Decontamination after ringworm

[DM090121]

Hi
My guinea pig was fine for about three weeks, then developed a mild case of ringworm. I am following the vet recommendations and using a shampoo recommended by a reliable source, but I am having trouble finding information on decontamination. Most websites say top to bottom house cleaning including air filter changes, but my guinea pig lives in the basement (warm and safe with a dehumidifier running) and has been confined to her cage since the flare up started so I’m not sure if that’s overkill or not. No one else in the house has developed ringworm either. Hoping for some good advice, thanks a lot!

 

[Siikibam]

You should give her cage a deep clean with some pet grade disinfectant such as F10. Also wash any fleece on a hot wash. Clean any wooden or plastic houses etc. We’re you told to just shampoo her? Also have a read of the guide below.
Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures

 

[Flowie]

Hi, we got our 8 week old piggies less than two weeks ago and are 6 days into oral treatment for both. Poor start for them and I hope they forgive me for all the poking and prodding. Regards to cleaning and treatment, most nervous one goes first with the treatment and goes into their disinfected carrier, then the braver one who is easier to catch goes into the carrier. I then empty out all the bowls and wash them thoroughly, then litter tray, hay rack, hides and cage bottom, lay it on the lawn and tip boiling water over everything. Once it's dry I spray with beaphar deep clean and let that dry too. I do this daily and have some tasty veggies ready in their cage for when they return.
Our vet said a bath wasn't required but I still see little white flakes on their fur and they still have the occasional scratch. I'm taking them on the 8th August for an update.

 

[VickiA]

@Flowie It often looks worse before it gets better. It takes a while for the oral treatment to kill off the infection and for the recovery to start. Our ringworm guide contains photos of how it looks even during treatment and recovery phase.
Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures
As you had only recently acquired the piggies, you do have a right under consumer law to claim treatment costs back from the shop where you bought them from .

 

[Wiebke]

For anybody with ringworm in newly acquired piggies, please read the information in our new owners most common pet shop guinea pig problems which include your customer rights as well as our very detailed ringworm hygiene and pictures guide.

Hygiene in all respects is absolutely crucial in getting on top of ringworm, which is by far the most contagious species jumping and long lived problem you can come across. The picture section in the guide also helps you to understand how an acute outbreak is taking its due course.

New guinea pigs: Sexing, vet checks&customer rights, URI, ringworm and parasites
Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures

@Miss_marie @Flowie

 

[DM090121]

Hi, we got our 8 week old piggies less than two weeks ago and are 6 days into oral treatment for both. Poor start for them and I hope they forgive me for all the poking and prodding. Regards to cleaning and treatment, most nervous one goes first with the treatment and goes into their disinfected carrier, then the braver one who is easier to catch goes into the carrier. I then empty out all the bowls and wash them thoroughly, then litter tray, hay rack, hides and cage bottom, lay it on the lawn and tip boiling water over everything. Once it's dry I spray with beaphar deep clean and let that dry too. I do this daily and have some tasty veggies ready in their cage for when they return.
Our vet said a bath wasn't required but I still see little white flakes on their fur and they still have the occasional scratch. I'm taking them on the 8th August for an update.

I’m using Davis Miconazole shampoo as recommended by the LA guinea pig rescue. It’s supposed to work wonders

 

[Flowie]

Will check it out, thanks!

 

[Siikibam]

I’m using Davis Miconazole shampoo as recommended by the LA guinea pig rescue. It’s supposed to work wonders

Did you take your piggy to a vet or to LAGPR? Something more than shampoo is needed. I would take her to the vet.

 

[DM090121]

Did you take your piggy to a vet or to LAGPR? Something more than shampoo is needed. I would take her to the vet.

We’ve been to the vet twice, the first time they prescribed topical drops (tresoderm) and then once it kept spreading, a mousse like topical that covers the whole body. The shampoo is just to ensure no spores remain in her hair that can reinfect.

 

[DM090121]

You should give her cage a deep clean with some pet grade disinfectant such as F10. Also wash any fleece on a hot wash. Clean any wooden or plastic houses etc. We’re you told to just shampoo her? Also have a read of the guide below.
Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures

I should have mentioned I am following the vet prescribed medications as well as the shampoo, since the shampoo really only takes care of leftover spores. Sorry for the misunderstanding!

 

[Wiebke]

I should have mentioned I am following the vet prescribed medications as well as the shampoo, since the shampoo really only takes care of leftover spores. Sorry for the misunderstanding!

Please read our ringworm guide. You will find it very helpful as it covers every angle, including how to protect yourself.
Here in the UK oral treatment has been becoming more common over the last 8-9 years as it is lot more efficient and less stressful for the piggies.

 

[DM090121]

Okedokey she is treated with the vet prescribed mousse, and her cage/bowls etc are disinfected, now she has to air dry. She has plenty of veg tho so I don’t think she’s complaining!

 

[Siikibam]

Did you dry her off as much as possible? And is the room warm?
How old is she? She looks really young, too young to be alone. I know the circumstances don’t worry.

 

[DM090121]

Did you dry her off as much as possible? And is the room warm?
How old is she? She looks really young, too young to be alone. I know the circumstances don’t worry.

The instructions on the medication say to let air dry but I did dry her off with a towel fairly well. The room is warm and we have a dehumidifier running. She’s about 12 weeks and I feel really terrible about not having a partner for her but rn it’s not an option.

 

[Siikibam]

The instructions on the medication say to let air dry but I did dry her off with a towel fairly well. The room is warm and we have a dehumidifier running. She’s about 12 weeks and I feel really terrible about not having a partner for her but rn it’s not an option.

Did you consider other small animals that are okay living alone? It’s just that she is still in her formative years when they learn about how to be piggies. I know it’s a difficult situation you’re in because you’re only allowed one animal (the fish tank incident says it all really). Just be aware that at the end of the year she may find being with other piggies new because she won’t necessarily understand their behaviours and how to behave around them.
Has anyone ever contested this ‘rule’ of one only?

 

[Wiebke]

Okedokey she is treated with the vet prescribed mousse, and her cage/bowls etc are disinfected, View attachment 149162now she has to air dry. She has plenty of veg tho so I don’t think she’s complaining!

Have you properly deep cleaned the cage with a vet grade disinfectant and washed the bedding at 140 F (60 C) in order to kill off all the highly infected invisible ringworm spores that can stay viable for up to 2 years and that can cause a new infection at any point - including in humans and any other pets the spores come into contact with?

Have YOU been wearing disposable gloves, washed your hands and arms thoroughly, not accidentally touched your neck or face when in contact with a ringworm carrier, shampooed yourself from top to bottom with dandruff shampoo to prevent infection in yourself and washed any clothing of yours in direct contact with a ringworm piggy at 140 F/60 C?

It doesn't sound like you have been reading our ringworm hygiene guide. I sincerely hope that you are not going to end up with a big long and expensive mess because of it.
Here is the link. 5 minutes reading it can save you weeks of headaches and lots of money: Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures

 

[DM090121]

Have you properly deep cleaned the cage with a vet grade disinfectant and washed the bedding at 140 F (60 C) in order to kill off all the highly infected invisible ringworm spores that can stay viable for up to 2 years and that can cause a new infection at any point - including in humans and any other pets the spores come into contact with?

Have YOU been wearing disposable gloves, washed your hands and arms thoroughly, not accidentally touched your neck or face when in contact with a ringworm carrier, shampooed yourself from top to bottom with dandruff shampoo to prevent infection in yourself and washed any clothing of yours in direct contact with a ringworm piggy at 140 F/60 C?

It doesn't sound like you have been reading our ringworm hygiene guide. I sincerely hope that you are not going to end up with a big long and expensive mess because of it.
Here is the link. 5 minutes reading it can save you weeks of headaches and lots of money: Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures

I have been doing good all of the above and have read the guide twice. This is my first experience with this and I’m doing my best. the Vet wasn’t even 100% sure that it was ringworm and I’m taking so many hygiene precautions that she didn’t even suggest. I already feel super guilty about it.

 

[DM090121]

Hey everyone! Kiwi update: her skin in baby smooth again and her fur is growing back in the affected areas! I’m continuing with hygiene precautions and treatment until my vet says I can stop but I think we’re out of the woods! Thanks for all the advice guys! It was great to get nonjudgmental help since I was new to this issue!

 

[Wiebke]

Hey everyone! Kiwi update: her skin in baby smooth again and her fur is growing back in the affected areas! I’m continuing with hygiene precautions and treatment until my vet says I can stop but I think we’re out of the woods! Thanks for all the advice guys! It was great to get nonjudgmental help since I was new to this issue!

Good that our tips are working. Ringworm gets worse before it gets better; which is why I have included all the pictures in the guide.
Don't feel guilty and just deal with it; you don't have any control over how it is carried in. What counts is that you deal with it properly and hopefully get rid of it once and for all.

I have had it carried in several times over the years (usually via spores in the coats of unaffected new piggies); it was no fun when I had a big outbreak with 16 piggies - but the lessons learned 8 years ago have gone into the ringworm guide and have stood the test when I had another new outbreak 3 years ago. I could keep it to the one affected piggy in a room of then 30 piggies (of course I quarantined promptly with the companion and then had to take the whole piggy room apart for a thorough deep clean).

So I know personally that my approach really works - but you have to give it time. It takes about 4 weeks for the fallen out hair to grow back. It is important that all the affected hairs come out because ringworm is usually sitting at the hair roots; this means that it is usually looking worse before it is looking better.

It sounds like you are past it now and can take a big deep breath. Well done!

PS: Please accept that we are a lively forum and that I jump between lots of different threats every day. After a few thousand posts a year and a decade of doing this, your memory kind of turns into a general mush.
If in doubt, I rather link in the guides again so they can be found if this thread comes up in a google search some months or years down the line and may help somebody else's piggies, not just yours.

 

[DM090121]

Good that our tips are working. Ringworm gets worse before it gets better; which is why I have included all the pictures in the guide.
Don't feel guilty and just deal with it; you don't have any control over how it is carried in. What counts is that you deal with it properly and hopefully get rid of it once and for all.

I have had it carried in several times over the years (usually via spores in the coats of unaffected new piggies); it was no fun when I had a big outbreak with 16 piggies - but the lessons learned 8 years ago have gone into the ringworm guide and have stood the test when I had another new outbreak 3 years ago. I could keep it to the one affected piggy in a room of then 30 piggies (of course I quarantined promptly with the companion and then had to take the whole piggy room apart for a thorough deep clean).

So I know personally that my approach really works - but you have to give it time. It takes about 4 weeks for the fallen out hair to grow back. It is important that all the affected hairs come out because ringworm is usually sitting at the hair roots; this means that it is usually looking worse before it is looking better.

It sounds like you are past it now and can take a big deep breath. Well done!

PS: Please accept that we are a lively forum and that I jump between lots of different threats every day. After a few thousand posts a year and a decade of doing this, your memory kind of turns into a general mush.
If in doubt, I rather link in the guides again so they can be found if this thread comes up in a google search some months or years down the line and may help somebody else's piggies, not just yours.

Thanks so much! I totally understand the reposting of info, that makes lots of sense.