6 week old guinea pig irritation around eye

[Laura23]

Hi,

What’s your thoughts please on these pics.

We bought 2 guinea pigs and brought them home Sunday afternoon and yesterday noticed the fur on one guinea pigs eye was getting balder and have noticed some itching of the area and elsewhere.
I took these pics a few hours ago and since then she has stretched again and broke the skin which I don’t have pics of now.

I did send these pics to a vet and they didn’t seem overly concerned as no discharge and eye fully open but to keep an eye out if it’s scratching constantly and becomes worse.

Thanks

 

[Piggies&buns]

Welcome to the forum

As they are new pigs, I wonder whether this could be the start of ringworm. It’s a common place for it to start.
If it is to be the start of ringworm, then it will get worse, spread to both pigs and is highly infectious to humans.

I’ve added guides below so you can read up more about it

Ringworm: Hygiene, Care And Pictures
New Guinea Pig Problems: Sexing & Pregnancy; URI, Ringworm & Parasites; Vet Checks & Customer Rights

 

[Wiebke]

Hi,

What’s your thoughts please on these pics.

We bought 2 guinea pigs and brought them home Sunday afternoon and yesterday noticed the fur on one guinea pigs eye was getting balder and have noticed some itching of the area and elsewhere.
I took these pics a few hours ago and since then she has stretched again and broke the skin which I don’t have pics of now.

I did send these pics to a vet and they didn’t seem overly concerned as no discharge and eye fully open but to keep an eye out if it’s scratching constantly and becomes worse.

Thanks

Hi

I would keep an eye out for potential ringworm in new piggies. Please take the time to read the links.

Ringworm very often starts around the eyes. Good hygiene is paramount to get on top of all the many highly contagious long lived, invisible spores in order to avoid a long running exasperating saga. Ringworm is the single most contagious, species jumping health issue you can come across that can affect other pets and humans as well.

Otherwise it could be something stuck in the eye or washed out with tear fluid which has stuck the hairs together so the area looks balder than it is. Watery tear fluid is there to wash irritants out of the eye while milky white fluid (which is reabsorbed by the tear duct is used for regular eye cleaning. Guinea pigs don't blink except from pain.

 

[Laura23]

Thank you both. I have read about ringworm and was hoping it wasn’t that it’s sounds a nightmare to control and eliminate completely.
I have 2 young children too who have been handling them a lot since we got them. I will check what it’s like in the morning and if it looks worse then think it will be a trip to the vets for confirmation and treatment.
Just praying it isn’t

Laura x

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you both. I have read about ringworm and was hoping it wasn’t that it’s sounds a nightmare to control and eliminate completely.
I have 2 young children too who have been handling them a lot since we got them. I will check what it’s like in the morning and if it looks worse then think it will be a trip to the vets for confirmation and treatment.
Just praying it isn’t

Laura x

When you see a not transparent but powdery (although firm) white crust on the bald area developing, then you know you have ringworm.

I also hope that it is just a watery eye washing out some irritant stuck in the eye or under the upper lid that has caused it. Your piggy will hopefully groom that back to how it should be within a couple of days. If the eye continues to water, have the upper lid checked. Bits of hay or grass can get stuck under it and not be visible but they can scratch the eye surface and cause an infection if they are not removed.

All the best and fingers firmly crossed. It takes 10-14 days between infection and actual outbreak. Ringworm is only infectious once there is an area that is shedding spores but it is not pleasant, as I can say from my own experiences (including catching it from a piggy of mine).