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Help, Cuts/sores/bites On Belly

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kelly Marie x

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Can anyone help with what this is please? Noticed them today on my 2 year old boar, thought maybe he has pulled his hair out itching mites? He has been out on the grass recently too could anything there have irritated him?

thanks
 
It's difficult to say but that does look sore. A vet visit is needed for a proper diagnosis. It could be that something is making him itch and he is biting at it and reasons for that would include mange mites, fungal infection, lice or hay mites. He could also have had a reaction to something. Have you noticed any hair loss? is his hair greasy at all? does his skin look fluoresced?
 
It definitely looks like a vets visit is necessary. Things like this always happen on a bank holiday weekend. Until you can get to the vet it is essential to protect the wound against infection. In the past I've used Savlon ointment on mine to good effect but please wait for more knowledgeable member OK's this.
 
He is currently on metacam for after dental work! Could this cause it? Could it be mites from when he boarded at the vets? I have some spot on with ivermectin in? Worth a try? It that ok with metacam? Unfortunately it is bank holiday here tommorow and so I have at least another day until can get to the vets
 
What do you think could have bitten him? Something out on the grass? What can I put on his cuts? He can reach there so nothing toxic :(
 
I think it needs a vet visit as it looks like quite deep cuts. Annoyingly these things often happen on bank holidays, your vet will either provide out of hours care or will recommend one that does if you are worried. If you have any hibiscrub that can be used to keep the wounds clean until vet diagnosis but I don't know if savlon or ordinary household medicines are suitable. Do any of @helen105281 ,@Wiebke @Elwickcavies @Pebble @Amanda1801 have any ideas?

As he's already on metacam that should deal with any pain he is experiencing, personally I wouldn't treat for mites till seeing a vet.
 
It's good that he is on Metacam, that will help with pain. If he has been run down due to dental work then my thought would be mange mites which tend to thrive when a pig is out of sorts. I think this needs a proper diagnosis though before treating with spot on. I would always recommend injections over spot on anyway as it enters the blood stream quicker and is a more effective way of treating them. However, some vets will only prescribe spot on. Fungal is also opportunistic too which is why I would prefer you to get a diagnosis from the vets.

Mange mites I would not have thought would have come from being boarded at the vets as they are already in the pig's system and flare up at times of stress so this would fit with my theory of him being run down.

I think it would be a good idea to clean the wounds with a saline solution or Hibiscrub if you have it. If you want to cover the wound then a barrier cream like Bepanthen would be ok, or Savlon as suggested above but I am inclined to want to leave it uncovered so the wound can breathe. However there is a risk of infection especially if he lives outside.
 
He lives inside with me :) I do think mites as touching his back makes him turn round and try to bite me a bit at the moment cannot get to vets bcos of bank holiday so I guess even spot on atm is better than nothing
 
He was mucked out yesterday but I am going to replace the bedding in a minute to help minimise risk of infection
 
Replacing the bedding is a good idea. It sounds like mites more to me now too if he is sensitive on his back. Is there any emergency vet you could see over the bank holiday. Do you have a Pets at Home with a vets in store?
 
@kelly Marie x

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Parasites


Their are several different types of external and internal parasites that can infest a guinea pig. Guinea pigs require regular mite treatment to prevent infestation? more...
 
I do not have anything to cleans the wound with so I have changed all his soiled sawdust and have given him spot on it was beaphor anti parasite spot on containing ivermectin150ug per pipette and I gave him 2 like the instructions said, when should I retreat?-
 
I do not think you re-treat without seeing a vet and getting an expert diagnosis, you are taking a guess at mites and the next step is to see a vet ASAP. Where are you based? We have a recommended vets finder at top of the page.
 
It's usually about 10 days apart but you need to see a vet for a proper diagnosis and also Beaphor is not strong enough to deal with a full on infestation, it is for preventative treatment only.
 
I would take to vet to be safe next week. Check the box for redosage but its normally two weeks time. When you go to vet next week please take the packet with you and explain what you've given him as overdoses of ivermectin can be fatal!

what make invermectin did you use? Some are weaker and are used as prevention rather than a cure.
 
It was 150ug per pipette and he had 2, even if it doesn't cure it I hope it will offer him some relief

It may. What I meant about overdose was if vet wants to give additional ivermectin to your guinea he/she will need to know what he has had so far and when! Hope he's feeling better soon x
 
You can find the contact details for an out-of-hours vet on your usual vet's answering machine. it will be the most local for you. All vets have got some sort of cover these days. Day time visits during regular opening hours are often cheaper than night time visits.

If it is mites, I would be very careful about cleaning out the wounds with anything strong, as it could trigger seizures in a bad case of mites. I assume he is a single boar?

Please ask for a course of ivermectin injections as the most effective way of treating. If you spot treat now, you may unfortunately have to wait for the next round.
 
It doesn't look like mites or a skin condition - there's little hairloss around the wound, the skin isn't red or inflamed, and the edges are clean. It looks more like a cut or a bite than a mite problem. They look quite nasty and if he were my pig I'd definitely be taking him to my out of hours vet before Tuesday, mainly due to the location of them. On his underside, it's going to be difficult to keep them clean and uncontaminated, especially if he's anything like my pigs who like to lie in their urine etc.! Also size wise, they are full thickness wounds of a pretty decent size, on us, it'd be like a 4-5 inch cut on your abdomen.

In terms of what's caused it, it's an unusual place to be bitten (does he have a friend?). If he's been in the run, if it's a wooden one with a wire mesh, I'd be checking for any exposed sharp pointy bits. If he's got a friend, I guess he could have gotten a little "over friendly" at the wrong end to have been bitten there.

With regards to an emergency service vet, if you call your usual vet, there will either be someone there to answer or there will be a recorded message with instructions (have a pen and paper ready as there may be another phone number to call!)

In the meantime, keep him as clean as possible (just some cotton wool and cooled warm salt water - 1tsp in a mug of water), and bed him on something that won't contaminate the wound and that can be changed daily - fleece or newspaper would be good.
 
He is a single pig and he seems very happy other than his sore belly, will check the run in a bit! And I have a good exotics vet who does do emergencys so shall see how he is in the morning and will have to consider a trip! Unfortunately it is an hour and half away and I don't drive :(
 
Definitely get it looked at, it may even require a stitch or two, it's in an area that will be under tension as he walks (the skin will stretch when he walks) so it may not be a simple case of healing by itself.

It really does look like a bite wound, has he been in contact with any other animals at all?
 
My Gertie caused very similar wounds to herself when she had mites as she came to us with it having gone untreated and was really going at herself and was sensitive on her back like you have described too. Only a vet can diagnose though. Gertie eventually ended up on steroids to break the cycle of her itching and biting herself. Though it is not possible to have steroids at the same time as anti-inflammatory pain relief. See what the vet says though as he may agree that it is a bite from something else.
 
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