Hair loss on nose

[michlovespigs]

Just got my sweet babies about a week ago, things have been going pretty normally except this bald spot thats seems to be spreading. I thought the other one could’ve been “barbering” bc he was very nervous after he first got here, but it doesn’t seem that way. Bennie (in attatched picture) is always full of energy, hungry, and excited to see us. I’ve noticed scratching here or there but no more than our other baby. Taking him to the vet soon, but would like to know what i’m in for, or if i even need to. PLEASE HELP

 

[saskiaLAGPR]

Ooh that looks like a classic case of Ringworm.
Here is the over the counter protocol we use.
What is ringworm?
Ringworm is fairly common in guinea pigs so don’t freak out!
It is a fungus that often presents on the outside and inside of the ears, around
the eyes and on the nose. Though it can appear anywhere on their body it is
most often discovered in those areas. It is the same as Athlete’s Foot in
humans. Ringworm most often does not require veterinary assistance and
simple over the counter creams and shampoo can clear it up.
It is contagious however, so wash your hands after touching the guinea pig
and wear an apron of some sort to prevent spores clinging to your clothing.
Where do they get it from?
They can get it from another infected guinea pig but it can also develop in a
guinea pig that has not had any recent interactions with other animals at all.
They simply carry the spores with them and in times of stress or a diminished
immune system the fungus can get the overhand.
This sometimes happens in a cage with two animals living together. Only one
will get the fungus and the other animal remains totally unaffected. (The same
goes for lice and mites)
How do you treat it?
1) Any anti dandruff shampoo like Head and Shoulders
2) Over the counter medicated athlete’s foot cream
SHAMPOO - First of all wash the guinea pig the medicated anti dandruff
shampoo
Put a small towel in the sink to prevent slipping and use lukewarm water,
lather them up real good and let the shampoo sit for 2 minutes and then rinse.
You must wash the face and ears also. Make sure to pay special attention to
the affected areas and rub the shampoo into the skin.
Most guinea pigs do not like to be bathed but this is something that needs to
be done. After you towel dry the animal really well you must blow dry them.
Never put a wet or damp guinea pig back in its cage.
It will take a long time before they dry by themselves. They will get catch a
cold and get sick. Do this for once weekly for three weeks.
CREAM - Apply the cream directly on the affected area and make sure you
really press the cream into the skin where the fungus is located. Do this twice
daily for three weeks.
I have other guinea pigs do I treat them too?
Yes and no. If they are not showing signs of the fungus then there are
obviously no spots to put a cream. However, you do want to shampoo them
with the anti dandruff medicated shampoo to make sure they stay healthy.
You should only do that once or twice in the three weeks it takes to treat the
infected guinea pig.
Do I need to disinfect the cage?
I have found that treatment of the individual animal(s) is enough. Though it
never hurts to disinfect the cage. Use part water and part bleach. Let it soak
for a few minutes and rinse off really well. Air dry before putting bedding in.

 

[michlovespigs]

Ooh that looks like a classic case of Ringworm.
Here is the over the counter protocol we use.
What is ringworm?
Ringworm is fairly common in guinea pigs so don’t freak out!
It is a fungus that often presents on the outside and inside of the ears, around
the eyes and on the nose. Though it can appear anywhere on their body it is
most often discovered in those areas. It is the same as Athlete’s Foot in
humans. Ringworm most often does not require veterinary assistance and
simple over the counter creams and shampoo can clear it up.
It is contagious however, so wash your hands after touching the guinea pig
and wear an apron of some sort to prevent spores clinging to your clothing.
Where do they get it from?
They can get it from another infected guinea pig but it can also develop in a
guinea pig that has not had any recent interactions with other animals at all.
They simply carry the spores with them and in times of stress or a diminished
immune system the fungus can get the overhand.
This sometimes happens in a cage with two animals living together. Only one
will get the fungus and the other animal remains totally unaffected. (The same
goes for lice and mites)
How do you treat it?
1) Any anti dandruff shampoo like Head and Shoulders
2) Over the counter medicated athlete’s foot cream
SHAMPOO - First of all wash the guinea pig the medicated anti dandruff
shampoo
Put a small towel in the sink to prevent slipping and use lukewarm water,
lather them up real good and let the shampoo sit for 2 minutes and then rinse.
You must wash the face and ears also. Make sure to pay special attention to
the affected areas and rub the shampoo into the skin.
Most guinea pigs do not like to be bathed but this is something that needs to
be done. After you towel dry the animal really well you must blow dry them.
Never put a wet or damp guinea pig back in its cage.
It will take a long time before they dry by themselves. They will get catch a
cold and get sick. Do this for once weekly for three weeks.
CREAM - Apply the cream directly on the affected area and make sure you
really press the cream into the skin where the fungus is located. Do this twice
daily for three weeks.
I have other guinea pigs do I treat them too?
Yes and no. If they are not showing signs of the fungus then there are
obviously no spots to put a cream. However, you do want to shampoo them
with the anti dandruff medicated shampoo to make sure they stay healthy.
You should only do that once or twice in the three weeks it takes to treat the
infected guinea pig.
Do I need to disinfect the cage?
I have found that treatment of the individual animal(s) is enough. Though it
never hurts to disinfect the cage. Use part water and part bleach. Let it soak
for a few minutes and rinse off really well. Air dry before putting bedding in.

Ringworm is what i was thinking, thanks for your help. He’s still a baby and scared so hopefully he’s a trooper through his bath

 

[Wiebke]

Just got my sweet babies about a week ago, things have been going pretty normally except this bald spot thats seems to be spreading. I thought the other one could’ve been “barbering” bc he was very nervous after he first got here, but it doesn’t seem that way. Bennie (in attatched picture) is always full of energy, hungry, and excited to see us. I’ve noticed scratching here or there but no more than our other baby. Taking him to the vet soon, but would like to know what i’m in for, or if i even need to. PLEASE HELP

Hi!

Please take the time to read these guides here; they contain important information about your customer rights and the most likely problems you are to encounter with pet shop or for sale breeder guinea pigs. The second guide is giving you tips on how to make sure that you prevent transmission and return of ringworm, which is the most aggressive and transmittable form of fungal skin infection, which can also affect humans and other species pets. Please also be aware that you need to treat all piggies in contact with ringworm.

You can reclaim any vet treatment from the pet shop you have got your guinea pigs from (UK: 2-3 weeks and US/Can: 1 month after purchase). The first guide will tell you how you go about this. It is part of our New Owners information collection.
What to check and look out for in new guinea pigs (vet checks, sexing, parasites&illness)
Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures

Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides

PLEASE do not home treat on spec for a skin problem as that will make a vet diagnosis very difficult or impossible!
Also be aware that we cannot diagnose health problems reliably (nor are we qualified to) from just a picture without a hands-on diagnosis. We can make an educated guess and help you ask the right questions, but we cannot replace a vet visit.
On this UK based forum we work as much as possible with and through vets, including helping you to find a good vet to the best of our abilities or helping you to make the best out of whatever vet you can see.

We ask any new owners to please start saving up for vet care on a weekly or monthly basis right from the start (or even before) as an integral part of any lifelong pet maintenance cost. In the long run, vet cost is going to be your biggest budget post with any pet. There are no 'cheap' pets. Guinea pigs are very small and rather fragile animals that cannot wait for days until you can book an appointment that may not be immediate, either. Illness and emergencies never happen at a convenient time!
@saskiaLAGPR

 

[VickiA]

Ooh that looks like a classic case of Ringworm.
Here is the over the counter protocol we use.
What is ringworm?
Ringworm is fairly common in guinea pigs so don’t freak out!
It is a fungus that often presents on the outside and inside of the ears, around
the eyes and on the nose. Though it can appear anywhere on their body it is
most often discovered in those areas. It is the same as Athlete’s Foot in
humans. Ringworm most often does not require veterinary assistance and
simple over the counter creams and shampoo can clear it up.
It is contagious however, so wash your hands after touching the guinea pig
and wear an apron of some sort to prevent spores clinging to your clothing.
Where do they get it from?
They can get it from another infected guinea pig but it can also develop in a
guinea pig that has not had any recent interactions with other animals at all.
They simply carry the spores with them and in times of stress or a diminished
immune system the fungus can get the overhand.
This sometimes happens in a cage with two animals living together. Only one
will get the fungus and the other animal remains totally unaffected. (The same
goes for lice and mites)
How do you treat it?
1) Any anti dandruff shampoo like Head and Shoulders
2) Over the counter medicated athlete’s foot cream
SHAMPOO - First of all wash the guinea pig the medicated anti dandruff
shampoo
Put a small towel in the sink to prevent slipping and use lukewarm water,
lather them up real good and let the shampoo sit for 2 minutes and then rinse.
You must wash the face and ears also. Make sure to pay special attention to
the affected areas and rub the shampoo into the skin.
Most guinea pigs do not like to be bathed but this is something that needs to
be done. After you towel dry the animal really well you must blow dry them.
Never put a wet or damp guinea pig back in its cage.
It will take a long time before they dry by themselves. They will get catch a
cold and get sick. Do this for once weekly for three weeks.
CREAM - Apply the cream directly on the affected area and make sure you
really press the cream into the skin where the fungus is located. Do this twice
daily for three weeks.
I have other guinea pigs do I treat them too?
Yes and no. If they are not showing signs of the fungus then there are
obviously no spots to put a cream. However, you do want to shampoo them
with the anti dandruff medicated shampoo to make sure they stay healthy.
You should only do that once or twice in the three weeks it takes to treat the
infected guinea pig.
Do I need to disinfect the cage?
I have found that treatment of the individual animal(s) is enough. Though it
never hurts to disinfect the cage. Use part water and part bleach. Let it soak
for a few minutes and rinse off really well. Air dry before putting bedding in.

Thank you for taking the time to post such a comprehensive response @saskiaLAGPR. However the policy of this forum is always to recommend that a member seeks veterinary assessment and examination for correct diagnosis and treatment. We often see members try OTC treatments and home remedies which don’t work and then make it more difficult for the vets to correctly diagnose & treat the problem. The piggies then suffer for longer periods. For this reason we do not advocate home treating on spec without a formal diagnosis and treatment plan.