My little sister just got a guinea pig from the pet store last week named “Pickle.” Pickle is very active, playful, and seemingly healthy. However she has this large bald patch on her head that seems to have gotten slightly bigger. My mom is kind of reluctant to take her to the pet store because we dont know what will happen if they “take them to their vet.” Does anyone know if the bald patches are bornal or okay? Is it a serious issue?
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Hi! Your sister's guinea pig looks like she has got ringworm. This is the most aggressive and transmittable form of a fungal skin infection, and the one that can jump over to humans, too. Spores are tiny and can stay live for 18 months, which is why many pet shops struggle to get on top of ringworm.
Good hygiene is paramount. Investing in a disinfectant that not only kills bacteria (normal disinfectants) but a vet strength disinfectant that also works on fungal is money very well spent!
Please show our ringworm hygiene guide to your mommy. Our hygiene tips look like overkill, but they WORK and they make sure that you can get on top of ringworm once and for all without it other piggies and humans coming down with it! All tips have learned the hard way.
If your sister has already handled her guinea pig with bare hands, it would be good if your mom could ring a helpline to ask what fungal shampoo brand is suitable as a whole body shampoo for you and your sister to prevent you from developing ringworm yourself.
For adults an anti-dandruff shampoo like nizoral (ketonazole) is OK, but it is quite harsh on the skin of both humans and even more so guinea pigs.
Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures
More US brands are listed in this link here:
Guinea Lynx :: Fungus
Your mom can reclaim any vet cost from the shop by presenting the vet bill together with the sales receipt within the first 2-3 weeks after the sale, even if she is not using the shop vet; she is still within her customers' rights as exposure and infection have happened at the shop or the breeders' that supplies the shop and she has been basically sold a defective product.
Guinea Lynx :: GL's Vet List
Since we have members from all over world, we find it very helpful if you please added your country, state/province or UK county to your details, so we can tailor any advice to what is available and relevant where you are straight away. As you can imagine, climate, brands, access to good vets and rescues can vary widely, and they can all influence our advice.
Please click on your username on the top bar, then go to personal details and scroll down to location. This makes it appear with every post you make. Your mother is welcome to ask any questions she has or that come up along the way. We are here to help her to best of our ability.
