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Hypothermia?

Incredipigs

Incredipigs

Teenage Guinea Pig
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This morning (about 12:00) my dog was scraping and staring at the old paddling pool in the garden (its in a heap next to a bush) I thought their was probably a frog under it but when I lifted it up I found Toff. She was hunched, had lost most of the hair on her back, and was stiff. I reckon she escaped the run last night and got stuck underneath the paddling pool which meant she'd been under there all night. I must of miscounted the piggies when I fed them as I was in a rush as I was in bare foot (as I couldn't find my shoes) and I was really cold. I did a rough piggie count, fed them checked water, hay, straw, then ran back inside.
I feel absolutely awful, I can't even describe how much I hate myself at the moment.
As soon as I found Toff I wrapped her in a towel and offered her some dandelions and carrot which she wouldn't touch so I syringe fed her some mashed up pellets.
Her back is almost completely hairless, I'm guessing from where the damp plastic has rubbed against her all night. I've been constantly rubbing coconut oil on it.
I've set up a comfy indoor cage for her with lots of hay, straw and veggies. She's moving around a little bit more now and she's eaten some grass and cucumber. She seems to be getting better slowly, if she gets any worse I will take her to the vets.
I feel so awful.
Any tips to help her recover quickly or make her hair grow back faster?
 
Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry that happened! What you’ve done so far is all I believe you can do other then take her to the vet. I have heard that vitamin C is benificial for hair growth in cavies, however I would still seek help from a professional
 
Oh what a shock and awful time you have both had. I would take her to the vet and keep her warm. Have you got a snugglesafe you could pop her on? Pop her in a box of hay too that will help keep her warm. Keep syringe feeding her too but don't forget the water to keep her hydrated. Let us know how you get on!
 
What a shock! Don’t worry too much though!
Just take to the vet as soon as possible and consider getting a hot water bottle at filling it with warm water. She should be okay , provide her with fresh food and water and lots of hay . Hope she’s ok
 
Hair can't be made to grow back faster, it'll come back in it's own time unfortunately.

As she's had such a dramatic experience I would very much recommend a trip to the vet. They'll be able to check for any early signs of problems caused by the night outside.
 
Poor piggy. Hope she gets well soon. What a shock for her. And for you too.

You need to check your run to find out how she got out so that you can prevent further escapes.
 
What a horrible thing to have happened.
Please don’t feel guilty - it was simply a mistake and you are doing everything to help her.
I agree with the suggestions others have made, especially the vet trip.
Fur does grow back in its own time
Keep us posted
 
Incredipigs said:
This morning (about 12:00) my dog was scraping and staring at the old paddling pool in the garden (its in a heap next to a bush) I thought their was probably a frog under it but when I lifted it up I found Toff. She was hunched, had lost most of the hair on her back, and was stiff. I reckon she escaped the run last night and got stuck underneath the paddling pool which meant she'd been under there all night. I must of miscounted the piggies when I fed them as I was in a rush as I was in bare foot (as I couldn't find my shoes) and I was really cold. I did a rough piggie count, fed them checked water, hay, straw, then ran back inside.
I feel absolutely awful, I can't even describe how much I hate myself at the moment.
As soon as I found Toff I wrapped her in a towel and offered her some dandelions and carrot which she wouldn't touch so I syringe fed her some mashed up pellets.
Her back is almost completely hairless, I'm guessing from where the damp plastic has rubbed against her all night. I've been constantly rubbing coconut oil on it.
I've set up a comfy indoor cage for her with lots of hay, straw and veggies. She's moving around a little bit more now and she's eaten some grass and cucumber. She seems to be getting better slowly, if she gets any worse I will take her to the vets.
I feel so awful.
Any tips to help her recover quickly or make her hair grow back faster?
Click to expand...

Hi! You must be so relieved to have found Toff alive.

Please have Toff vet checked as soon as you can, she may have had an encounter with a fox or cat and be in shock rather than just cold.
Keep her warm and comfy, but not hot and offer her additional syringe feed (again warm, but not hot; mushed up pellets will do in an emergency); place hay nearby, it should make over 80% of the daily food intake. Hay is also a good insulator, so a heap of soft hay to hide in also a good way of warming up. Have you got a microwaveable snugglesafe (heated to half strength) or some soft fleece? Move her best friend in with her; company is the best de-stresser for a group animal like her.

Like with humans, hair will grow back in its own time; there is nothing you can do speed it on. It should be back within a month or so.

Please check carefully how a piggy of your could have escaped. Do not let your piggies free roam unsupervised in the garden or a run that is not ground and aerial predator-safe. It is very easy to overlook a single piggy in a larger herd as I know myself! You always feel bad when something happens. Please make sure that Toff could not have been kidnapped and that you whole set-up and routine is safe. You can never undo any freak incidents, but you can make absolutely sure that they won't happen again. ;)
 
I've just made a little discovery...

In my first post I put that I found her at about 12:00 which I've just realised was completely wrong. I must have found her at about 2:40 as my mum was leaving to do the school run.

I've just found this picture:
In this picture you can see Toff looking healthy with all her hair.

IMG_20180501_103042.webp

Now look when this picture was taken:

IMG_20180503_011159.webp

This was taken at 10:30 on the same day I found Toff...

Which means she couldn't have been out all night, she could have only been out for 4 hours or less, which I guess is still quite a while but not as long as the whole night.

So how did she loose her hair so quickly?
 
She could have possibly rubbed against something during or after her escape, either that or she could have mites, which can be treated with ivermectin. Though I'm not sure that mites can cause fur loss that quickly.
Good to know that she's doing a little better ❤❤
 
Glad it wasn’t as bad as you first feared.
A vet check will tell you if there’s an underlying problem that caused the fur loss
 
I've ordered some mite treatment which should come today and I've also ordered some fungal treatment as well just in case :tu:
 
All the best! Please make sure that you allow at least 48 hours between any skin application so it can be absorbed fully and get to work optimally.
 
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