea pig knowledge so id end up having to being annie back in a few days, so she wont be seeing the vet until friday. The two common guinea pig fur mites are trixacarus caviae sarcoptic mange.
She is by herself our other two passed over the rainbow bridge about 18months and 6months ago respectively and we dont want any more, though to be fair she is by far the chirpiest and most active she has ever been by herself. How to check your guinea pigs hair guinea pig illnesses. However, if your gerbil has an inflamed, scabby, bald round patch on its coat, then it could just possibly be ringworm. An abscess in a guinea pig can give a wide range of symptoms depending on its location. An example of a condition that affects guinea pigs is bumble foot, which is unfortunately something owners need to look out for its an infection that. Hi, i noticed today that my piggie spike has a huge bald patch on his belly. Read emergency advice that helped one posters guinea pig make it through the night. Sometimes, though, a guinea pig will have a bloated belly for other reasons, such as worms or, rarely, a tumor. My guinea pig bella just recently died on wednesday 16th september 2015 at 5. I think it was a piece of bone and i saw some blood too. Hair loss can be a symptom of an assortment of different health conditions. A few months ago i took her to the vet and the vet said she was healthy.
Sore noses are one of the most common gerbil health problems. Any loss of hair in guinea pigs that isnt behind the ears should be investigated. That means by the time your guinea pig, or cavy, shows any signs of disease, he might already be very sick. Usually, if a pig has a fungal infection such as ringworm, by the time you notice one bald patch, there are several others. Overnight growth on cheek cutiecavies guinea pig forum. We did what orlaith did the whole keeping it open thing. Its not really bald, the hairs are just extremely short, and dont seem to be growing back. A guinea pig s nose is constantly active, sniffing for changes in the environment, nearby pigs, and food. Accidents probably for a suspected fracture the vet will want the guinea pig brought to the surgery rather than make a house call, so ask how to move the guinea pig safely, without aggravating its problem. If your guinea pig has bald spots, then this could be due to mange mites or a fungal infection, both of which are easily treatable with a special shampoo. The average weight of a mature guinea pig is right around 2 pounds. Hes only a few months old, so it isnt aging or anything like that.
If you take your guinea pig to a vet, the vet will want to do a skin scrape, but 90% of the time it comes up false negative. Barbering, or chewing on the hair, is sometimes seen when rabbits are housed together or with guinea pigs. Parasites too can cause skin problems, these include lice and mites that live on the. Why does my guinea pig have a bald spot on her back. One of my guinea pigs has a rather large bald spot on the side of its stomach. I can see the skin like a v shape and today, i think i felt something hard. If you suspect people in your household have contracted ringworm, take them to the doctor for the appropriate treatment. The recent warm weather has been perfect for us, but some guinea pigs have suffered. Sometimes her back legs and tummy are almost completely bald, then. A healthy animals receiving good nutrition and exercise feels firm in the body. I have had a guinea pig for many years and about a year ago i saw a bald spot near her rear. Sebaceous cysts are typically located on a guinea pig s back and near the rump, but can form in other places as well. The two bald patches are in the middle of her abyssinian rossets.
I put it on twice a day, making sure to rub it in really carefully, and within a week i didnt see any fungus symptoms. From developing new therapies that treat and prevent disease to helping people in need, we are committed to improving health and wellbeing around the world. The vet thinks she has cysts on her ovaries very common in older guineas which would cause hairloss. A guinea pigs color has nothing to do with its life, except for if it is getting bald patches or patches of color that werent there before. My guinea pig who is 3 years old has been losing hair on her belly recently. Nov 02, 2007 yes you must spray the cage if the mites are on the guinea pig the will be living on the cage well i also suggest moving you cage 2 a far away patch of grass. The only reminder of what weve all been through with him is a bald patch on his rump which should grow over soon. If anyone has any suggestions, they would be much appreciated. Often, the infection appears soon after a new guinea pig joins the family. Since then ellie has thinned out a bit, but still has a voracious appetite. Unfortunately, sometimes the first hint of illness is a dead cavy in the cage. Itchy guinea pig likely has 1 of 3 ailments animal. Eventually, this will kill a guinea pig so it is very serious.
If treating for parasites doesnt resolve your guinea pigs discomfort, there may be other issues at play. In such cases, the pads of the feet wont be pink and healthy, and your guinea pig may be limping. The revolution was a liquid that was dabbed behind the ears on the bald patch. Itchy guinea pig likely has 1 of 3 ailments animal health. Your vet will likely prescribe an antifungal agent that will need to be taken orally, such as itraconazole or terbinafine. I just noticed that my guinea pig has a bald patch right behind his neck. This is a common condition in female guinea pigs, leading to swelling of the abdomen, and hair loss along both sides. Pellets are usually the culprit, so be careful not to overfeed. Your guinea pig may look fine on one day, then have a large abscess the next day. There is a patch of hair on her side that seems to have been cut, but weve. Guinea pig ringworm symptoms and treatment for ringworm in. Hair loss bald patch appeared all of a sudden guinea pig. Lumps and abscesses in guinea pigs an abscess in a guinea pig can give a wide range of symptoms depending on its location.
The skin isnt irritated, and his fur isnt falling out in clumps, like some people have noticed about ringworm. Also, with fungal infections, the bald spots still tend to have some fur that clumps together, and the guinea pig will be scratching a lot. Here are the most common causes of balding in guinea pigs and treatments. Our 6 year old piggy wiggle rescue, back bread, was bald when we got her has recently had a second wave of life, she is a happy little thing, though can no longer wheek, its more of a rasp vet checked, and all ok, just old age. Apr 16, 2016 guinea pig pick up and holding techniques demonstrated duration. If the hair is thin beyond this spot, it is a good idea to have your veterinarian do an examination. They can be caused by allergy to bedding especially cedar, over enthusiastic burrowing with the nose, or stress. Guinea pigs can become obese if fed too much of the wrong. Richardson reported a case where a guinea pig kept outside was losing hair to a. My three year old guinea pig, ollie, has a small patch on the side of his face where it appears that the hair has simply fallen out. Since cavies are sensitive to many antibiotics, good supportive care might be. Common illnesses guinea pig illnesses guinea pigs guide.
Guinea pigs can quickly overheat during the summer leading to heatstroke, which in severe cases can be fatal. However, you should never forget that ringworm is a very contagious condition that can be transmitted to other pets and to humans so e. Guinea pig hair loss how to identify and treat fungal. When my sisters recently gave me a guinea pig, millie, she had a bald spot on her back but no other bald spots.
Sexing guinea pigs guinea pig gender determination. A guinea pig of healthy weight should feel firm in the body and weigh about 2 pounds. In fact this behaviour is often the very first sign of a mite infestation and it is only when you hold your guinea pig to try and calm it down. When the guinea pig is very cold, a small drop of whisky is an invaluable reviver. Guinea pigs are highly susceptible to respiratory infections, caused by bacteria, dampness, drafts, and a dirty cage. An abscess can be a sign of other underlying health issues, such as a soft tissue mass, bone degeneration or joint problems. I have noticed 2 tiny bald patches on its back at either side, and the hair sprouting out of it is grey. Read what forum members have to say about managing chronic bloating. My guinea pig has a small bald spot with a red raised sore. Guinea pig hair loss how to identify and treat fungal and mite. Like a guinea pig version of eczema or something just because of the fact it looks quite dry. Ileus is caused when gas builds up in the gastrointestinal tract stomach and intestines.
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