Hmm not quite sure what to make of my vet visit. Welcome views.
I took all 4 girls who live together in. I explained I was fairly sure Red Lazer had some sort of fungal infection and Fizz probably too but wanted a vet confirmation of that in each case and also whether or not it was ringworm.
The vet himself I quite like - you know, in the way that you often either take to someone or not shortly after you meet them. He remembered seeing Fizz when she had a poorly toe and he asked to have a quick look at that to check it.
I got Red Lazer out first though and he very quickly said he agreed. His (pretty much exact) words were "yes I think you're right, that looks like ringworm". However, he didn't suggest doing any sort of test at all. In the heat of the moment I didn't think to insist on that happening - I just presumed that he was so well experienced he could be very certain just from looking. He checked Red Lazer thoroughly all over and listened to her heartbeat but said there was just the bit on her face so far as he could see. He weighed her too.
Next he checked Fizz. He said he wasn't certain whether it was fungal or not the spot on her bottom. He wondered out loud whether it was just actually her scent gland. I think he said scent rather than sweat but I presume they are the same thing? I pointed out that the patch was slightly off centre (all our pigs sweat glands seem to me to be central on their bum). He agreed and said that there was no harm treating her too anyway. He then weighed and checked Fizz all over (pleased to say he was happy that her toe was fine now!).
He then checked Blossom and Nibbles and said he couldn't see any sign of fungal or anything else wrong with them. That was what I thought too when I'd checked them. He said to separate Fizz and Red Lazer from Blossom and Nibbles until all was better. Because I was a little bit confused on the ringworm or other fungal point, I asked him whether it would be ok to just divide their cage and give them half each. He said that would be fine so long as they both had plenty of room still. Of course, after I left, I thought - hang on a minute, aren't all fungal infections likely to be carried by spores so does that really make sense and wouldn't a further apart split be better?
He has prescribed itrafungol for Fizz and Red Lazer. It's a 2 week course. He said to call him if it hasn't cleared up by then and he would then prescribe some more but would want me to follow a 6 week regimen in total of 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off then 2 weeks on. To get it from him cost £25 for basically half a 52ml bottle so, having looked carefully at the online prices first and knowing I'd have to pay for the prescription from him if I wanted to get it online instead and I would have to wait 24 hours at least to get it, I decided to just get it from him.
That seemed to then be the end of the consultation. So I was a bit surprised - no advice given to me about disinfecting cages, hands etc and no mention of dipping/bathing. So I asked about using imaverol. He was positive and agreed it was often used and that I could use it. He said he wouldn't prescribe it as I could get it cheaper online. I mentioned that it isn't licensed for guinea pigs and he kind of nodded but didn't offer to prescribe it for me. I didn't push him to as I knew about the alternative sold by Hyperdrug (thanks
@helen105281 !) anyway.
Only other thing to mention is that during all that going on, he mentioned that he is seeing quite a lot of guinea pigs now - its a Vets for Pets and he said he's been seeing the Pets at Home piggies. This is good in that he's getting quite a lot of experience at looking at guinea pigs I suppose.
As an aside from the main purpose of this thread, he said that the Pets at Home store he looks after are always bringing their animals in to him and that he always knows when they've had a new batch as they always seem to come with something or other illness wise but that they bring them a lot even when no new batches if they ever think there is anything wrong. To me that's another reason not to get an animal from Pets at Home but I have to say that it did back up the opinion I also have of this particular Pets at Home store which is that their animals do seem to be looked after quite well compared with others I have been into. I have to say I've stopped buying stuff there though because of what people have said on this forum generally about Pets at Home. I just use it to see what things look like before getting them online from other places!
So, I think where I've ended up is that, thanks to everyone on here, I feel I've got the "missing" bits of advice the vet didn't give me and I've got from the vet the meds that I probably need. I've separated Red Lazer and Fizz into an entirely different cage, I can't move to another room as we are open plan but I've moved them a good distance away and round a corner. My plan is to get the imaverol (hyper drug one) to follow the repeated dipping for those two and for the other 2 of these girls and the other two girls who also live indoors give them one dip and possibly one more.
How does that sound? Any views on my plan or my vet experience?
(Not a very clear picture - sorry).