Mites, Fungal, Or Just Dry Skin?

[StarSapphire22]

So I've had my young boar for not quite a week. When we brought him home I noticed a scab on his rump. I assumed he got nipped by another pig and didn't think much of it. Now that he's less afraid and exploring/letting us handle him, I've noticed while petting him that there have been a handfil of other scabby things on his skin...the one on his rump is definitely dried blood, a typical red-colored scab. It's not inflamed or anything, and it does appear to be healing. But these others (coincidentally all found where his skin is black) are all black, perhaps some kind of growth or scaling? They feel just like scabs to the touch. I've done a good deal of googling and learned about mites and fungal infections, and thought perhaps with the stress of a new home/coming from a pet store that might be it, but I'm not entirely convinced it's either of those. There's no significant hair loss (just regular shedding), no bald patches, no loose dandruff or flaking, no scaley sections to his skin (other than these few scabby things), his eyes, ears, and nose are clean and clear, and the rest of his skin is soft/smooth/clear. He is active, responsive, perky, has a good appetite and drinks water. I do notice him itching now and then, and once or twice a day he has these itching fits which last a few minutes...but other than that, I honestly itch more often than he does. Honestly other than these weird scabby things on his skin, he appears to be perfectly healthy. He doesn't have many. 4 or 5 of them were loose and came out with a few hairs attached. There's only about 3ish left, I think.

So, I guess I'm not really sure how to proceed. Going to a vet right now isn't financially possible unless we take advantage of the pet store's warranty, but that requires leaving him in their custody until treatment is over, and I don't want him sitting in a room of sick animals for weeks on end receiving bare minimum of care. I'm not even sure it's worth a vet trip, or if he just has dry skin or is reacting to the bedding (care fresh) or something else that could be home remedied or solved by a change to his environment/diet.

If you need any other info, just ask. If I can get pictures of the scabby things later I will but he is squirrelly. I do have some photos from yesterday though, so you can see his overall appearance. Any opinions or suggestions are appreciated.

 

[StarSapphire22]

So at this point, I've applied a small amount of VCO coconut oil to his skin, figuring it will at minimum help soothe itching and, if it is fungal, help with that.

I'm not seeing him get any more scabby things (yet, will keep monitoring). I'm wondering if maybe they are just actually old scabs from an aggressive former cagemate. They are primarily on his cheek/shoulders/hindquarters. He does have one on his tummy. My cats have spats sometimes, and I know I have found similar flaking scabs from where someone got swiped at, hair attached to it and all, and old scabs can be itchy....

 

[DM030819]

I would recommend a vet visit but as you're not financially able to then you can only keep a very close eye on him for now.

 

[Swissgreys]

I am sorry but it sounds like he really needs to see a vet.
I understand why you are reluctant to take him, but if he does have mites (and a lot of the symptoms you describe do point to that) he will be in severe discomfort as the mites burrow into his skin. If left untreated this can eventually cause seizures.
Mites are present on a guinea pig all the time, but during periods of stress they can overwhelm a guinea pigs normal immune response and increase in numbers causing some of the symptoms you are seeing. So this is not unusual for a guinea pig who has just moved from the high stress environment of a pet store to a new home.

If it were me I would take him to the pet store vet, but say you feel unable to leave him there as the increased stress from another new environment is likely to make the problem worse. Obviously the vet will be aware of this, and would only want to do what is in the best interests of your guinea pig (of course he probably won't have a clue, but treat him as if he does know, and then he might be too embarrassed to say he didn't know).
Print out some literature to take with you, and ask for treatment which you can give at home.
In this case it will probably be drops which need to be applied to the back of his neck.

There is some good information here:

Guinea Lynx :: Parasites

Good luck - I hope your boy feels better soon.

 

[StarSapphire22]

I am sorry but it sounds like he really needs to see a vet.
I understand why you are reluctant to take him, but if he does have mites (and a lot of the symptoms you describe do point to that) he will be in severe discomfort as the mites burrow into his skin. If left untreated this can eventually cause seizures.
Mites are present on a guinea pig all the time, but during periods of stress they can overwhelm a guinea pigs normal immune response and increase in numbers causing some of the symptoms you are seeing. So this is not unusual for a guinea pig who has just moved from the high stress environment of a pet store to a new home.

If it were me I would take him to the pet store vet, but say you feel unable to leave him there as the increased stress from another new environment is likely to make the problem worse. Obviously the vet will be aware of this, and would only want to do what is in the best interests of your guinea pig (of course he probably won't have a clue, but treat him as if he does know, and then he might be too embarrassed to say he didn't know).
Print out some literature to take with you, and ask for treatment which you can give at home.
In this case it will probably be drops which need to be applied to the back of his neck.

There is some good information here:

Guinea Lynx :: Parasites

Good luck - I hope your boy feels better soon.

Thank you so much for such a thorough response!

I just want to be sure we're on the same page because you said "a lot of the symptoms I'm seeing" and the only symptom I'm seeing is these scabby things. I've read through multiple sources of literature on mites and fungal infections, including guinea lynx which was super helpful! I'm stumped because I'm not seeing any other symptoms or a worsening in his condition. Most of the scabs have come off and he doesn't appear to be getting new ones (at least yet). Do you still think it's mites, or could they just be old scabs from a bully pig or perhaps old mite flareup?

Unfortunately if I take him to the store, it's literally just dropping him off at the store, and then the pet store gets to make the call if he goes to the vet and handles everything. I don't get to be present at the appointment, and it's a corporate policy that he stays in the store's quarantine room until treatment is finished.

 

[StarSapphire22]

Not a great picture, but here's one of the scabs I pulled off. Its very thin, parts of it are so thin it is almost seethrough. The roots of the hair go through to the underside.

It is very very tiny, not nearly as big as this photo makes it look.



Good news is, we had a very thorough snuggle session tonight, and I think that is the last one. I couldn't feel anything else unusual, and there's still no other symptoms or unusual hair loss. He was very active this evening and ate/pooped what felt like an entire week's worth today.