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Fungal Skin Infection

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foxy2279

foxy2279

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I got two little baby piggies just over a week ago. One has come up with a fungal infection on her nose. I have been to the vets and have medicine for her and her sister. Also got some advice from the lovely lady at gorgeous guineas.

I wasn't told about cleaning. Currently I clean there enclosure daily with petshop cleaner. They are housed on megazorb. Do I need to do anything different cleaning wise with regards the infection?
Any advice greatly appreciated x
 
Hi!

If the fungal is highly ringworm, then it is highly infectious and it is the one thing that can jump species boundaries (i.e. humans and other pets can catch it). Sadly, ringworm is pretty common in young, stressed shop piggies that have their short lives upturned several times. We see a good number of cases on here.
Here are our tips for how to best deal with this situation and prevent transmission and a return: https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/ringworm-hygiene-and-pictures.115402/

You can claim back the vet cost from the pet shop, as it has happened within two weeks of your buying them. Ringworm has an incubation period of 10-14 days, so the infection has clearly happened at the shop.

What products have you been given?
 
She currently has itrafungal liquid. It's a once a day oral suspension. I caught it very quickly as health check all my animal's twice a day. The vet didn't mention ringworm but they are separated from my other two girls and my bunnies. We have got plastic gloves and aprons for handling/cleaning. Thank you I will get some stronger cleaner for their house.
Poor little girl is such a sweetie. She loves cuddles and going on adventures.
 
foxy2279 said:
She currently has itrafungal liquid. It's a once a day oral suspension. I caught it very quickly as health check all my animal's twice a day. The vet didn't mention ringworm but they are separated from my other two girls and my bunnies. We have got plastic gloves and aprons for handling/cleaning. Thank you I will get some stronger cleaner for their house.
Poor little girl is such a sweetie. She loves cuddles and going on adventures.
Click to expand...

Itrafungol is the currently the best and least intrusive way of getting rid of any fungal, so that is very good. I have found that it was very effective with fungal piggies of mine and much preferable to any topical dips and creams that were the only thing we had at our diposal before!

It pays to get a good quality disinfectant like F10 that kills not just fungal but also fungal spores and to really take your care with a couple of thorough deep cleans. I also find the F10 hand gel very useful in preventing carrying any bugs across, like cold/flu viruses or tummy bugs - a lot is indirectly transferred through the hands (taps, door handles etc.)
 
The girls have now been treated for over a week. Looking at the link given Elsa is at the end of the acute stage.
When can I stop using the apron and gloves? I disinfected daily with F10. Threw away any wooden toys. All plastic and able to disinfect now x
 
foxy2279 said:
The girls have now been treated for over a week. Looking at the link given Elsa is at the end of the acute stage.
When can I stop using the apron and gloves? I disinfected daily with F10. Threw away any wooden toys. All plastic and able to disinfect now x
Click to expand...

You will have to continue to use apron and gloves (regularly washed and changed) for another two weeks during the safety quarantine to make sure that you have caught all of the fungal and that it is not coming back. This is because ringworm is so highly infective and transmittable to other species. :(

I would recommend to give them a bath or dip at the end of the quarantine to make sure that any spores in their fur are all really gone. You can switch to disinfecting at the normal rhythm, just make sure that you do another thorough F10 clean when you give them a final bath, so you can really sure that they (and you) have a totally clean start. The hair should start growing back within a month. using all those precautions is a real nuisance, but it is well worth it.
 
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