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Bald patch with flaky skin

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Grabbipig

Grabbipig

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hello,

I noticed a couple of days ago that penny was itching more than usual so I had a look at her and I noticed that her skin was a bit flaky. I looked it up and lots of sources said that guinea pigs are prone to dandruff, so I wasn't too worried, but I have just looked at her now while we were having a cuddle and there is a bald patch on her back and lots of flaky skin.

Can anyone give me some advice on what it could be?

Many thanks, :)
 
Could be mites or fungal best to get it checked out by a vet as if there is a bald patch its not dry skin. How itchy is she?
 
degu_rock said:
Could be mites or fungal best to get it checked out by a vet as if there is a bald patch its not dry skin. How itchy is she?
Click to expand...

I would say she's not extremely itchy, but she is standing there scratching for long periods which isn't usual.
 
Please have Penny seen by a good vet for a proper diagnosis and treatment. It is likely to be mange mites, but fungal cannot be excluded. Don't home treat on spec unless you really know what you are doing; you can easily make things worse. The correct treatment for mites is a full course of ivermection. If Penny has a companion, she needs to be treated at the same time.
http://www.guinealynx.info/mites.html
http://www.guinealynx.info/fungus.html
http://gorgeousguineas.com/indentification.html

Here is our map of recommended piggy savvy vets if you haven't already got a good local one:
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=204458758673513849635.0004e111354a528da0dbb&msa=0
 
Both mange mites and fungal infections can cause flaking (dandruff) and hair loss. With fungal you will sometimes see a crust on the skin and you will see hair coming away from the skin with a flake attached to it. It's not normal for guinea pigs to have dandruff; if a piggy has dandruff it's because there is something either in their environment which is drying out their skin or they have a fungal or parasitic infection which is not being treated.

For fungal infections I use Gorgeous Guineas product CocoNeem Melt and shampoo (http://www.gorgeousguineas.co.uk/p/product/0702141283-CocoNeem+Melt:+50gms/). For mites I pop down to my veterinary clinic for some topical ivermectin (Revolution will treat for lice and mites but lice can be seen on your pig as small black running dots). If you are not sure or you don't trust that your vet has diagnosed the problem correctly you can wash your guinea pig with the product to combat fungal infection before an ivermectin application (you don't want to do this the other way or you can remove the ivermectin!).

With skin issues that get to the stage where the hair is falling out it's best to act sooner with veterinary supervision than later as they can be quite uncomfortable for your little friend.
 
Thanks guys. I will be booking them both an appointment at the vets.

Looking at wiebke's links I think it is more likely to be mites than fungus.

Thanks again, I will keep you posted :)
 
All booked in for Monday at 12:40. I asked for an appointment today but they didn't have any room.

Is there any way I can make her more comfortable in the meantime, without making things worse? It doesn't seem so flaky today, but I have noticed she is scratching in different places now, like behind her ears.
 
No, there is not a lot you can do as shop stuff is not the best. If you really wish, you can give them Johnson's insecticidal shampoo - that relieves the itching for about a day or two (not longer, and it certainly won't stop the mites), but please don't bathe any piggies younger than 4 months old unless prescribed by a vet. Your piggies will get stronger and more appropriate meds on Monday than you can get in a shop.

PS: Any mites treatment needs to be repeated at least twice every 10-14 days depending on the product in order to catch any emerging eggs at the ideal interval. You can't bathe etc. within 48 hours of any topical treatment.
 
Took Penny and Pickles to the vet today. She thinks it could be ringworm so she has taken a sample and sent it off. In the meantime she has given me some hibiscrub to put on the affected area for ten days while we wait for the results.

Pickles doesn't seem to have caught it so fingers crossed I won't have another piggy with an itchy bald patch :)
 
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