Is this a fungal infection?

[torieraa]

Hi all,

You may have read my previous thread in a different section...

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=50442&highlight=cardiff

But to cut a long story short, I saw a piggie with a bald patch around his mouth in a local pet store and was then given it for free by the owner in order to take him home and hopefully cure him. I've been told that the bald patch is probably a fungal infection but just thought I'd run it past you guys too. Here's a piccy of him....

Do you think that it could be a fungal infection? I've been treating him with Lavendar & Myrrh Lotion from Gorgeous Guineas for the last 2 days and it seems to have moistened it a lot. Is this the correct treatment or would you suggest something else?

Thanks in advance

 

[slackalice2k]

I'm not sure whether it may be recovering fungal or ringworm, so I'm bumping this up with the hope that somebody can help you.

The only ringworm I've seen is on cows so I have no idea what it looks like on piggies.

So bumping it up.

 

[katiepops]

Contact Chrissie at Gorgeous Guineas and send the photo, I'm sure she'll be able to advise on the best thing to use.

 

[Pebble]

It looks like possibly a fungal infection but doesn;from the photo show the classic signs of ringworm which is normally a white powdery patch that sloughs off suddenly to leave an open sore which scabs over. Having said that, perahps this is a ringworm "stage further on" because you didn;t have piggie during the classic signs

Personally on this one, (bearing in mind I am a qualified microbiologist rolleyes) and taking into account your piggies history, I would be inclined to play it safe and go to the vet to get a culture done in order to find out for certain if it is fungal or bacterial and identify the actual bug to ensure the appropriate antibiotic can be used.

If it is fungal , then oral griseofulvin (prescribed by my vet for the whole herd during a ringworm outbreak) completely cured the problem. If it is bacterial then I would suggest a topical application such as Polyvax (polymixin B and Bacitracin - I have been prescribed this for Gingers chronic surgical wound to great effect.

If it is fungal, an oral rather than topical treatment would also knock out anything that might be systemic (ie also inside the body rather than just localised on the skin) so again, in view of piggie history, I would opt for this rather than a topical treatment.

(Might be useful to print out this post and take it to your vet as most of these meds are off license and you may need to reassure your vet that these meds have been tried and tested successfully by other vets for the same condition)

Topical antifungals for "spot treatement" include Surolan (vet prescription - I used this for a one-off limite area fungal infection earlier this year on one pig) and for the odd suspect spot I have in the past used Savlon dry iodine antiseptic spray to good effect. (However you have to be very careful to shield piggies eyes and nostrils when you spray these topical treatments (and hope they don;t move suddenly!))

HTH

Good luck....and well done for rescuing him. He is a gorgeous boy

x

 

[Laura-CCC4]

If it is fungal , then oral griseofulvin (prescribed by my vet for the whole herd during a ringworm outbreak) completely cured the problem.

Just wanting to add to this, griseofulvin is effective by all accounts but an effective alternative is Itrafungol (itraconazole). Griseofulvin should be administered with a carrier oil as well (e.g. 0.3ml Oil of Evening Primrose)

I think things are mostly covered here. I always learn so much from you Pebble!

 

[torieraa]

Hello, my fiancee posted this thread and contacted GG who confirmed it was fungal. He sooo doesn't trust me to get things right, stupid man.

Anyway GG confirmed it is fungal as originally suspected. I have been treating Christopher since Wednesday when I picked him up from that smelly vet and his hair is starting to re-grow already and his face doesn't look so sore and dry anymore.

He is eating and drinking lots. He has a cracking pair of lungs on him and spends a lot of time sitting on top of his little cardboard house looking into Gizmo and Nigel's cage.

My original plan was to put him up for adoption when he was better but i don't think my other half will be letting that happen any time soon as he is already obsessed with him and talks about him all the time. So it looks like I'll have to go shopping for a bigger cage!

 

[Carly and co]

Hi
Ive just treated my Guinea Pig for Ringworm and it was in exactly the same place as your pigs. i think i got to mine early as it was just white and crusty without loosing any hair or the redness, my buttercup had it on her ear also. i was prescribed Mycozole by my vet which has more or less done the trick, ive been treating her for a week now and she just has a little left. xx