Balding Rodent

[Sue_P]

Pretty Fat ain't looking too pretty these days, she's been losing fur for about 3 months. At first just a small patch on her back but it's been gradually thinning all over and just recently she now looks scraggy with more bald patches on her back and bottom, the underneath of her looks fairly hairless too.

She became very ill 3 weeks ago and struggled to breathe and made a lot of loud breathing noises for about 2 or 3 days and I thought she was going to die but she fully recovered after having a Loxicom injection and course of Baytril. Her breathing has been fine since.

The vet said to try some Spot On so 3 weeks ago I gave her some old Beaphar AntiParasite Spot On that I had from 2014 which did nothing (I presumed it was no longer effective with it being 2 years out-of-date) so I tried some Bob Martin Spot On about 2 weeks ago but since then her hair has got much thinner.

I'm worried about winter coming up cos anyone who knows me knows that I'm stingy with my heat and my house is always cold (generally around 10-12 degrees on cold winter days), I don't want Pretty Fat suffering from the cold. Her sister has a full healthy coat of fur BTW. Suggestions?

 

[DM030819]

You don't mention itching or scratching so I wonder if it's something more like ovarian cysts. You'll need to visit a guinea pig specialised vet to have that diagnosed, and be given appropriate treatment.

 

[Wiebke]

Pretty Fat ain't looking too pretty these days, she's been losing fur for about 3 months. At first just a small patch on her back but it's been gradually thinning all over and just recently she now looks scraggy with more bald patches on her back and bottom, the underneath of her looks fairly hairless too.

She became very ill 3 weeks ago and struggled to breathe and made a lot of loud breathing noises for about 2 or 3 days and I thought she was going to die but she fully recovered after having a Loxicom injection and course of Baytril. Her breathing has been fine since.

The vet said to try some Spot On so 3 weeks ago I gave her some old Beaphar AntiParasite Spot On that I had from 2014 which did nothing (I presumed it was no longer effective with it being 2 years out-of-date) so I tried some Bob Martin Spot On about 2 weeks ago but since then her hair has got much thinner.

I'm worried about winter coming up cos anyone who knows me knows that I'm stingy with my heat and my house is always cold (generally around 10-12 degrees on cold winter days), I don't want Pretty Fat suffering from the cold. Her sister has a full healthy coat of fur BTW. Suggestions?

Hi and welcome back!

Beaphar is sadly too low dosed to deal with any acute, never mind an advanced case of mange mites, and Bob Martin products are worse than useless!
If you go for spot-on, please use xeno for the appropriate weight category; it is available online or your vet can order it for you. A full mites course consists of 3-4 round of spot-on treatment (or injections) at the stated interval on the packaging for best efficiency.

Has your vet considered a fungal skin infection as an alternative? It doesn't necessarily have to be ringworm.
Is the skin scabby and has she got sores?

if you are worried about the cold, get microwaveable snugglesafes and place them underneath a cardboard box with two entrance holes that you fill with hay, so your girls can make a snug nest in there and be warm. Hay acts as an insulator.

 

[Sue_P]

Thank you and hello again.

Thanks for the advice.

To be honest I can't remember exactly what the vet said, the hair loss was more of a side issue at the time but he said to try Ivermectin but I think he said it could be something else but that looking into it would be costly and time consuming so therefore try Ivermectin first.

Regarding fungus, I've just googled it and Pretty Fat's bald spots don't look as severe the pics in this Guinea Lynx :: Fungus . Pretty Fat is white and brown/ginger and the thinning is taking place on her white areas. I've noticed for a while that her face looks different, she has less fur on her face and nose but no bald spots there, in all her white areas the fur looks scruffy with less thickness to it and then if you move the hair around I'm now finding balding areas with a bit of flakey skin but not much flakeyness, there's no scabby or red areas. I haven't seen her scratching at all, it doesn't seem to bother her but on the day of the vet visit when she was really poorly she'd bitten a lump of skin out of her back in the first bald area. It was a fresh wound and a one-off, it heeled quickly and the vet said she probably did it because she was agitated with feeling poorly.

After reading this Guinea Lynx :: Mange Mites , do I need to treat both of my rodents if I try some Xeno?

& I defo won't be over-dosing her with medication if I try Xeno now will I? Can giving too much Spot-On be harmful, should I wait a bit?

 

[Tiamolly123]

Pretty Fat ain't looking too pretty these days, she's been losing fur for about 3 months. At first just a small patch on her back but it's been gradually thinning all over and just recently she now looks scraggy with more bald patches on her back and bottom, the underneath of her looks fairly hairless too.

She became very ill 3 weeks ago and struggled to breathe and made a lot of loud breathing noises for about 2 or 3 days and I thought she was going to die but she fully recovered after having a Loxicom injection and course of Baytril. Her breathing has been fine since.

The vet said to try some Spot On so 3 weeks ago I gave her some old Beaphar AntiParasite Spot On that I had from 2014 which did nothing (I presumed it was no longer effective with it being 2 years out-of-date) so I tried some Bob Martin Spot On about 2 weeks ago but since then her hair has got much thinner.

I'm worried about winter coming up cos anyone who knows me knows that I'm stingy with my heat and my house is always cold (generally around 10-12 degrees on cold winter days), I don't want Pretty Fat suffering from the cold. Her sister has a full healthy coat of fur BTW. Suggestions?

What sort of rodent are you referring to

 

[Sue_P]

The guinea pig variety.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you and hello again.

Thanks for the advice.

To be honest I can't remember exactly what the vet said, the hair loss was more of a side issue at the time but he said to try Ivermectin but I think he said it could be something else but that looking into it would be costly and time consuming so therefore try Ivermectin first.

Regarding fungus, I've just googled it and Pretty Fat's bald spots don't look as severe the pics in this Guinea Lynx :: Fungus . Pretty Fat is white and brown/ginger and the thinning is taking place on her white areas. I've noticed for a while that her face looks different, she has less fur on her face and nose but no bald spots there, in all her white areas the fur looks scruffy with less thickness to it and then if you move the hair around I'm now finding balding areas with a bit of flakey skin but not much flakeyness. I haven't seen her scratching at all, it doesn't seem to bother her but on the day of the vet visit when she was really poorly she'd bitten a lump of skin out of her back in the first bald area. It was a fresh wound and a one-off, it heeled quickly and the vet said she probably did it because she was agitated with feeling poorly.

After reading this Guinea Lynx :: Mange Mites , do I need to treat both of my rodents if I try some Xeno?

& I defo won't be over-dosing her with medication if I try Xeno now will I? Can giving too much Spot-On be harmful, should I wait a bit?

I would have your girls checked for fungal; lab test will only test for the most aggressive and transmittable variety, ringworm. However, there are lots of different forms of fungal and there is a fungal skin infection that can appear all over the body, causing thinning hair and bald patches. The pictures on reference sites are usually the clearest and strongest, but they don't cover all forms. it is up to your vet to decide whether prescribing a fungal treatment would be the next step.

If your vet has recommended to treat for ivermectin, then please use the recommended dosage in the weight range that is appropriate for your guinea pigs. You can overdose with ivermectin, so don't squeeze the pipette badly. When dealing with mites or fungal, you need to always treat all guinea pig in contact. If your vet decides on a two pronged approach, you always need to wait 48 hours between any skin treatment, so it can be absorbed and get to work. You need to wait for 2 days after applying ivermectin before you can give a fungal bath and vice versa.
With mange mites, I would have expected both piggies to start itching by now.
Please be aware that ivermectin can subdue/slow down fungal infection, but it cannot heal it. Ideally you se your vet for a diagnosis before treating at home, especially as the skin condition is more advanced that you had previously noticed.

 

[Wiebke]

What sort of rodent are you referring to

Sue P always calls her guinea pig "rodents". But they are well looked after, much loved and spoiled even if her language is a bit on the rough side. she always takes our advice on board.

 

[Sue_P]

Guinea pigs are rodents, even my vet says so.

I don't want to take her to the vets again if I can help it, the last trip cost £45.

I'll treat it as suspected mites and if it doesn't clear up with the next mite treatment I'll rethink. The vet told me to try Ivermectin, I suppose if I've used useless spot-ons then I should try with a better one before presuming it's something else and taking other action, I'd like to give Ivermectin a proper chance to work first. I'm just trying to decide which is the best treatment to go for. That Xeno 450 looks expensive, it comes up as about £21 when I google, is there a cheaper alternative but one which would work? Nana Niki recommended Easimec, would that do the trick? Also Nana Niki said I could use Nizoral shampoo, do you think that could be effective on its own?

Incidentally, I've never bought medication online before (I don't do online shopping), where would be the best place/cheapest place to get it from?

 

[Wiebke]

Guinea pigs are rodents, even my vet says so.

I don't want to take her to the vets again if I can help it, the last trip cost £45.

I'll treat it as suspected mites and if it doesn't clear up with the next mite treatment I'll rethink. The vet told me to try Ivermectin, I suppose if I've used useless spot-ons then I should try with a better one before presuming it's something else and taking other action, I'd like to give Ivermectin a proper chance to work first. I'm just trying to decide which is the best treatment to go for. That Xeno 450 looks expensive, it comes up as about £21 when I google, is there a cheaper alternative but one which would work? Nana Niki recommended Easimec, would that do the trick? Also Nana Niki said I could use Nizoral shampoo, do you think that could be effective on its own?

Incidentally, I've never bought medication online before (I don't do online shopping), where would be the best place/cheapest place to get it from?

Easimec is fine for guinea pigs that are not yet acutely affected in a group or that have just started to itch, but don't have any bald patches yet. It is not as high dosed as the xeno and will not necessarily work for advanced mites.
Yours sound like they are pretty advanced, so they will unfortunately need the kitchen sink. Think of it as doing it properly once and for all instead of spending more money on cheap stuff that doesn't work before you have to use the expensive stuff anyway.

Nizoral does work with fungal infections. Please make sure that there are always 48 hours in between any skin treatment, so it can get to work properly. You may want to mark the days when you do the spot-on and when you do the fungal. You do a fungal bath every 3-4 days at least 3 times (more if necessary) and xeno spot-on every two weeks for 3-4 times. Perhaps Nana Niki or a carer can help you work out a timetable and mark it on your calendar when you need to do what? Please see a vet if that has not worked. It is good that Nana Niki is still there to help you!

Guinea pigs are part of the rodent family, as are hamsters and rats; you are correct in that. But most people know "rodent" as a bad word for rats, and not for guinea pigs. That is why some members are a bit upset.

 

[Sue_P]

I forgot Nizoral shampoo isn't for mites, it's just for fungal stuff innit?! In that case perhaps I should just get the Xeno 450 then and if that don't work after a few weeks try the Nizoral shampoo. I'm thinking it's more likely just mites.

Probably brought on by the stress of being ill. Weird that she doesn't scratch at all or bite though, why doesn't she?

So anyway, where's the best/cheapest place to get the Xeno 450 from?

 

[Tiamolly123]

Guinea pigs are rodents, even my vet says so.

I don't want to take her to the vets again if I can help it, the last trip cost £45.

I'll treat it as suspected mites and if it doesn't clear up with the next mite treatment I'll rethink. The vet told me to try Ivermectin, I suppose if I've used useless spot-ons then I should try with a better one before presuming it's something else and taking other action, I'd like to give Ivermectin a proper chance to work first. I'm just trying to decide which is the best treatment to go for. That Xeno 450 looks expensive, it comes up as about £21 when I google, is there a cheaper alternative but one which would work? Nana Niki recommended Easimec, would that do the trick? Also Nana Niki said I could use Nizoral shampoo, do you think that could be effective on its own?

Incidentally, I've never bought medication online before (I don't do online shopping), where would be the best place/cheapest place to get it from?

We get us from Amazon, I think we paid £27 for 6

 

[Tiamolly123]

Thank you and hello again.

Thanks for the advice.

To be honest I can't remember exactly what the vet said, the hair loss was more of a side issue at the time but he said to try Ivermectin but I think he said it could be something else but that looking into it would be costly and time consuming so therefore try Ivermectin first.

Regarding fungus, I've just googled it and Pretty Fat's bald spots don't look as severe the pics in this Guinea Lynx :: Fungus . Pretty Fat is white and brown/ginger and the thinning is taking place on her white areas. I've noticed for a while that her face looks different, she has less fur on her face and nose but no bald spots there, in all her white areas the fur looks scruffy with less thickness to it and then if you move the hair around I'm now finding balding areas with a bit of flakey skin but not much flakeyness, there's no scabby or red areas. I haven't seen her scratching at all, it doesn't seem to bother her but on the day of the vet visit when she was really poorly she'd bitten a lump of skin out of her back in the first bald area. It was a fresh wound and a one-off, it heeled quickly and the vet said she probably did it because she was agitated with feeling poorly.

After reading this Guinea Lynx :: Mange Mites , do I need to treat both of my rodents if I try some Xeno?

& I defo won't be over-dosing her with medication if I try Xeno now will I? Can giving too much Spot-On be harmful, should I wait a bit?

I'm afraid you do, other wise they will keep infecting each other.

 

[Sue_P]

@ Tiamolly123 - Was that for 6 boxes or 1 box with 6 pipettes? I only want to buy what I need.

@ Wiebke - I was speaking to Nana Niki last night and she was disagreeing with what you said and she says Easimec contains Ivermectin and will work on rodents even when they've got bald patches already.

Anyway, why doesn't my rodent scratch at all? Do you not know? She should be doing shouldn't she?

 

[Tiamolly123]

@ Tiamolly123 - Was that for 6 boxes or 1 box with 6 pipettes? I only want to buy what I need.

@ Wiebke - I was speaking to Nana Niki last night and she was disagreeing with what you said and she says Easimec contains Ivermectin and will work on rodents even when they've got bald patches already.

Anyway, why doesn't my rodent scratch at all? Do you not know? She should be doing shouldn't she?

That was 1 box of 6 pipettes OH said it was only £15 mine scratched like crazy that's for xeno 450.

 

[Sue_P]

OH? - What does that mean?

 

[Tiamolly123]

OH? - What does that mean?

Other half, he who knows everything, but really he knows nothing, I humour him.

 

[Tiamolly123]

Guinea pigs are rodents, even my vet says so.

I don't want to take her to the vets again if I can help it, the last trip cost £45.

I'll treat it as suspected mites and if it doesn't clear up with the next mite treatment I'll rethink. The vet told me to try Ivermectin, I suppose if I've used useless spot-ons then I should try with a better one before presuming it's something else and taking other action, I'd like to give Ivermectin a proper chance to work first. I'm just trying to decide which is the best treatment to go for. That Xeno 450 looks expensive, it comes up as about £21 when I google, is there a cheaper alternative but one which would work? Nana Niki recommended Easimec, would that do the trick? Also Nana Niki said I could use Nizoral shampoo, do you think that could be effective on its own?

Incidentally, I've never bought medication online before (I don't do online shopping), where would be the best place/cheapest place to get it from?

 

[Tiamolly123]

I wouldn't use the NIzoroll i thought it was rubbish, I've never used the Easimec so I don't know about that .
Who is higher up the Nana Nikki or Wiebke, then you have your answer.

 

[DM030819]

Many years ago when I used a vet who hadn't a great deal of experience with pigs I used Easimec on one of my boars who had hair loss on his back, and his scratching himself. His two cage mates weren't showing any signs

The vet didn't have anything in stock, and so mentioned Easimec.

It took 8 doses (8 weeks) and consulting with and using products from Gorgeous Guineas to get him back to normal.

I think it would have been cheaper in the long run to use Xeno, and if any of mine had mite issues these days I'd probably go for Xeno

 

[Sue_P]

@ Tiamolly123 - I don't know Weibke well so I don't know for sure if she knows her rodent stuff or if she just pretends, my Nana Niki seems like a rodent expert though.

Re: OH - you learn something new every day!

@ Jaycey - Thanks for the advice. 8 weeks is a long time. Eek.

 

[Sue_P]

@ Jaycey - I've been thinking more about what you said about my rodent not scratching, what are other symptoms of ovarian cysts? I mean do rodents with mites always have to scratch?

 

[Sue_P]

If my rodent doesn't grow some hair back soon I'm going to have to give her yet another name change.

I can't keep calling her Pretty Fat when she's no longer pretty, she's going to have to become Fat 'n' Bald.

 

[helen105281]

Symptoms of ovarian cysts would be excessively hormonal behaviour and crusty nipples.

 

[Claire W]

Aww bless her. She's still pretty despite the baldness

May be you should have her checked for ovarian cysts though if only to rule them out

 

[Sue G]

@ Tiamolly123 - I don't know Weibke well so I don't know for sure if she knows her rodent stuff or if she just pretends, my Nana Niki seems like a rodent expert though.
.

Wiebke certainly does NOT pretend. She is the most experienced and knowledgeable guinea pig person I know, and I would trust her 100% with any information she provided.

 

[Beans&Toast]

If my rodent doesn't grow some hair back soon I'm going to have to give her yet another name change.

I can't keep calling her Pretty Fat when she's no longer pretty, she's going to have to become Fat 'n' Bald.

She's absolutely beautiful, hair or no hair

 

[Beans&Toast]

Wiebke certainly does NOT pretend. She is the most experienced and knowledgeable guinea pig person I know, and I would trust her 100% with any information she provided.

Could not agree more, definitely one of the most knowledgeable people with all things piggy.

 

[Claire W]

Wiebke certainly does NOT pretend. She is the most experienced and knowledgeable guinea pig person I know, and I would trust her 100% with any information she provided.

Totally agree with this. Wiebke is amazing and definitely knows her stuff. I and many others trust her knowledge 110%

 

[Sue_P]

After seeing this pic my Nana Niki is thinking it's ovarian cysts now. Jaycey you may have been spot on with your first thought!

After having a quick google on ovarian cysts it appears surgery is an option but it's debatable about whether it's the best thing to do or not. Ovarian cysts.

If it is a cyst and it bursts, what does that mean for the rodent? Does it die or can it recover by itself?

She does have other symptoms which could back up the ovarian cyst theory, her shape has always bothered me and she is the correct shape for ovarian cysts, i.e. small skinny front, massive backside and under belly.



(Photo from May this year.)

When she was at the vets about a month or so ago with her deathly breathing, the vet said she just had a slack abdomen and he felt her tummy, he said it was nothing to worry about, he didn't seem rodent savvy though.

I haven't noticed any crusty nipples, I picked her up last night actually just to see if any new hair growth was happening, there's certainly none at her sides but possibly a bit on the centre of her back but it's hard to tell, she's still very bald there. BTW, her sides have only gone bald in the last week or so, it's happened suddenly. I was trying to take photos of her baldness on 11th Sept and at that point it was only really visible at the top of her back. See....




This area is a place where she's had baldness before all throughout her life, sometimes it hasn't been noticeable but other times she's looked to have had a bald spot but it comes and goes. You can sort of see it on the May photo.

Another thing, she was a bit lame yesterday. First thing in the morning she did a bit of teeth chattering and in the evening she was bunny hopping, I hope she's just pulled something and that isn't a sign of something else bad and related to this.