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Cleaning Guinea Pig Bits

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jeffnsweep

jeffnsweep

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Ok too much info! But I've read that sometimes u may have to help ure guinea pigs open their bowels so to speak . My guinea pig Jeff has a very obvious bum opening atm and on closer inspection looks to have a little pooh stuck in there. How on earth do I even attempt.to help him go? Should I be worried?
 
jeffnsweep said:
Ok too much info! But I've read that sometimes you may have to help ure guinea pigs open their bowels so to speak . My guinea pig Jeff has a very obvious bum opening atm and on closer inspection looks to have a little pooh stuck in there. How on earth do I even attempt.to help him go? Should I be worried?
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Any healthy guinea pig doesn't need any help whatsoever; the poo will come on its own in its own time - piggies often have got one hanging in the exit, sows as well as boars! ;)

Only boars with impaction will need cleaning out. That is a condition usually only in older boars (or those with a medical condition or as a rare post-op complication) where the weakening muscles at the back are no longer able to push out the redigestible caecotrophs and they build up in the anal sac to a very smelly mass that can cause major discomfort and infection if not serviced regularly.
 
Thank u so I'll just leave him for now and keep an eye on him, he just seems to have a very obvious bum so to speak at.the moment I'll let him get on with it for a few days!
 
jeffnsweep said:
Thank you so I'll just leave him for now and keep an eye on him, he just seems to have a very obvious bum so to speak at.the moment I'll let him get on with it for a few days!
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Can you give me some background information as to your boy's age? If he is around 3-6 months old, any swelling in the groin area is likely to be caused by descending testicles; he is far too young for impaction which tends to produce huge, shapeless poos if something is being pushed out. As long as the poos are a normal size and texture, I would not worry at all!

Partially pushed out poos - here an example from my lady Iola - are part of life with guinea pigs... :mal:
upload_2016-2-14_12-50-48.webp
 
Hi thanks for the replies he is about 3 months now so may be due to his age although I'm slightly confused atm I haven't got the best eyesight in the world but looking tonight it looks now like a scab rather than his bottom? I will try and take pics tomorrow so I can post and get further advice I honestly don't know if it's his bottom now or a scab? So confused? I'll get a pic asap xx
 
I'm not sure I should start a new thread as since I first thought he had bottom problems only to then discover it was actually a small scab I am now convinced he has mites, I say this as holding him tonight my son just pointed out a small bloody patch of fur under his chin which he can't reach to bite but must have been scratching at for the skin to tear and bleed, this coupled with the fact he has become completely ratty over the past few days and the scab on his back makes me believe it's mites, no doubt if it is mites all 3 pigs need to be treated so tomorrow I'll be trying to book an appointment for hopefully tomorrow evening or Saturday. I haven't noticed excessive itching just an occasional scratch anddylan he has h's appetite and continues to put on weight so I'm convinced if it is mites I've caught it early which is great. However if he is suffering with itching, which I'm assuming he is because he's been so irritable, is there anything Ican do to help sooth him in the meantime? I was thinking cooled chamomile tea on cotton wool rubbed over him?
 
jeffnsweep said:
I'm not sure I should start a new thread as since I first thought he had bottom problems only to then discover it was actually a small scab I am now convinced he has mites, I say this as holding him tonight my son just pointed out a small bloody patch of fur under his chin which he can't reach to bite but must have been scratching at for the skin to tear and bleed, this coupled with the fact he has become completely ratty over the past few days and the scab on his back makes me believe it's mites, no doubt if it is mites all 3 pigs need to be treated so tomorrow I'll be trying to book an appointment for hopefully tomorrow evening or Saturday. I haven't noticed excessive itching just an occasional scratch anddylan he has h's appetite and continues to put on weight so I'm convinced if it is mites I've caught it early which is great. However if he is suffering with itching, which I'm assuming he is because he's been so irritable, is there anything Ican do to help sooth him in the meantime? I was thinking cooled chamomile tea on cotton wool rubbed over him?
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I'd start a new thread if I were you - it'll make sure you get a health and illness guru answering
 
Hi a few days ago I posted a thread because I believed my guinea pig had a problem with his bottom, I then realised the next day I had mistaken his bottom for a small scab by his bum area. Tonight my son was holding him and noticed under his chin was a small patch of watery blood on his fur. On closer inspection and at great distress to piggy it is indeed a very small patch of what looks like a sore, he can't reach to bite this area but can to scratch so I believe he must be scratching to the point he must have broken the skin. Although I've not noticed excessive scratching he has certainly been very irritable which I put down to his male hormones he is almost 4 months or so. Now I'm concluding he has mites, whilst my other pigs show no signs at all I know all 3 will need to be treated and as such I will try tomorrow to get a vets appointment for tomorrow evening or Saturday in the meantime he must be itching and or sore so can I do anything to help the itchiness? I was wondering about cooled chamomile tea wiped on him with a cotton wool ball?
 
I'd definitely get him in to the vets to get him checked over. I've no tips to make him more comfortable, though. Sorry x
 
jeffnsweep said:
Hi a few days ago I posted a thread because I believed my guinea pig had a problem with his bottom, I then realised the next day I had mistaken his bottom for a small scab by his bum area. Tonight my son was holding him and noticed under his chin was a small patch of watery blood on his fur. On closer inspection and at great distress to piggy it is indeed a very small patch of what looks like a sore, he can't reach to bite this area but can to scratch so I believe he must be scratching to the point he must have broken the skin. Although I've not noticed excessive scratching he has certainly been very irritable which I put down to his male hormones he is almost 4 months or so. Now I'm concluding he has mites, whilst my other pigs show no signs at all I know all 3 will need to be treated and as such I will try tomorrow to get a vets appointment for tomorrow evening or Saturday in the meantime he must be itching and or sore so can I do anything to help the itchiness? I was wondering about cooled chamomile tea wiped on him with a cotton wool ball?
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Hi! Please have your piggies seen by a vet as soon as you can. the problem could be fungal, mites or bites. As upsetting as it is, your are not making the vet's diagnosis any easier if you surface treat although I would recommend to disinfect the the bloody area on his chin, which could be down to a bite, especially if you find a thin slash or or pin-prick holes with saline solution. You can sterile saline at your pharmacy or make it at home by mixing 1 teaspoon of salt into 1 pint of boiled cooled water.

PS: I have merged your threads so we can keep the ongoing problem all together in order to avoid duplication or confusing advice.
 
Thanks for the advice I totally get where u are coming from with regards to putting anything on him until I have a diagnosis I will leave well alone for now, I have just mixed some boiling water with salt and am waiting for it to cool at the moment, I have roped in my eldest son to hold him for me whilst I apply it to his sore when it's cooled as piggy is so ratty at the moment it's going to be a two man job I feel, would it be best if we held him in a towel to cover his eyes to try and calm him as I don't feel he's going to like it too much judging by his mood over the past few days?
 
Ok so we've just managed to apply the saline solution with a new dish cloth.I boiled up before use, it wasn't too traumatic! But the scab on his neck feels really large. He's sat on my lap at the moment eating carrot as a treat I will apply it again in a minute and will try and get a closer look at it, his nails aren't extremely long at the moment as he's still quite young but I may try trimming them tomorrow as they still have a little sharp point at the end hopefully this will stop him injuring himself if he does try and have.a good scratch, he definitely can't reach to bite the sore on his neck so figured until I can get him to the vet in the next day or two this is really all I can do in his best interests.
 
Phew! Just had another look and it's not so much scab but dried blood and puss that's stuck to his skin from the wound. I'll obviously leave this alone in the meantime!

Sorry edited to add stuck to his fur not his skin.
 
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jeffnsweep said:
Ok so we've just managed to apply the saline solution with a new dish cloth.I boiled up before use, it wasn't too traumatic! But the scab on his neck feels really large. He's sat on my lap at the moment eating carrot as a treat I will apply it again in a minute and will try and get a closer look at it, his nails aren't extremely long at the moment as he's still quite young but I may try trimming them tomorrow as they still have a little sharp point at the end hopefully this will stop him injuring himself if he does try and have.a good scratch, he definitely can't reach to bite the sore on his neck so figured until I can get him to the vet in the next day or two this is really all I can do in his best interests.
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It rather sounds like fungal than mites to me, so it is important to get the proper diagnosis. In either case, you need to treat all piggies in contact with him.
Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures
 
jeffnsweep said:
Thanks for all

thank you for all of your advice x
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Best of luck! I hope that your vet can diagnose properly and then treat appropriately. We are here to support you whenever you have any questions about the treatment.
 
I've managed to get an appointment for 4.40 this afternoon so hopefully we will get a proper diagnosis, I asked if I should take all 3 in she said just to take Jeff in for now but depending on the diagnosis they may have to see the other 2 pigs after, so fingers crossed x. I'll post again after we've been x
 
I know it sounds silly but I feel so on edge today about it all and feel quite teary! I don't think it helps that the last time I took a pig to the vets was two days after Xmas and he had to be put to sleep. It also doesn't help that I have a bored 8 and 9 year old running around winding each other up and ultimately winding me up! Oh well only another 4 hours or so! Off to busy myself to pass a bit of time!
 
Hi just a quicky I've had some major family problems this afternoon but luckily still managed to attend the vet appointment which I didn't think we would in the end but anyway I digress, she couldn't be sure but she seemed to think it is the onset of mites but she couldn't be 100 percent she weighed him then treated him for mites, she gave him 4 tubes of a treatment I don't know what it was I didn't even think to ask in the end my mind was elsewhere we have to take him back in two weeks then again two weeks later, she said not to treat the other two unless they were showing any signs, of mites and in the meantime to keep an eye on him and not to bathe the chin wound again as it felt nice and dry at the moment, so we will see where we go from here, one thing she did keep saying though was that mites could kill eventually which I knew but kept drumming it in to me.that although.what they were using was a registered product for guine pigs to bear in mind it's possible he could have a reaction to it and to bear this in mind. So here we are.
 
Oh , I feel for you ! Sometimes , other things are going on in our lives and it can be very stressful getting a balance . I' ve never missed a vet's appointment - but it's been a close thing sometimes !


I know you'll monitor him . Hopefully, you' ll see an improvement in the next few days . Keep us posted !
 
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