Immunocompromised Guinea Pig?

[Ste11a]

Hi all, I have a sweet 3 year old male Peruvian named Ghost. He is the absolute sweetest boy and I love him to death. However, I am beginning to wonder if he is immunocompromised in some way. When he was 6 months old, he developed a URI which we caught super early and was quickly treated with antibiotics, at a year and a half old he got fungal feet (essentially athletes foot but for piggies) which I could only treat by bleaching and heat sanitizing all his bedding for a few weeks, no topical applications worked, but it hasn't come back.

Now, he is facing recurrent cheilitis, that, despite a weeklong course of antibiotics prescribed by a vet, still came back. I have tried applying Neosporin thrice daily and it subsides, but the minute I scale back or miss a dose it comes back with a fierceness.

Dental issues are ruled out, fungal infection has been ruled out, and tomatoes have been removed from his diet for months. He shows complete remission on antibiotics, and hasn't had any digestive issues. The cheilitis itself doesn't bother him in the least unless I remove a scab to apply ointment, but it seems to hurt when I do.

The vet suggested that he may be immunocompromised and suggested he stay on antibiotics for the rest of his life. He doesn't mind taking them, and if it improves his quality of life I am all in, but I just wanted to reach out here and ask if anyone else has had a piggie in the same boat and if he is immunocompromised, what else I should be aware of to keep him from getting sick in other ways.

Thank you all so much

 

[piggieminder]

Bump

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome

I am very sorry about your problems. To be honest, a compromised immune system is a bit of a difficult one.

There are guinea pigs who can have a weaker immune system; they are thankfully not very common but that is no consolation when you are dealing with a difficult to control stream of issues which most piggies can fend off with the help of their immune system.
Unfortunately, there is no research and mostly only episodal experience so we cannot really help you.

My Nye (who was a last minute breeder's extra on top of two surrenders) did have life-long issue with a mange mites reservoir in his skin, 'teddy skin' (breed related hair loss) and he also had hay mites as well at his arrival, which took several attempts to get rid of. That is the closest I have personally ever come to a piggy with a weaker than average immune system.

Permanent antibiotics can come with the risk of resistancy, so no vet will prescribe them lightly. But it sounds like they have closed out the other potential avenues for cheilitis so this is the next logical step if it is keeping the cheilitis down.

@furryfriends (TEAS) I think it was you who dealt with cheilitis scabs topically? Dratted compromised memory!

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

Hi and welcome

I am very sorry about your problems. To be honest, a compromised immune system is a bit of a difficult one.

There are guinea pigs who can have a weaker immune system; they are thankfully not very common but that is no consolation when you are dealing with a difficult to control stream of issues which most piggies can fend off with the help of their immune system.
Unfortunately, there is no research and mostly only episodal experience so we cannot really help you.

My Nye (who was a last minute breeder's extra on top of two surrenders) did have life-long issue with a mange mites reservoir in his skin, 'teddy skin' (breed related hair loss) and he also had hay mites as well at his arrival, which took several attempts to get rid of. That is the closest I have personally ever come to a piggy with a weaker than average immune system.

Permanent antibiotics can come with the risk of resistancy, so no vet will prescribe them lightly. But it sounds like they have closed out the other potential avenues for cheilitis so this is the next logical step if it is keeping the cheilitis down.

@furryfriends (TEAS) I think it was you who dealt with cheilitis scabs topically? Dratted compromised memory!

We have always used Itrafungol to treat cheilitis. It has cleared it up very successfully and quickly! In fact one of our piggies was seen at the vets yesterday and prescribed itrafungol for cheilitis.

 

[Wiebke]

We have always used Itrafungol to treat cheilitis. It had cleared it up very successfully and quickly! In fact one of our piggies was seen at the vets yesterday and prescribed itrafungol for cheilitis.

Thanks! Itrafungol is a systemic antifungal UK brand with the active ingredient itraconazole. You may need to ask your vet for a comparable US product.

But in view of life-long antibiotics, it may be worth a try even if fungal has been excluded.
TEAS sanctuary looks after very ill and dental piggies so they are the place with the most practical experience.

 

[Merab]

Just want to offer support