Fungal infection

[dudette]

Hello

I just got my first guinea pigs a couple of weeks ago, and they have a fungal infection. I got them from a friend who had other guinea pigs which have the infection, but she didn't know that this one had it,
They are 8 weeks old and one of them had a small dandfuff looking patch by its ear. The vet prescribed Surolan, which we have been using for a couple of days and now the poor little thing has ended up with a huge bald patch which is bleeding only 2 days after starting treatment
What can I put on it to stop it being so sore, and what bath product should I use to give it a bath instead of the ?
Also, is there anything I should do to stop my 5 year old from catching it? She wears a dedicated hoodie that to stroke them that she takes off after and washes her hands
Thank you

 

[T-Rex]

Hello

I just got my first guinea pigs a couple of weeks ago, and they have a fungal infection. I got them from a friend who had other guinea pigs which have the infection, but she didn't know that this one had it,
They are 8 weeks old and one of them had a small dandfuff looking patch by its ear. The vet prescribed Surolan, which we have been using for a couple of days and now the poor little thing has ended up with a huge bald patch which is bleeding only 2 days after starting treatment
What can I put on it to stop it being so sore, and what bath product should I use to give it a bath instead of the ?
Also, is there anything I should do to stop my 5 year old from catching it? She wears a dedicated hoodie that to stroke them that she takes off after and washes her hands
Thank you

Other more experienced people will be along but I would suggest getting back in touch with the vet if your poor piggy has had a reaction like that and getting their further advice on what to do next.
In my own recent experience my vet prescribed imaverol to bath my piggy in when she had a fungal infection and it was amazing. But definitely check back in with the vets as you don’t want to have anything else on the skin that could upset it further without vet guidance.
Hope the poor piggy’s are all sorted soon. My little one was only young and tiny too. ☹

 

[Free Ranger]

I am also not experienced in fungals but can I just ask if you got two girls or two boys? It doesn't make a difference to treatment of course but there are a lot of posts on here about people getting mis-sexed piggies and ending up with more than they bargained for! There is a good sexing guide here you can cross-check

I couldn't quite understand from the post - is Surolan something you shampoo them in? I do know fungal infections can be very catching so I hope your friend is also treating all her piggies. My son once picked up ringworm from a piggy when his skin got scratched by a nail... it was treated by some cream from the GP. We had a very minor problem but the pigs themselves had no symptoms.

If you are concerned your vet might not be used to treating guinea-pigs there is a 'vet locator' at the top of the page and you can see whether anyone is near you.

There are quite a few people who have fungal experience who will be along soon. Good luck dudette x

 

[dudette]

I am also not experienced in fungals but can I just ask if you got two girls or two boys? It doesn't make a difference to treatment of course but there are a lot of posts on here about people getting mis-sexed piggies and ending up with more than they bargained for! There is a good sexing guide here you can cross-check

I couldn't quite understand from the post - is Surolan something you shampoo them in? I do know fungal infections can be very catching so I hope your friend is also treating all her piggies. My son once picked up ringworm from a piggy when his skin got scratched by a nail... it was treated by some cream from the GP. We had a very minor problem but the pigs themselves had no symptoms.

If you are concerned your vet might not be used to treating guinea-pigs there is a 'vet locator' at the top of the page and you can see whether anyone is near you.

There are quite a few people who have fungal experience who will be along soon. Good luck dudette x

Thank you so much, they are drops to put directly on to the area. It;s 2 boys, she double checked as that's how she ended up with guinea pig babies

 

[dudette]

Other more experienced people will be along but I would suggest getting back in touch with the vet if your poor piggy has had a reaction like that and getting their further advice on what to do next.
In my own recent experience my vet prescribed imaverol to bath my piggy in when she had a fungal infection and it was amazing. But definitely check back in with the vets as you don’t want to have anything else on the skin that could upset it further without vet guidance.
Hope the poor piggy’s are all sorted soon. My little one was only young and tiny too. ☹

Thank you so much, good to hear the baths work better!

 

[T-Rex]

Thank you so much, good to hear the baths work better!

I had to do the full course, I think it was like 4 baths, each 3 days apart. But it did the trick. Her fur is all grown back and I’ve not noticed any new patches.
Also don’t forget the vet strength disinfectant. I have f10 as you have to do a full clean after every bath and hot wash any fleece etc.

 

[Wiebke]

Hello

I just got my first guinea pigs a couple of weeks ago, and they have a fungal infection. I got them from a friend who had other guinea pigs which have the infection, but she didn't know that this one had it,
They are 8 weeks old and one of them had a small dandfuff looking patch by its ear. The vet prescribed Surolan, which we have been using for a couple of days and now the poor little thing has ended up with a huge bald patch which is bleeding only 2 days after starting treatment
What can I put on it to stop it being so sore, and what bath product should I use to give it a bath instead of the ?
Also, is there anything I should do to stop my 5 year old from catching it? She wears a dedicated hoodie that to stroke them that she takes off after and washes her hands
Thank you

Hi and welcome

I am very sorry that you have ended up with ringworm piggies. You can reclaim any vet fees and treatment cost from the pet shop and also report them to the local authorities over trading standards; ringworm is the most transmittable and contagious problem that can pass between species and also affect humans - especially children.

Please do NOT stop treatment. Surolan is one of the more effective possible treatments. Any acute ringworm patch has to run its due course and get worse before it gets better. The open area is very shallow and will heal over very quickly; it is caused by the fungal exudation crust that forms on the surface and needs to come off.

Please take the time to carefully read our ringworm hygiene guide - good hygiene and a vet grade disinfectant are vital to prevent the tiny, long-lived ringworm spores from making a comeback in the coming weeks and months (potentially up to two years) and turning the whole experience into a never-ending saga. While ringworm is not fatal, it is well worth throwing the kitchen sink at it in terms of cutting off any possible transmission angles just because of its nuisance value. The guide is very comprehensive, practical and looks at all aspects you need to deal with in connection with ringworm, catching it yourself.
The guide also has plenty of pictures to show you how an outbreak runs its due course so you know better what to expect and know when the ringworm has subsided.
Here is the link: Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures

There is more information re. your customer rights in our guide about the most common masty surprises that new guinea pigs can come with: New guinea pigs: Sexing, vet checks&customer rights, URI, ringworm and parasites

I hope that this helps you?

 

[dudette]

Thanks Wiebke, do you think I need to also bathe them, or just carry on with the Surolan?

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks Wiebke, do you think I need to also bathe them, or just carry on with the Surolan?

In what form have you been given the surolan? As a dip or just as a localised treatment, in which case you need to bathe at least twice with an antifungal shampoo in order to prevent further outbreaks on the body and the companion.

PLEASE read the guide link in my previous post! it has taken me several days to write it and to make sure that it is very clear, easy to follow and complete. I cannot repeat all of that in every ringworm thread (of which we are sadly getting far too many as some shops and breeders are struggling to get on top of the many invisibly tiny spores.

 

[Deleted member 139433]

I've been using Surolan for Banner's ringworm over the last week and it has reduced the patch/stopped the spread. It was a few drops applied twice a day. Though now that my vet has confirmed ringworm with a culture, they have recommended to moving to oral treatment with Itrafungol