Dandruff/flaky Skin On 10 Week Old?

[Olivitree]

Hey all,
I have yet another guinea pig, I'm still pretty raw and on edge from how my month has gone so far but my Tabby piggy needs a companion, just means I'm pretty jumpy around this new pig (and Tabby for that matter) and spending a lot of time worrying if there is anything wrong or not.

So there was very little in the are bar going back to the rescue I got Crumble from (who sadly had to be PTS with in a week of me getting her due to a probable heart condition) the closest I could find with potentially suitable piggies was Surrey. However, I found a pet owner (not a breeder) in Oxford who had this beautiful little creature (Now dubbed Lady Oxford, whether it sticks or not we will see)

Shes 10 weeks old, seems pretty fit all round, chats to you if you touch her and feels nice and chunky, on the very brief introduction just to see if they would get along or if Tabby wouldn't put up with such a young guinea they seemed to really hit it off, or at least were not hostile. She was happy when she had Tabby around, walked about chatting, ate and drank normally, followed Tabby in a piggy train. The moment I put her into quarentine, she totally receded into herself and hid, she did eat at least a little from what I can see but she isn't a happy pig. Not the main issue however!

I think she was probably in a pretty disease free environment and fairly well cared for. However, she does have flaky skin, she isn't itching a HUGE amount, but she's also petrified, so may not be displaying normal behaviour. I can't find any bald spots exactly, it does look either like she has a mini crest on her head and a rosette on her rump but I'm not totally positve. those places do seem fairly clear skinned however so, it doesn't jump out at me as being signs of hair loss.

My concerns that I could think of are mange or ringworm, I can't see any other possible lice or creepy crawlies.

Any thoughts on what this could be or if I should be concerned about it? Vet appointment tomorrow but, just in case anyone had any suggestions on what it might be so I could go into the vet to discuss the possibilities properly.

 

[Olivitree]

Here are some pictures of the skin complaint, there isn't a lot to see unfortunately its really hard to get a decent close up picture of them and its only slightly lighter skin flakes on dark skin, skin flakes off a little if you rub the area, doesn't seem to cause her any pain or discomfort, doesn't seem to affect her in any way really except that I've noticed it, feels like little lumps in the fur/on the skin in places as if there's a tiny scab there.

 

[Wiebke]

I would have the flaky skin checked for the beginnings of fungal (rather than mange mites) in any case; it doesn't necessarily have to be ringworm. Good that you have booked her in for a MOT. You are a very observant mummy, so you are very likely to have caught it very early on when it is often not yet quite clear what exactly is going on; in the location behind the ear, both fungal and mites are possible. If either fungal or mites are being diagnosed (and you should see more by tomorrow), you would have to treat Tabby preventatively as well as they have been in contact, if only shortly. Please mention that to your vet.

The twirl on top of the head is called a "crest" and there is nothing wrong with that!

Here is more information on both:
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/ringworm-hygiene-and-pictures.115402/
http://www.guinealynx.info/fungus.html
http://www.guinealynx.info/mites.html
http://www.gorgeousguineas.com/photogallery.html
http://www.gorgeousguineas.com/indentification.html

 

[Olivitree]

I'm not totally positive she has got a crest or not, she's a funny little Teddy, its that dark bit just above her light stripe up her nose, its really odd, it almost looks like hair is missing but, when I look at the skin it looks as dense as anywhere else, its not a full blown crest like Tabby has if it is one. it's a bit odd, I'll keep an eye on it, but the skin where it is looks as ok as anywhere else on her. Do crests develop as they age or is this likely to be hair loss or just a weird fur pattern? (I'll read all those links when I get back home, in uni at the moment, thanks very much for the info )

 

[Wiebke]

I'm not totally positive she has got a crest or not, she's a funny little Teddy, its that dark bit just above her light stripe up her nose, its really odd, it almost looks like hair is missing but, when I look at the skin it looks as dense as anywhere else, its not a full blown crest like Tabby has if it is one. it's a bit odd, I'll keep an eye on it, but the skin where it is looks as ok as anywhere else on her. Do crests develop as they age or is this likely to be hair loss or just a weird fur pattern?

The "hole" is in the right place for a crest; it can be just a little remainder of a crested piggy somewhere in the ancestry, but as the rest is mainly wiry teddy (in view of her comparatively straight and not crimped whiskers), it is bound to look a bit different. Piggies are born with a crest; that is permanent feature.

 

[Olivitree]

Took her in today, turns out she has a minor lice infection (he could only find 2) and the skin complaint is likely to be just where she has been scratching with her super sharp nails which are still too short to trim, he didn't think there was a fungal infection nor early onset mange but the stuff i have for the lice will treat mange if there is any, she does have a little bald patch on the top of her head he was better at finding it than me but he doesn't think its ringworm as it isn't scaly, but just to keep an eye on it. weighs 0.35 kg compared to Tabbys 1.125kg and is fit, healthy and full of guinea pig opinions (super chatty)! Thanks for the info and such really helped me get the most out of the vet trip so happy she is healthy after what went on before, i can relax a little more now rather than being tense and on edge @_@

 

[Wiebke]

Hopefully, you can get on top of it quickly and then be able to bond with Tabby.

 

[Olivitree]

I have to admit, I have now put them together as Tabby is already on the same Treatment as Oxford, I couldn't bare to watch her being so sad and lonely huddled up on her own and they are making each other so happy, there was a small amount of grumbling from Tabby to begin with, some rumble strutting and some mounting, but they very quickly settled down again and now they are even sleeping in the same hide together. really quit surprised I thought Tabby was going to be a complete grumpy old lady about having a youngster running circles around her.

If it turns out to be a different sort of lice, then I'd probably be at a point i'd have to treat them both anyway I'm ok forking out some more money if it comes down to it later on I can afford the treatment and the vets are great in our area, they have helped me out so much this month, cutting prices here there and everywhere for me of consultations and things because of what we have been through this month, love them to bits even if they aren't the cheapest vet in the area.

 

[Wiebke]

I have to admit, I have now put them together as Tabby is already on the same Treatment as Oxford, I couldn't bare to watch her being so sad and lonely huddled up on her own and they are making each other so happy, there was a small amount of grumbling from Tabby to begin with, some rumble strutting and some mounting, but they very quickly settled down again and now they are even sleeping in the same hide together. really quit surprised I thought Tabby was going to be a complete grumpy old lady about having a youngster running circles around her.

If it turns out to be a different sort of lice, then I'd probably be at a point i'd have to treat them both anyway I'm ok forking out some more money if it comes down to it later on I can afford the treatment and the vets are great in our area, they have helped me out so much this month, cutting prices here there and everywhere for me of consultations and things because of what we have been through this month, love them to bits even if they aren't the cheapest vet in the area.

As they are both on treatment now, it was the right decision. Great that they have taken to each other so well! You may see some mild dominance in the next few days when Tabby is laying down the rules, but she obviously has got a very maternal instinct and the bond won't be in any danger.

 

[pig in the city]

She is gorgeous. Teddies can be prone to dry flaky skin, l find the gorgeous guinea melts and conditioning shampoo work really well.