I'm A New Owner And Theres Something Above My Pigs Eye. Please Help!

[thecoolestloser]

Ive only had my pigs for a week. Theyre two girls. I got them out for some floor time and I noticed one of them, Eddie has something above her eye. Shes a little more skittish than her cage mate Patsy so I havent been able to get a good look at it. Though it doesnt appear to be weeping at all, it seems dry and doesnt appear to be irritating her. This is the best pic I could get. Is this something a vet will need to look at or will it clear up on its own?

 

[Poppy'sMum]

Hi & welcome to the forum Has this only just appeared or was it there when you got her? Definitely a vet visit required, please take your other pig/s along too as it could be fungal Tagging @helen105281 for more advice.

 

[biscandmatt]

i can't see very clearly but it could possibly be a little patch of fungal if the hair is missing there. i'd get the vet to have a look

 

[Poppy'sMum]

If it's ringworm please don't let any children handle them as it's contagious. You should wash your hands thoroughly & use an apron & old clothes to handle them until you know what it is.

 

[GPTV]

Hi there & welcome to the forum as @Poppy'sMum has suggested it could be ringworm & very contagious (pig to human,human to pig, pig to pig transmittable)

have a look at this link & it should help to decide Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures

but take both of your piggies to the vet as if it is ringworm they will both need treatment. Helen has already been tagged & she is very experienced on fungal / ringworm issues. i know she's a bit busy collecting one of her guineas after medical treatment today so it may take a while for her to respond.
if a culture is taken i understand that Ringworm is the only fungal condition that will show, other types of fungal will not.

i have had no experience of it in my own pigs but other members seem to have successful treatment with Itrafungol and/or Imaverol dips.

Get them to the vets for proper diagnosis though as it will need treatment if its a different type of fungal & not ringworm anyway. if i remember rightly it will probably look worse before it gets better after treatment. so be prepared)

oh & if you got them from a pet store keep&copy the vets bills & if it was from a certain well known chain store in the UK they are usually pretty good at paying the veterinary bills in these cases. Go into the place you bought them & tell them you bought unhealthy pigs (mention the animal welfare act) . they need treatment & you expect them to pay. i would suggest you don't let them take the girls back to treat them, but do it yourself - you know its been done & it will be less stressful for the girls.
Stress is also a trigger for illnesses in guineas, just the rehoming process is enough to knock there immune system for six for a few weeks & makes them susceptible to conditions such as this, mites, lice, upper respiratory infections, etc.

But dont be put off, she looks like a gorgeous little bundle with the correct treatment & TLC she should recover fully in a few weeks

healing vibes from the girls & I. xx

 

[sport_billy]

looks like fungal to me, get her to the vets and they will be able to prescribe some cream. It will clear up in no time. but if left will get worse.

She is utterly gorgeous Let us know how you get on and welcome to the forum.

Could you add your location to your profile also? We have a recommended vets finder here Guinea Pig Vet Locator

 

[thecoolestloser]

Thanks for all the help guys, its really appreciated! The earliest Ive been able to get in is Monday. But hopefully they can help.
I'm getting a bit worried as they havent poked their little heads out from their little 'room' all day and havent touched any of the veggies Ive put out... =\

 

[thecoolestloser]

Actually, panic over theyve come out to say hello, and theyre at lesst eatinnthe hey... maybe theu just didnt fancy the veggies before.

 

[helen105281]

I haven't got anything to add to the advice above really. If it is Ringworm the most effective treatment is the oral medication Itrafungol and you can also use Imaverol dips. Both treat the whole pig and not just the affected area which stops it spreading.

 

[thecoolestloser]

Hi all! Sorry for the late reply, the last week has been a bit manic.
Just a little update, I took them to the vets and he gave them some ati fungal stuff, which started workingstraight away, and its looking a lot better!

Thank you all so much for your advice! =)