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Bald Patches on My Piggy’s legs and belly

SophiaPiggyLover

New Born Pup
Joined
Jan 9, 2021
Messages
3
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0
Points
25
Location
Europe
Hey Everyone I was wondering if I could have some advice.

So i noticed about a week ago that my piggy has bald patches on her legs. Today I was giving her a weekly check and realised that she also has a bald patch goes across a line from her chest to her belly. I have touched the bald areas and she seems to have no sign of discomfort when I touch them. I do hear her itching sometimes and I have noticed that when she comes out to eat she itches as if there is discomfort in her mouth slash nose areas for it is more like she is turning her head away as if something was uncomfortable there. It has seemed to have slowed more recently but I decided to ask once I saw her belly. She is a 6 year old piggy who lives alone as her 2 room mates died. One more recently. She has half eaten a strawberry in my lap right now and she has just been ‘itching her face’ but I realised that she was actually more grooming her paws where there are bald patches. It is all her paws and slightly above. I just would like to know if I should take her to the vet or not for I hate seeing my little piggy in discomfort or is this just over grooming and if so, how can I prevent this? Bear in mind that I have made her DIY hay toys such as the hay ball wit toilet paper strips, hay in a toilet roll and a sock hay dispenser. I also make her hideys from cardboard boxes. Please give me any advice as long as you know 100% of what you are advising. Thank you

PS. this has come before when she was younger and then it eventually went away but I want to make sure that if there is a quicker way we can get rid of this and that she is also eating and drinking her hay, pellets and fruits and veggies.
 
I am afraid a vet is the only person who can tell you 100% - Its not something we can do.

Please have her vet checked. There could be many reasons for losing hair from parasites, hair loss due to cysts or self barbering for some reason.
 
It does seem an unusual pattern of hair loss. The thing is, even if she is doing it to herself we can't assume that she's just a bit sad or a bit bored. It might be that as an older girl she has some discomfort and she does this to take her mind off it. Barbering can be a sign of stress and so a symptom of illness. A vet might look at her and say he/she can't find anything wrong but then at least you'll know. Or it could be that she has some minor gut problem that would normally be sorted by eating the poops of a healthy cage-mate and right now she doesn't have that option. If she's the one in your photo she's a beauty! I hope you can get her some help x
 
I agree - she needs to see a vet.
Hopefully it’s nothing serious.
Please keep us posted.
 
Hey Everyone I was wondering if I could have some advice.

So i noticed about a week ago that my piggy has bald patches on her legs. Today I was giving her a weekly check and realised that she also has a bald patch goes across a line from her chest to her belly. I have touched the bald areas and she seems to have no sign of discomfort when I touch them. I do hear her itching sometimes and I have noticed that when she comes out to eat she itches as if there is discomfort in her mouth slash nose areas for it is more like she is turning her head away as if something was uncomfortable there. It has seemed to have slowed more recently but I decided to ask once I saw her belly. She is a 6 year old piggy who lives alone as her 2 room mates died. One more recently. She has half eaten a strawberry in my lap right now and she has just been ‘itching her face’ but I realised that she was actually more grooming her paws where there are bald patches. It is all her paws and slightly above. I just would like to know if I should take her to the vet or not for I hate seeing my little piggy in discomfort or is this just over grooming and if so, how can I prevent this? Bear in mind that I have made her DIY hay toys such as the hay ball wit toilet paper strips, hay in a toilet roll and a sock hay dispenser. I also make her hideys from cardboard boxes. Please give me any advice as long as you know 100% of what you are advising. Thank you

PS. this has come before when she was younger and then it eventually went away but I want to make sure that if there is a quicker way we can get rid of this and that she is also eating and drinking her hay, pellets and fruits and veggies.

Hi and welcome!

Your piggy needs to see a vet. Hair loss can have many different causes from skin parasites, fungal skin infections, to ovarian cysts or self-barbering/mechanical abrasion as a result of arthritis pain in the legs, which is not uncommon in old piggies. Unfortunately, we can only guess widely, based on the filter of just your own perception and words and without any hands-on access.
 
I am afraid a vet is the only person who can tell you 100% - Its not something we can do.

Please have her vet checked. There could be many reasons for losing hair from parasites, hair loss due to cysts or self barbering for some reason.
Ok, thank you I will see what I can do x
 
I agree. Please see a vet.
And it would be much appreciated if you would edit your profile to state a more detailed location as this does affect the advice given. As you are in the UK it would be appreciated if you would add your county.
 
Please be aware that medical brands, vet access as well as online access to support care and feeding and housing products etc. can vary enormously throughout mainland Europe that are all different from the UK. Conditions can also vary quite noticeably throughout the UK and are by no means the same all over.
The more general your information, the more basic will the quality of our advice be as it has to fit a large, diverse part of the world and be equally correct and valid anywere. Since we are a UK based forum, our advice works best on a country level for non-UK European countires and on a UK county or large cities level where can support you with regional tips and local member recommendations without compromising your privacy.
 
Hey Everyone I was wondering if I could have some advice.

So i noticed about a week ago that my piggy has bald patches on her legs. Today I was giving her a weekly check and realised that she also has a bald patch goes across a line from her chest to her belly. I have touched the bald areas and she seems to have no sign of discomfort when I touch them. I do hear her itching sometimes and I have noticed that when she comes out to eat she itches as if there is discomfort in her mouth slash nose areas for it is more like she is turning her head away as if something was uncomfortable there. It has seemed to have slowed more recently but I decided to ask once I saw her belly. She is a 6 year old piggy who lives alone as her 2 room mates died. One more recently. She has half eaten a strawberry in my lap right now and she has just been ‘itching her face’ but I realised that she was actually more grooming her paws where there are bald patches. It is all her paws and slightly above. I just would like to know if I should take her to the vet or not for I hate seeing my little piggy in discomfort or is this just over grooming and if so, how can I prevent this? Bear in mind that I have made her DIY hay toys such as the hay ball wit toilet paper strips, hay in a toilet roll and a sock hay dispenser. I also make her hideys from cardboard boxes. Please give me any advice as long as you know 100% of what you are advising. Thank you

PS. this has come before when she was younger and then it eventually went away but I want to make sure that if there is a quicker way we can get rid of this and that she is also eating and drinking her hay, pellets and fruits and veggies.
Two days ago, her fur started growing back on her legs and her belly and her appetite is back so we will not see a vet currently
 
Please do still see a vet, it’s possible the underlying cause is still there and should still be investigated. You did not mention her appetite had reduced, that i can see, in your original post. Please switch from routine weekly weighing to daily weighing to ensure she really is eating enough hay. Any weight loss above 50g is cause for concern and requires a vet check and for her to be support fed.
 
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