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advice please, flakey skin on ear

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lauralucy

lauralucy

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hi

one of my rex piggies has flakey skin on one of her ears, she also has a bald patch behind her ear and more flakey skin, as well as a scab and a healing sore?

all the other piggies lick her ears could the bald patch and scab be from the licking and nibbling of another piggy? will take a pic tonight and upload it as i'm at work at the min. it doesnt seem to bother her I'm just qorried, also is there anything i can put on her ear to moisturise it?

thanks

laura
 
Flakey skin on ears, especially when combined with some hair loss, can indicate a fungal skin problem. This year has been one of the worst I've seen for fungal problems. I would advise a vet trip and as left untreated it can become a much bigger problem which is far harder to deal with.

Suzy x
 
Is there a reason as to why they are licking and nibbling her?

Id say Fungal - does the hair come out in clumps?
 
i dont know they have done it for a while they also lick behind fluff's ear's almost like they are cleaning them.

her fur/hair does come out at all if you brush it its just a bald patch (the normal bald bit behind the ear has just doubled in size), with what looks like dandruff.

i shall try and get a vet appointment for tomorrow, will phone at lunch
 
Personally I would not immediately say this is fungal. If the other piggies are licking/nibbling around fluff's ear then it is very possible she has a case of ear mites.as I have seen this behaviour in one of my piggie pairs when one had mites...Fluff might have developed a fungal on top but the flakiness could be guinea pig saliva drying on the ear/dry skin. So please get the vet to check the inside of her ear as well as the outside.


Just to be aware.....Flaky ears can also just be dry skin resulting from dry conditions/lack of humidity in their living area courtesy of central heating. I put shallow trays of water near radiators to up the humidity levels for my piggies otherwise they can start shedding hair and get a bit scurfy.

HTH
x
 
Pebble said:
Personally I would not immediately say this is fungal. If the other piggies are licking/nibbling around fluff's ear then it is very possible she has a case of ear mites.as I have seen this behaviour in one of my piggie pairs when one had mites...Fluff might have developed a fungal on top but the flakiness could be guinea pig saliva drying on the ear/dry skin. So please get the vet to check the inside of her ear as well as the outside.


Just to be aware.....Flaky ears can also just be dry skin resulting from dry conditions/lack of humidity in their living area courtesy of central heating. I put shallow trays of water near radiators to up the humidity levels for my piggies otherwise they can start shedding hair and get a bit scurfy.

HTH
x
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Out of curiosity, Is there any test that needs done for earmites or can you see them?
 
thank you pebble :)

butter is the one with the problem, fluff is fine :))

they dont have any heating on in there room so not sure what caused it but sometimes she does have very warm ears.
 
flintstones said:
Out of curiosity, Is there any test that needs done for earmites or can you see them?
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Ear mites are a different type of mite to mange mites...they are larger and a trained vet who knows what to look for can see them on the end of the otoscope if they look carefully enough...Another indicator is waxy dark gunk in the ear canal and they can also look at this under a microscope just to confirm.

Treatment should be ivermectin injections (3 doses 10-14 days apart) combined with ear drop to loosen the gunk to allow the ivermectin to penetrate to where the mites are. Also of course, you need to treat all the piggies exposed and observe careful hygiene/cleaning measures to prevent spread/re-infection.

x
 
I had a piggy with flakey ears and on the gorgeous guineas site i used the Lavendar and Myrrh lotion that stuff is brilliant and soon got rid of her flakey ears and they were so soft afterwards... they have now changed the lotion and its called Kwench lotion. I put some on some cotton wool and rubbed my piggies ears she seemed to like the feeling aswell :))


Esther x
 
made an appointment she is going to the vets 10 tomorrow morning
 
lauralucy said:
i was there last saturday to!

how did you get on?

xx
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We sent away for a fungal culture, as my pig has symmetric hairloss and red patches. Which although looks like my fungal its not typical of fungal to be symmetric. We have too wait upto 2 weeks for the culture.

Part of me would much rather it was ringworm as then we can get on and treat it. If it comes back negative then we will too look further into it! *Can of worms will be opened*.

You can see the redness round the hairline, he also has symmetric bald patches on his back and the other ear is the same.

023.jpg


We're playing the waiting good, although Milo is perfect and in no discomfort, healthy, happy, Balding Milo :))!

I hope you can get to the cause of your piggies issues tomorrow, if there is any.

I do think we're all in the wrong profession though! :))!
 
Joanne - I'm not sure whether to hope it's ringworm or something else for you, at least he doesnt seem bothered :) bless him hugs to him.

Hannah - how come they wont do anything? if they know what the problem is? where are you taking him?
 
lauralucy said:
Joanne - I'm not sure whether to hope it's ringworm or something else for you, at least he doesnt seem bothered :) bless him hugs to him.

Hannah - how come they wont do anything? if they know what the problem is? where are you taking him?
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Perhaps a yeast infection, something nice and easy to cure for both of us ;)!

Let us know how you get on, Goodluck too both of you!

Perhaps someone may consider being our piggy vet :))!
 
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lauralucy said:
Joanne - I'm not sure whether to hope it's ringworm or something else for you, at least he doesnt seem bothered :) bless him hugs to him.

Hannah - how come they wont do anything? if they know what the problem is? where are you taking him?
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Well I will have to see what they do as I don't know if they'll file his molars with GA .. and I cant get to Ipswich
 
flintstones said:
Perhaps a yeast infection, something nice and easy to cure for both of us ;)!

Let us know how you get on, Goodluck too both of you!

Perhaps someone may consider being our piggy vet :))!
Click to expand...

that sounds good :)

will do :) thank you.

i think we should all re-train!
 
i'm sure you have tried the cct can they recomend one neaer to you than ipswich?
 
Hanwombat said:
Same. Annoying there isnt a rodentologist nearby and I cant drive :S
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My vet does conscious dentals although to get too him I have to get a bus, train and taxi not the quickest of journeys but well worth it to someone that is experienced. Takes me roughly an hour - too hour and half.

Could you get public transport too Ipswich?
 
bit late but here are a few pics, sorry they're not great she doesnt like staying still.

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031.jpg

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032.jpg
 
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