A random bald patch?

[Doeylicious]

Hi everyone

I am very new here, I have introduced myself in the intro section, but now I need some advice :{

One of my girls, Whiskey, aged four, had a bit of pus-like discharge coming from on of her teats on Friday evening. We whizzed her to the vet on Saturday AM, and she was given a little wipe down in the area and a shot of antibiotics (she screamed poor baby). Teat is now fine.

However she has since developed a bald patch on her right side, kinda mid-way along. She has not been scratching, it isn't red, in fact the skin feels almost nice to touch - very smooth. No scabs etc. as you would expect with ringworm or similar. She has no issues with me touching it at all. It was smaller last night but on inspection tonight it is larger, so her and my other two are all off to the V-E-T tomorrow.

My new lad had previously had ringworm before he came to me so I did worry about this, but it just doesn't look or feel like ringworm - I google imaged it and it is very different to Whiskey's little bald patch.

I have had a search on here and realise it could be hormonal. Is this common in guineas, and if so, easily treatable? Would it tie in with the teat issue?

Can anyone offer any advice?

 

[missy]

I'm sorry I can't help with this problem as I don't have any experience or knowledge of something like this....just wanted to say welcome! Hope you get some helpful advice soon, so you can get Whiskey back to full health.

Good luck!

 

[Laura-CCC4]

Welcome to the forum.

Hair loss on the sides of the body, with no other symptoms of mites/fungal infection, does tend to suggest hormonal. I would wonder if the leak from the nipple was related somehow - although if it was definitely pus then a bacterial infection must have been present.

I'd recommend having your vet check for ovarian cysts; the hair loss on the sides of the body are often indicative of such a condition. Ovarian cysts are very rarely, if ever, life threatening - so don't let the vet talk you into an unnecessary spay! Whiskey is otherwise well now as you say, so it's well worth discussing other treatments first and leaving the spay, which is invasive surgery, as a last resort.

If there's no sign of cysts - either on palpation of the abdomen or by ultrasound - then hormone therapy can still be carried out i.e. there doesn't have to be cysts to use this treatment.

The following post/thread may help, it details the treatment of cysts but also mentions the hormone therapy:
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showpost.php?p=681837&postcount=3

 

[Doeylicious]

Thanks for that Laura. To be honest I am not sure the nipple leak was pus - it was just q bit yellow and looked thick, but had all crusted over the next day. As I said we gave her a jab just in case and that does seem to have cleared up so far.

I really DON'T want her spayed, it's a big op for a cat or dog let alone a tiny piggie, I try not to have anything under an anaesthetic unless we have to as it can be so tricky.

That other post is really helpful, I will print it out and take it along to the vets. I am hoping they don't try and fob me off with the 'mites' diagnosis so will definitely mention the ultrasound.