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Is This Fungal?

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Beans&Toast

Beans&Toast

Adult Guinea Pig
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I've just noticed this on Toast's nose (it's much less obvious in normal daylight, the flash makes it easier to see)

A bald patch on her nose and when I move the hairs away it looks like little white scab on her underneath...


Is there any point separating Beans now? Can/will Beans get it? Should I get an appointment for tomorrow and what is the usual treatment if it is fungal?


Can this be stress related? Their cage is cleaned twice a week and is kept spotless thought out the day so I don't get how she could get a fungal infection?
It's just one thing after another with Toast...
20161227_202025.webp 20161227_202543.webp
If you zoom in on the second one you can see what looks like a flaky scab...
 
It is difficult to say really (poor old Toast).
But if i is fungal it looks pretty mild, and for Eddi's recent case of mild fungal I just had to rub a cream into the affected area twice a day (it was on his bottom, so he didn't love it, but it worked).
He was never separated from the girls, and only he was treated, and none of them got it.
They are an established group and have had no recent upsets, they get regular cage cleans, and an optimal diet, just like your girls. So I felt awful that Eddi had somehow got fungal.
But the vet said sometimes it has an obvious cause (neglect, stress, poor housing, etc) and sometimes it just happens, even when a guinea pig is kept in optimal conditions.
So I guess it is one of those things.
I personally am not an expert, but I wouldn't separate the girls, and would just make a routine appointment for Toast at the vet.
 
Thanks. I'll phone in the morning.

Would it make sense to wait until tomorrow when I've had her seen to before fully disinfecting the cage?

I think I'm going to take Beans to the vet to just to get her checked too.


I have a feeling it's stress. She's had bloat and cystitis for months now, very intense the past few weeks and she's been put on medication for stress. It doesn't take much to upset her, for example if someone she doesn't recognise comes to the house she gets so stressed and bloated and she tops eating.
 
I can't say much on whether it is stress or fungal, but if she gets upset by the smallest things, I would wait on disinfecting the cage until she has been seen and has the medication she needs (if she gets one that is). You will want to stress her out as little as possible, so limiting the amount of times you disinfect the cage would help her out.

I hope she gets better!
 
I phoned the vets but they only have an appointment for 11am today and I've got to take my mum to a doctors appointment at 12 so it's cutting it too close incase the vets are running late.

Is an appointment for tomorrow leaving it too late? I'm so worried about it spreading/getting worse or Beans getting it
 
Thanks. I'm not sure I'd be confident enough to use something over the counter first though just incase it's not fungal? I've got an appointment tomorrow. Is there any medication that should be avoided for fungal treatment? I've not got my normal vet as he's all booked up, the one I've got is very good but he's more specialised in reptiles and birds
 
My girls both had a little mark like that a while back, I cleaned them with warm damp tissue & it hasn't come back, I now realise it wasn't fungal, it's where they reach down to get their poops, it was leaving a brown stripe ahem :whistle: x
 
Beans&Toast said:
Thanks. I'm not sure I'd be confident enough to use something over the counter first though just incase it's not fungal? I've got an appointment tomorrow. Is there any medication that should be avoided for fungal treatment? I've not got my normal vet as he's all booked up, the one I've got is very good but he's more specialised in reptiles and birds
Click to expand...

Oh no, I would never advise to treat on spec. I do think though that Toast will be fine until she sees a vet tomorrow :)
 
Poppy'sMum said:
My girls both had a little mark like that a while back, I cleaned them with warm damp tissue & it hasn't come back, I now realise it wasn't fungal, it's where they reach down to get their poops, it was leaving a brown stripe ahem :whistle: x
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Oh lovely! :P I thought it might be that but there's definitely a red mark with a white scab :doh:
 
Could be mild fungal, don't panic. If it's confirmed as fungal it should clear up with some topical treatment. Surolan ear drops are anti fungal and my vet has prescribed this when poppet came to me with fungal spots on her nose, beside her eye and her ears, it worked a treat.

She'll be fine until tomorrow x
 
So just back from the vets, I couldn't get my normal piggy vet as he's only on evening consultations today so had to go with another one.

He had a look at Toast's nose and said he doesn't think it's ringworm but they can do a test to clarify this if it gets any worse.

He said given that it's so small he wouldn't want to go with any anti fungal things like Surolan and instead suggested using a small amount of Sudacrem for a few days and see if it improves/gets worse/stays the same.

I'm no expert but I don't feel great about using Sudacrem as opposed to an anti fungal? Does anyone have any experience with this?
 
Not treating it with anti fungal cream at this stage is reasonable if they don't think it's fungal.

Personally in this situation I just wouldn't apply anything to it rather than use sudocream. If it starts to scab or develop blood spots/raw marks like ringworm then I'd take her back at that stage and have them prescribe suitable treatment.

Just keep an eye on it until then x
 
Adelle said:
Not treating it with anti fungal cream at this stage is reasonable if they don't think it's fungal.

Personally in this situation I just wouldn't apply anything to it rather than use sudocream. If it starts to scab or develop blood spots/raw marks like ringworm then I'd take her back at that stage and have them prescribe suitable treatment.

Just keep an eye on it until then x
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That's the thing though, it is red and has a small white scab... could that be something other than fungal then?
 
Beans&Toast said:
That's the thing though, it is red and has a small white scab... could that be something other than fungal then?
Click to expand...

Sorry I didn't realise. If it doesn't go away on its own with no treatment just take her back again and ask to try the surolan. The minute u see it spreading just go straight back. I still wouldn't use sudocream as it will stop the air getting to it but that's just what I would do if it where mine x
 
So Toast's nose hasn't got any better or any worse. It doesn't seem to have spread but does look more noticeable. Her behaviour hasn't changed and whatever it is doesn't seem to be bothering her, do I take her back to the vets or just see how it goes? Don't want to be back and forth at the vets with her if I can avoid it as she's only just got over a flare of bloat from the stress of being there last week..
 
I would just keep an eye on it, if they wouldn't give you any fungal treatment the first time they probably won't this time either. Because she's so stressy id only take her back if it gets worse x
 
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