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Bald spot

dabel101

dabel101

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi, i have a baby guinea pig sow who is 3 1/2 weeks old. I looked at her this morning and she has a significant bald spot on her lower back near her bum. The skin there us dry and flakey. I did do an introduction with her mothers playmate sow and she wasn’t too keen on her, she did a few lunges, baby ended up with a small scratch on her nose. But I didnt notice this patch after the introduction. She couldnt have caused it could she?
 
Is it where the grease gland is? It would be easier if you posted a photo as well.
 
We just called the vet, from the picture we sent it’s either ringworm or mites. Before we go for a consultation they suggested we use a shampoo/wash for a few days, then go back if it doesnt get better.

My main concern now is what has caused it?
 
if it’s ringworm or mites, then shampooing alone isn’t going to really help. You need prescribed ivermectin treatment for mites and intrafungal for a fungal infection.
ivermectin needs to be given as part of a course to kill all life cycles of the mite (treatment only kills hatched mites, not eggs).

ringworm spores can live in the environment for a very long time, and both ringworm spores and mites can come in on hay for example.

New guinea pigs: Sexing, vet checks&customer rights, URI, ringworm and parasites
Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures
 
If it’s ringworm you have to be really careful with hygiene as it’s contagious.

If it’s either of those then shampooing won’t help.
 
Hi!

Please contact a more piggy savvy vet. What the vet you have contacted have proposed will unfortunately only contribute to making things worse and will make a proper hands-on diagnosis by a vet impossible. We have seen this with too many members contacting us after home treatment on spec hasn't worked out over the years. :(

Treatment for skin parasites and highly contagious specious jumping ringworm (which is a fungal skin infection) differs. It is important to get it right. In the second case, hygiene is of utmost importance or it will turn into a long running nightmare because ringworm spores are invisibly tiny, shed in their thousands and are very long lived.
New guinea pigs: Sexing, vet checks&customer rights, URI, ringworm and parasites

But the bald patch is not caused by the failed bonding.
 
Thank you, she will be going for a consultation to a more piggy savvy vet if things get worse. And we are extremely careful with hygiene now! Thanks!
 
I dont think what they gave is us a shampoo sorry, its called ‘hibiscrub’, its an antiseptic. My bad i wasnt the one who spoke to the vets so i misunderstood!
 
dabel101 said:
I dont think what they gave is us a shampoo sorry, its called ‘hibiscrub’, its an antiseptic. My bad i wasnt the one who spoke to the vets so i misunderstood!
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Unfortunately hibiscrub won't do anything for wither mites or ringworm.
 
Ok thankyou, if it doesnt get any better will be taking her for a consultation👍
Just a quick question, we dont need to seperate her from her mother do we? I am also keeping an eye on her to check for anything.
 
Don’t separate her. Whatever it is she’s already been exposed. I would book an appointment rather than wait and see. If it’s one of the two they suspect then the earlier it’s attended to the better.
 
I agree, definitely no point in separating her - it’ll just cause stress to them both, but hibiscrub really isn’t going to do a thing to cure mites or ringworm.
 
This a picture.
 

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Haha update! (was reading through old threads in boredom!). Olive made a speedy recovery with a three week course of ivermectin, we had her mother Doris on ivermectin as well as she had a small case of mites under her eye. Everyone is now clear! All three of my piggies get a dose once a month as a preventative!
 
You shouldn’t treat for preventative purposes. This can lead to parasites building up immunity to the medicine. Then when you do need it, it doesn’t work. Only treat if they’ve been diagnosed by the vet. And then by instruction.
 
dabel101 said:
Haha update! (was reading through old threads in boredom!). Olive made a speedy recovery with a three week course of ivermectin, we had her mother Doris on ivermectin as well as she had a small case of mites under her eye. Everyone is now clear! All three of my piggies get a dose once a month as a preventative!
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Glad that it has worked.

Please be aware that mite eggs are normally kept under control by a healthy immune system. Your good general care and a balanced grass hay based diet will do exactly that.

Ivermectin cannot kill any mite eggs but constant exposure to low dosed ivermectin can lead to resistancy. Since there is not a choice in active ingredients, it is MUCH better to only hit them hard with vet grade ivermectin whenever you really have an acute outbreak, so that it can do its job fully. Low dosed 'preventative' ivermectin is not strong enough to cure an acute outbreak and is money wasted that you could rather use to build up your vet fund.
 
Wiebke said:
Glad that it has worked.

Please be aware that mite eggs are normally kept under control by a healthy immune system. Your good general care and a balanced grass hay based diet will do exactly that.

Ivermectin cannot kill any mite eggs but constant exposure to low dosed ivermectin can lead to resistancy. Since there is not a choice in active ingredients, it is MUCH better to only hit them hard with vet grade ivermectin whenever you really have an acute outbreak, so that it can do its job fully. Low dosed 'preventative' ivermectin is not strong enough to cure an acute outbreak and is money wasted that you could rather use to build up your vet fund.
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Thank you so much! I now have a much better understanding of mites and its causes! x
 
Siikibam said:
You shouldn’t treat for preventative purposes. This can lead to parasites building up immunity to the medicine. Then when you do need it, it doesn’t work. Only treat if they’ve been diagnosed by the vet. And then by instruction.
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Oh right thanks for this advice (glad i came back to this thread now!). So would it be best to drop the monthly dose of ivermectin?
 
dabel101 said:
Oh right thanks for this advice (glad i came back to this thread now!). So would it be best to drop the monthly dose of ivermectin?
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yes, do stop using it. There is no benefit in giving such a dose and if resistance forms it can obviously mean any outbreak will be much harder to deal with
 
Piggies&buns said:
yes, do stop using it. There is no benefit in giving such a dose and if resistance forms it can obviously mean any outbreak will be much harder to deal with
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Okay thank you so much! They have only had one dose as a preventive so i havent been using it for long! Will stop using it from now on x
 
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