Help! Is this guinea pig fungal?

[Frayzerboy]

About 6 months ago I noticed a bit of what looked like brown fungal on bungles nose, sprayed it and it vanished in days.. maybe a few weeks after I noticed a brown ball of dead skin at the bottom side of his mouth. We treated with antifungal but no inprovement..Got the luecillin spray on bungle once I noticed it had spread! Now I noticed it didn't heal it but it actually stopped it, but unfortunately pigs being pigs like to scratch and that's what's got it down to the flesh now! Today i got dactarin oral gel and I've watered it down in a spray bottle to try this out.. fingers crossed.... we have no piggie specialist round here and was avoiding the vet due to the last piggie they gave an injection and metcam and he stopped eating right away and died within 48hrs! He's happy, he's actually bigger than ever being 1 and a half years old. He popcorns like crazy and loves his cuddles and his home... thought id ask for help on here as it seems to be a popular forum. I'l attach photos of the mess and the treatment we've been using... ooh, and I had to water down the dactarin as he squeals if you touch the sore obviously...
Thanks fraser

 

[YvonneBlue]

Welcome to the Forum.

This looks very painful and needs treatment by a vet as soon as possible, there is a list of recommended vets on the forum (i assume from the Tesco bag that you are in the UK). Recommended Guinea Pig Vets

 

[HeatherRose]

That looks like a burst abscess to me. Please take him to the vet, if it is an abscess he will need a strong antibiotic and you will have to flush it out a few times a day. My Anna had one a few months ago.

 

[Hank288]

This is definately not a fungal infection. Unable to really give any advice other than to see a vet immediately. This guinea pig needs some serious medical attention. Please make an appointment with a cavy savy vet as you pig is likely in a lot of pain.

Leucillin is good for wounds but should not be used around the mouth as is most likely harmful if ingested. Also the dactarin oral gel is not for rubbing onto fungal. it is to be taken orally like a medicine. However in this case neither of these 2 home remedies are going to help at all.

Is he still able to eat at all?

 

[Posyrose]

I agree this looks like a burst abcess. It may not be and in any case it should be seen by a vet and not treated with over the counter products.

Please see a vet as soon as possible.

Good luck with Bumble

 

[Swissgreys]

I can not agree with the others enough.
Your guinea pig needs to see a vet as a matter of urgency.
Please stop treating with home remedies, as it does not look like fungal, and the treatments may be causing him additional pain.

I do understand that you have had a very bad expereince previously with a vet, but this is no reason to allow poor Bumble to suffer.
If you tell us roughly where you live there are many members on here who will be able to help find the experienced vet that is closet to you.
We also have a vet locator at the top of the page (in the green bar) which may also help, but sometimes a vet isn't listed and a member is able to make a suggestion based on your location.

Good luck getting the problem sorted, and please let ius know how Bumble gets on.

 

[Wiebke]

About 6 months ago I noticed a bit of what looked like brown fungal on bungles nose, sprayed it and it vanished in days.. maybe a few weeks after I noticed a brown ball of dead skin at the bottom side of his mouth. We treated with antifungal but no inprovement..Got the luecillin spray on bungle once I noticed it had spread! Now I noticed it didn't heal it but it actually stopped it, but unfortunately pigs being pigs like to scratch and that's what's got it down to the flesh now! Today i got dactarin oral gel and I've watered it down in a spray bottle to try this out.. fingers crossed.... we have no piggie specialist round here and was avoiding the vet due to the last piggie they gave an injection and metcam and he stopped eating right away and died within 48hrs! He's happy, he's actually bigger than ever being 1 and a half years old. He popcorns like crazy and loves his cuddles and his home... thought id ask for help on here as it seems to be a popular forum. I'l attach photos of the mess and the treatment we've been using... ooh, and I had to water down the dactarin as he squeals if you touch the sore obviously...
Thanks fraser

Hi!

Please see a vet ASAP!

This looks a like very advanced case of cheilitis (lip infection). If left untreated for too long, it can be ultimately fatal and you may have to put your piggy to sleep in order to prevent any further suffering. Please DO NOT home treat on spec and make your piggy's suffering even worse.
Guinea Lynx :: Cheilitis

 

[Frayzerboy]

Thanks everyone, popped along to see the vet there at pets at home and Explained to the vet that it is most likely a burst absess after reading your posts. I've to take bungle in at 5:30 tomorrow.... possibly some baytril or bactrim might be the case they said once she looks. My worst fear is I'm sure thats what they gave my last pig that stopped him eating!

 

[Frayzerboy]

This is definately not a fungal infection. Unable to really give any advice other than to see a vet immediately. This guinea pig needs some serious medical attention. Please make an appointment with a cavy savy vet as you pig is likely in a lot of pain.

Leucillin is good for wounds but should not be used around the mouth as is most likely harmful if ingested. Also the dactarin oral gel is not for rubbing onto fungal. it is to be taken orally like a medicine. However in this case neither of these 2 home remedies are going to help at all.

Is he still able to eat at all?

Yep he doesn't stop eating... vets tomorrow with him at 5:30pm so fingers crossed....

 

[Eriathwen]

Aw ouch, that looks bless him! Thats great you managed to find a vet Piggies are all individual, a lot of mine have had Baytril with no ill effects whereas my Shelly reacted quite badly to it. It might be worth picking up some probiotics while you're there? The vet might give you fibreplex if you ask for it, explaining your concerns, or Pets at Home sell Pro C.

 

[Flutterby]

Please let us know how you get on!

 

[Claire W]

Glad that you have him booked in at the vets. Please let us know how you get on

 

[Swissgreys]

Thanks everyone, popped along to see the vet there at pets at home and Explained to the vet that it is most likely a burst absess after reading your posts. I've to take bungle in at 5:30 tomorrow.... possibly some baytril or bactrim might be the case they said once she looks. My worst fear is I'm sure thats what they gave my last pig that stopped him eating!

Well done for making a vet appointment so quickly.

Baytril can affect a piggy's appetite, but while some pigs do find it rough on their stomachs, many piggies don't.
But the good news is that if antibiotics are needed there is lots you can do to make sure Bumble isn't affected too badly by them.
Giving additional top up feeds of critical care or recovery formula can help a piggy who has lost their appetitie, and I always use probiotics whenever I have a piggy who needs antibiotics.
So if Bumble does need them you will get loads of great advice from others who have been through this too.

 

[Frayzerboy]

Thank you so much and this is why I came to this forum first! You lot in numbers is more advice than any vet can give. We never got recommended any aftercare at all, just the injection, took my money and that was that. Now my partner is home she has told me it was not baytril and was metacam given to the wee pig last time.. now I've just researched metacam and says it's really for cats and dogs, that must of killed of my pig

 

[Eriathwen]

Metacam is usually tolerated very well by piggies and their faster metabolism means they can have a higher dose compared to that of cats or dogs, the cat one I believe was recently, officially licensed for the use in guinea pigs, unfortunately, sometimes we can throw our everything into a piggy, and they still pass away. I think quite a few of us here have similar stories where we try our best and it doesnt work unfortunately, medicine can still only do so much.
One of my own is on a high dose of the dog metacam each day for the rest of his life, due to a degenerative bone condition.
I'm sorry for the loss of your other piggy, it's never easy, especially when you do everything right and still lose them.

 

[lollypopYUMYUM]

I would go see a vet.

 

[Frayzerboy]

Just bk from vets. 0.2ml of sulfatrim mixed with 0.2ml of ribena light...... fingers crossed it'll help... I've got enough for 10 days

 

[Lady Kelly]

Personally I would not mix with the ribena at all. There really is no need with such a small dose of antibiotic