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Help Please, I Think My New Piggies Have Come With A Fungal Infection:(

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Hi,
I'm so worried I picked my guinea pig boys up yesterday from an awful breeder (her write up was amazing travelled 2 hours!) she said they both had a fungal infection caused from heat and to put athletes foot cream on three times a day!
That doesn't seem right to me? I've been reading up all about it and I'm petrified its mange:( one has a penny size bald spot on his head in between eyes the other has a very bumpy dry skin which looks a little scabbed bald spot on head:(
I will take them to vet tomorrow but just wondered what you guys thought?
Many thanks from a very concerned new piggie owner x x
 
Hi, welcome to the forum. I would get them vet checked as soon as you can, it could be fungal like the breeder says or it could be mange mites but they both have different treatment. For fungal I would recommend Imaverol which is used as a dip and can be used on very young pigs. There are many different types of fungal, most don't show up in any tests the vet does but Ringworm would. The treatment for all types of fungal tends to be the same. Here is our Ringworm guide just in case:

https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/ringworm-hygiene-and-pictures.115402/

Mange mites are usually treated with Ivermectin, the most effective of which is a round of 3 or 4 injections, about 10 days apart, though some vets use Spot On which is put on the back of the neck.

Please could you update your location on your profile as it will help us tailor our advice.
 
Hi,
Many thanks for this advice I will get them to vet first thing in morning poor little things:( I've updated my profile I'm in Gloucestershire UK x
 
Hello and welcome to the forum! Try not to worry too much, both mites, lice, mange and fungal can be treated under good vet care :) Definitely needs a trip to the vets so that you can treat appropriately x
 
:wel: to the forum . You shouldn't have been given these animals in this condition - but I suppose we all learn in hindsight. I can see you are a caring owner and your priority is for your new guinea pigs . I would suggest you speak to your vet and see if there is any way of recovering the treatment costs from the breeder.
 
I know it's so awful:( I don't think this woman should breed them! I just want to get them sorted but I'm gutted I will learn from this x
 
At least they are safe with you now. Make sure you take photos.
 
please let me know how you get on at your vet's appointment
 
Hi Guys,
Well i've just got back from vets....She took a skin scrape on the bad bit (which was just awful:( I don't think he will ever trust me now) she looked under microscope and thinks it could be mites she said she couldn't see any but possibly mite eggs so she has put some spot on for worms and mites on both of them and wants to see if this helps if not we have to go back and look at maybe treating ring worm or fungal. They both have it but Dotty's is worse gone to his eye area now and ears:(
Poor little chaps, i feel so sorry for them. xx
 
Hope the Spot on helps. If it is already spreading though I am inclined to think it is Ringworm, would it be possible to post photos? It is not uncommon for pigs to get mites and fungal at the same time due to the compromised immune system.
 
I will take some tomorrow and Pop on here as vet did seem a little vague. Want to let them recover from there ordeal from today first:( its such a shame. Thank you for reply x x
 
Also where vet has taken sample it is all painful and bloody:( could I put something like savlon on it? Or should I just leave it? Thanks x
 
The Savlon question has come up before on another forum and the verdict was yes but use sparingly. However I would leave that until someone else here gives their opinion. @Pebble @Wiebke

As Helen says, mites and fungal can occur at the same time, and if you do end up needing to put a fungal cream (Canesten for example) on it you would have to have the area clear of Savlon
Unfortunately mites can be very painful for the piggies, and they will probably not want to be touched, but sadly this will be unavoidable.

I am shocked that this breeder let you have these piggies. She should have treated this as soon as it occurred. However, at least now they are with you those piggies will/are being treated.

I assume the spot-on used is Ivermectin. This can be bought from some pet stores and online. If indeed this turns out to be mites it may be an idea to purchase some as it may recur at some point. Don't worry, it is quickly treated when caught early. Be aware though that is you buy a bottle of Ivermectin it doesn't keep long once opened. I made this mistake with one of my pigs - saw that she was developing a mite infection and used an old bottle to treat her. It didn't work as Ivermectin loses it's effectiveness after being opened a while, and this delayed proper treatment, causing her mites to get worse!
 
Ok cool thank you for advice. I know it's appalling that the breeder has allowed this to happen:(
Vet said if it gets worse or no better in two weeks to go back and she will test them for funnel or ringworm but if it does improve the. It's mites and they will need more treatment in two weeks. I think it's fungel as well could I treat that with anything myself or shall I just ask vet to treat for that as well? I just don't want them suffering:( I'm so new to guinea pigs these are my first ever I feel like I've been thrown in the deep end! They are so sweet x x
 
There is a product called Hibiscrub, which is piggy-safe and can be used on large areas of the piggy's body. @helen105281 recommended Imaverol and mentioned it's suitable for youngsters. It's fine to treat for fungal inbetween mite treatments.
It's hard to know what to do though, as although you could gently dip your pigs into the anti-fungal meds mentioned they will find this stressful (be careful not to dip their faces).
Be careful around the eyes. I am concerned as the main infection is on the head between the eyes, so you need to be cautious not to let any of it drip. I would advise to apply with cotton wool and use sparingly so that it does not run into the eyes.
Is there any fur loss on their flanks?

With mites Ivermectin often works quickly, with less scratching being noted within a few days. Be aware though as when more eggs hatch the scratching may increase again. Hence the need for two or three (usually three) treatments.

@Wiebke would it be better to wait a few days and monitor for improvements before applying anti-fungal? x

It is also worth noting that not all infections show up on skin scrapings, and treatment becomes an 'educated guess'.
 
Critter said:
There is a product called Hibiscrub, which is piggy-safe and can be used on large areas of the piggy's body. @helen105281 recommended Imaverol and mentioned it's suitable for youngsters. It's fine to treat for fungal inbetween mite treatments.
It's hard to know what to do though, as although you could gently dip your pigs into the anti-fungal meds mentioned they will find this stressful (be careful not to dip their faces).
Be careful around the eyes. I am concerned as the main infection is on the head between the eyes, so you need to be cautious not to let any of it drip. I would advise to apply with cotton wool and use sparingly so that it does not run into the eyes.
Is there any fur loss on their flanks?

With mites Ivermectin often works quickly, with less scratching being noted within a few days. Be aware though as when more eggs hatch the scratching may increase again. Hence the need for two or three (usually three) treatments.

@Wiebke would it be better to wait a few days and monitor for improvements before applying anti-fungal? x

It is also worth noting that not all infections show up on skin scrapings, and treatment becomes an 'educated guess'.
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You have to wait at least 48 hours after any topical (i.e. skin) treatment before you can do another one, especially mites treatment - otherwise it gets washed off before it can be fully absorbed. I agree that hibiscrub from the pharmacy is a safe disinfectant.

For the rest, please can we see pictures? Treating on spec will not help.

Mites treatment will take 2-3 days to kick in, but once that has happened, the intensity of the scratching should go down a lot and it should disappear completely a couple of days after the second round. A third or - in severe cases - even fourth round are necessary to wipe out any straggling emerging eggs and prevent a return.

I am very sorry that you and your little ones have such a bad start into your life together. Sadly, it is not at all rare with backyard breeders. Anybody can call themselves a breeder or a rescue without a licence or a check, and the results can be dire. This is one of the main reasons why we have started a recommended rescues locator for those rescues that are good standard and safe to use.
 
Skin scrapes are taken to identify both mange mites (which burrow and lay eggs beneath the skin) and some fungal infections. They can however show a negative result despite the fact there is actually something present.
Where the skin scrape has been taken, you can bathe the area with boiled and cooled salt water, or use diluted F10 disinfectant (these is also anti-fiungal) or dilute hibiscrub.
I would not use savlon unless you are intending to use the dry antiseptic spray (which is povidine iodine).

A topical spot on is not always suitably effective for mange mites (although it will work for hay mites and lice which live on the surface of the skin). If a spot-on is used, it should be a prescription strength variety (eg Xeno) and not an over-the-counter low dose treatment which may not be strong enough to deal with an active infection. A course of 3 injections of ivermectin spaced 10-14 days apart to break the mite life cycle would be more effective for mange mites than a topical treatment. Some insects are now developing resistance to ivermectin and for a persistent case of mites, doramectin injections would be a suitable alternative.

It is useful to bathe a piggie 48 hours after a mite treatment to get rid of the insect debris which can be irritating. At this point, many opt to use a fungal treatment (Imaverol) as part of the bathing regime where diluted imaverol is syringed through the fur and left to dry. It can also be applied around the eyes with a cotton bud. After 3 rounds of mite treatment/bathing and dipping/syringing through imaverol, there should be a full recovery.

The above does not apply to piggies who have serious wounds from self-mutilation as a result of a severe mange mite infection - injections combined with spraying open wounds with dilute F10 are a better option (see my posts on this thread
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/2-more-dying-piggies.122408/

Finally hygiene is also critical to eradicating a fungal or mite infection. Wear surgical gloves when handling and be careful about touching your skin as some fungal infections can be transferred to humans.
The cages/bedding/hideys etc need to be regularly cleaned/disinfected/treated.

For mite infections:
Fabrics (duvets, towels, fleeces, cosies etc) should be washed at 60degC or above with a biologcal detergent and if possible iron them afterwards.
Hard surfaces including plastic cages can be treated with eg Johnsons insecticidal cage spray (but be aware they contain permethrins - cats should be kept away and the spray should not be breathed in by any animal including yourself - best done outside). Leave for 30mins and then wash off thoroughly with a good animal disinfectant such as F10.
Carpets should be vacuumed thoroughly
Bin anything you can't clean that has been in contact with the guinea pigs.

In addition - For fungal infections
Add some type of peroxide to the wash cycle (eg Vanish)
F10 disinfectant can be used to clean hard surfaces including cages etc. It is the only disinfectant I have found where the manufacturers show efficacy against ringworm spores.


HTH
x

Edit - cross-posted with Wiebke!
 
Thank you all so much for taking the time to reply I really appreciate it:) I've finally got some pics:
 

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There is definitely fungal/ringworm on the head. The bite wound on the back could be caused by either; poor pig - it looks VERY sore! :(
 
a) fungal
b) fungal
c) bite wound - possible nites or dominance or irritation - but nothing definitie

Please re-read my posts on this thread and act for fungal....in proper collaboration with your vet
x
 
awww poor piggies :( that looks very sore.. Hope your piggies get better soon x
 
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Agree looks like Ringworm and possible self mutilation. I would speak to the vet again. Have a read of our Ringworm guide which outlines the products we recommend. If mange mites too, the vet should treat with injections if possible rather than Spot on.
 
artcasper said:
awww poor piggies :( that looks very sore.. I am new to being an owner and one of mine has a possible fungal / ringworm problem on her ear. i am no way an expert but if they try and sell you Genitrix Mycozole Antifungal Spray buy it from Amazon,/QUOTE]


I realise this is a helpful post - but on NO account go for the Gentrix home treatment spray..............No No No No No!
x
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