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Any Ideas?

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Leah Jacques

Leah Jacques

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi there.
I've only had my boys for two weeks and am in need of your advice. I've had piggies before but never seen this.
One of my boys ( they were born April 7th 2014) has suddenly got a patch on the top of his head that looks almost like a scab. I don't know if to bathe it in salt water or if to get it looked at. I've taken a photo but I'm new to this and can't figure out how to upload a picture if I even can.

Leah
 
Hi and welcome!

It is most likely that it is ringworm or mange mites; both are rather common in newly bought shop or breeder piggies. You will need to see a vet for a proper diagnosis and treatment; do not home treat on spec with shop products that are too weak. Please take both piggies as they either issue is very infective and you need to treat all piggies living that are living together. If you bought them from a shop, you may be able to claim the vet cost from them, as they fall under the quarantine time.

We have got a video tutorial on how to best upload pictures on the top bar. https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/videos/

You can also help us by adding your country, state or (for the UK) your county/general area. This makes it much easier for us to give you advice that is appropriate for your part of world. Click on your name on the top bar, then go to personal details/location. thanks!
 
Have inspected the other one and they both have it.
Have a 9.20 appointment with the vets tomorrow to be on the safe side. My breader treated them with Ivermec before we had them.

onions poorly skin.webp



Leah x
 
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I've taken them from their hutch and put them in the indoor cage we have and disinfected the hutch and leaving it to dry.
Plastic will be easier to clean.
They are still very anxious little boys as its all new to them anyway.
Don't like upsetting them but they need to be looked at.

Thanks everyone

Leah x
 
I'm not sure if I could give u any advice here other than to listen to the comments made above! I hope they get cured soon!

Btw I adopted my it's on the day urs were born. I got my boys last year tho.
Good look
 
Thanks everyone I just hope the veg can help tomorrow. Scruffy is exactly the same just in different spots.

image.webp

x
 
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Hi I've just replied to your welcome post then saw this....I noticed patches just like that on two of my boys the day after I got them home I've wrote a post.. I didn't know my piggies were poorly when I brought them. I've had large vet bills and I'm almost half way through their month long treatment routine. What did the vet say it was if its ringworm (if they have mites and lice too this is because their immune system is low due to the ringworm my vet told me) I would ask the breeder for help with your vet bill because as I've found from here no good rescue or breeder would sell a poorly guinea :(
Kell x
 
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What a waste if time and £50! The vet had lost her voice and was hardly speaking ( happens to me a lot so I sympathise) but I told her I thought it was ring worm and she inspected onion, then decided to put a pair of gloves on after and looked at scruffy. Told us it usually clears by itself but it highly contagious. Then pulled a book out and said she wasn't sure she would have to go to their other sugery and see if the treatment they use for other animals would be ok. So basically I'm still not sure what to do and am not really any the wiser! I'm a very disheartened piggie owner. :(
So waiting for a phone call now to see if their is anything. Couldn't believe £48 for 5 mins! I used to pay £35 at my old vets but they're 15 miles away.

Sorry now I'm moaning. X
 
Hi there, I had the chose of two vets and what a shock the best was future away, my vets has a small pets specialist and this is what she did on my first visit (cost £70) she asked what I thought was wrong I told her I had found white wiggly rice things on them that I thought were lice as well as dry patches just like in your photo she put gloves on and looked at each one, weighed him recording their weights on her computer she said these are the option and the costs she told me that it was best to do a skin test on all three and she also suggested a ringworm test which she did at the same time as the skin tests for mites etc we waited in the waiting room while she did both tests then we were called in and told they were all infested with lice and fur mites and because they were so infested it could mean that their immune system was very low because of something else such as ringworm, that test takes 7-10 days to come back so she put stronghold put/kit (15mg divided between the 3 piggies after their weight was calculated to get the right dose) we went home and a week later the vet called to say she needed them back ASAP because they did have a very bad case of ringworm :(
I took them back the next morning and she gave put them on the following at the cost of £114.42p. (another dose of stronghold) then itrafungol oral solution to be give by syringe each morning the does depends on their weight, she gave me F10 antiseptic solution 100ml which I have to make up in a spray bottle and spray all over my boys (not over their face/ears) twice a day until they are properly covered (photos on my post) . Then once a day (am in my case) before I do their treatment I have to empty their hutch and spray every inch including cracks and gaps with the F10 sc-vet.disinfectant 100ml again the vet gave me which is made up in another spray bottle (both are labeled as piggies and hutch) I dry the hutch and re make it. I also have to use the disinfectant on all their toys, bottle, tubes, bowls etc. this needs to be carried out and followed for a month with weekly free vets visits to check their Weight and increase their itrafungol does.
I hope that was of some help to you and anyone else going though this.
Kell x
 
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I would try and find a vet like mine that deals with guinea pigs/rabbits etc as it just might be mites/lice but if it's something like ringworm causing the problem then it does need sorting out properly because it can spread to humans (both my daughters have caught a mild case of it even though were really funny about hand washing etc) it could also effect the Heath of your very cute piggies Hun :( (they look a bit like my fudge :) )
Kell x
 
Vets phoned and I ended up moaning. Was a different vet and she suggested a liquid to take orally. I explained again they are only 10 weeks old so she wanted to check with drug company. We wanted the wash as they don't trust us yet only having them 2 weeks. So we have the liquid to bathe them in ( that cost £33£ she asked us not to use it until Monday when she's checked with drug company. Crazy Mondays so we wouldn't be able to fetch it hence we collected it now before they close. However after I had a tiswas on the phone they have refunded us £24 for one of the consultations. They had charged us twice. Hmmmmm don't know if that's because I ended up in tears on the phone or because it was a actually wrong. Who knows. X
 
Is the liquid Imaverol? or something else? Malaseb maybe? If it is Imaverol you need to dip them and not rinse off.
 
Is the oral treatment itrafungol? It is very effective when treating fungal.
 
Hi Just read your introduction post. But decided to drop straight in here regarding the skin issues, so welcome Leah. Does look fungal to me... vets can be hit and miss especially on Saturdays....

A recommended vets in Brum is:

Manor Vets Edgbaston
Marie Kubiak
371/373 Hagley Road
Edgbaston
Birmingham, B17 8DL
0121 4292829

Hope you can get is cleared up soon. We have a piggy with fungal that we discovered this morning. It's not fun :( Hope Scruffy and Onion get better soon.
 
Thank you. That's very kind. Edgebaston is about 10 miles from me but may be worth it on the long run if we have To go vets again. Thank you. I'll make a note of the address.

Leah. X
 
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