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My new baby has a scab

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MooMum

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Hi

I picked up 2, 6 week old males from a local (ish) breeder on Sunday. We've never kept Guinea Pigs before, so let the breeder do the talking and came away with our chosen, lovely little boys.

However, when I was cuddling one of them, I noticed a scab, probably the size of a 20p piece under his fur. You would never have noticed if you wern't physically petting it, iykwim. Anyway, the patch is bald, dry and black. Neither of the boys are scratching and both are eating very well and are very lively.

I've been onto my friend Google and at first, thought it could be mange mites. My husband has telephoned the breeder and she is adamant that it won't be, as "they have all been sprayed" (whatever that means). She has told us to but some Nizoral shampoo and try that.

I feel really gutted to be honest and I'm now worrying that it might be ringworm and frightened that the children might end up catching something. I just don't know what to do for the best.

Any suggestions? What should I do? :(
 
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As your boys are so young, i would advise taking them along to a vet for a proper diagnosis and the appropriate treatment. Ideally you wouldn't want to bath a guinea pig before they are 12wks old, unless under the advise of a qualified vet.

In the meantime i would treat this as suspected fungal/ringworm and take the appropriate steps to ensure it i not transferred to yourself or children - so keep handling to an absolute minimum and only when necessary, wash hands thoroughly before and after handling.

Good luck :)
 
It could be a number of things so it is really best to take them both to the vets for a check up. Sadly when getting guinea pigs breeders you can never be sure of their health. It is always best to adopt from a rescue.
 
What a horrible introduction to keeping guinea pigs.
I'm no expert at all so my reaction would be to take them to the vet.
I hope things work out ok for you and your little ones. Guinea pigs are such lovely pets. I'd hate to think this would put you off keeping them.
 
Sorry I missed some of your posts and also misread them. My head is spinning to be honest. What about the hutch? Will that have to be destroyed and start again if it is ringworm? I've read that the spores can linger for years.
 
Before you panic just take your little ones to the vet and find out what is wrong. It may not be ringworm.
 
MooMum said:
Sorry I missed some of your posts and also misread them. My head is spinning to be honest. What about the hutch? Will that have to be destroyed and start again if it is ringworm? I've read that the spores can linger for years.
Click to expand...

Because of their ages, it's far safer to get a proper diagnosis from a vet than trying to self-medicate when you are not entirely sure what you are dealing with.

Ive got no idea what can be done regarding your hutch and the cleaning of it (I'm sure the more experienced members will be along shortly) - i presume your boys are living outside? My pigs live indoor in cages and whenever ive had to deal with a skin condition i made sure i thoroughly disinfected the cages at each main cleanout (roughly every 3-4 days) - i used bedding that could be thrown away (such as newspaper) and used only disposable toys (such as cardboard houses/hideys) - water bottles and feeding dishes were disposed of/replaced once i was sure the infection/condition had cleared.

The most important thing right now is not to panic, i know you are in shock/distressed by the situation, but as others have said, at this moment in time you do not know what your boy(s) has/hasn't got yet
Keep us updated :)
 
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I agree, best to see a vet, could be any number of things, some of which could affect both, others not. Best to get a diagnoses before treating. Make sure you see a good piggie savvy vet.

x.
 
Just a thought, but is this patch above where the tail would be? If it is then it could be that you have found his grease gland. Have a look at this thread for more on how to deal

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?p=1261206#post1261206

But if not sure, go along to a vet. There is a sticky on here about how to find a cavy savvy vet (a lot of vets don't see that many and assume that they are like dogs/cats/rabbits - which they are not). If you tell us where you are, someone can probably recommend one.

Welcome to the forum - it's a great place to learn all about a wonderful pet.

HTH



And please please please next time, check out rescue piggies!
 
I wanted to find out what your problem was that you mentioned in your intro......
I'm really sorry to hear about your little one...
As all the lovely members have said, go to a good cavy vet and get him and his buddy checked out. Then i'd call the person you got them from and ask them to compensate for any bills !
Best of luck , keep us all posted on how you go. If you need advice for a vet let us know your approximate area :)
HUGS XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 
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