Loss Ho Hair On New Guinea

[Elsa and Jewel]

Hi All, I am now to both guinea pigs and this forum so Hello!
We got 2 guinea pigs from a breeder on Friday after waiting a long time to re home from a rescue center and gave up waiting. Anyway we have 2 females now 8 and 9 weeks who have been together since 4 weeks and get on very well together. Although shy to start they are now getting used to being handled and settling in and eating very well. Yesterday I noticed a scab and patch of missing hair below they eye of our 9 week old. she seems well in herself and does not appear to be scratching. I have taken a picture I just cant work out how to post it?
I am thinking she has caught herself or scratched herself, my plan is to clean regularly with salt water to reduce risk of infection? Any advice gratefully received.
Thanks Helen

 

[sport_billy]

Hi Helen,

Welcome to the forum

This thread shows how to post photos https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/how-to-post-photos.112751/

But I going to preempt this by recommending a vets visit, Piggies can get fungal infections and these often present as a scab or crustiness with a bald patch. Fungal often effects the face area. The early you catch things the better and they often clear up with relevant cream.

Could you add your location to your profile? It lets us tailor any advice to your location. We have a recommended vets locator here https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/pages/guinea-pig-vet-locator/

Lee

 

[Elsa and Jewel]

Thanks I have worked it out, just booked to take her to the vet later.

 

[sport_billy]

Yup, I'd say that is fungal by the looks of it - notice the white around the scab?

Please let us know how she gets on, well done for acting quick on this

 

[Elsa and Jewel]

Will do, fingers crossed its a quick fix, and not too costly. thank you

 

[Wiebke]

It looks like the beginning of a fungal infection, likely to be highly infectious ringworm.

Please see a pigy savvy vet. You will need to treat both piggies to prevent your second one from coming down with it. I would not separate.
Here are our tips on how to be best deal with the outbreak: https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/ringworm-hygiene-and-pictures.115402/

 

[Elsa and Jewel]

the vet thinks its just a scratch, but has taken some hair for cultures to see if anything develops. fingers crossed.

 

[Wiebke]

We have got a piggy savvy vet locator on the top bar for our UK members.

In case it is ringworm/fungal (and it looks very like it is; have a look at the pictures in my link!), please follow the hygiene tips re. handling and disinfection in the link I have given you in my previous post, so you can hopefully avoid infecting yourself with it. You should see the infected area become noticeably bigger over the next few days. Because ringworm is painfully itchy, especially in the growing "ring" area, it often starts as a scratch. The white scales you see next to the scratch are typical for fungal infections.

 

[Freela]

I see the scratch, but their loss and scaly skin does look like a fungal infection to me. Since fungal infections can itch, scratches/bites (depending on the location of the lesion) can occur at the same time.