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My Poor Mali

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Mali's Mum

Mali's Mum

Junior Guinea Pig
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Feb 18, 2014
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Location
Stirling, Scotland
Hi guys, just checked on the wee ones before bed and I noticed this on Mali's back? I've been around all night and not heard him squeal- do you think his Mrs could have nicked him if he has been annoying her? She usually just head butts him away. I've checked cage for sharp edges etc. image.webp My poor baby....
 
Oh that looks sore. It is a possibility, have you seen him biting at himself of scratching though?
 
He does bite himself around his paws and has a scratch every now and again but nothing out of the ordinary. I was thinking he could have scratched himself but as it's in the middle of his back he couldn't reach x
 
Wounds like these are usually self-inflicted and certainly not from a well-bonded companion, especially not from a sow. It could be the beginning of mites or fungal.
 
Wiebke said:
Wounds like these are usually self-inflicted and certainly not from a well-bonded companion, especially not from a sow. It could be the beginning of mites or fungal.
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Oh no- there wasn't a scratch on him about two hours ago. I am very vigilant with his grooming. What do
I do? X
 
I was thinking the same as Wiebke. Best to get a vet apppointment. If mange mites are diagnosed then he will be treated with Ivermectin. The most effective form is a course of 3 injections as it goes straight into the bloodstream.

If it is fungal please note that if the vet tries to culture it, the only type of fungal that would show up is ringworm. However there are lots of types of fungal, one in particular that is rife at the moment is Candida which can track up from the gut and is caused by humid conditions, a compromised immune system or a diet that is high in grains and sugars. A friend recently had all of her pigs come down with Candidiasis within hours and it is most likely due to the weather.
 
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Oh no- that sounds nasty. I'll check on him and Aspen in the morning to make sure there is no nasty surprises waiting in them. Will phone the Vet first thing. You think your doing the best for your wee angels then this happens :( x
 
Don't blame yourself, these things can literally happen out of the blue.
 
It is a possibility that Aspen could get it yes. If it is mites or fungal and it is not treated then yes he could if he is biting at himself.
 
Will get her booked in at the vets as well. I wouldn't have thought he could have bit/ scratched himself in the middle of his back - he must be quite flexible. This is maybe a better photo, is wee face is at the left of the photo ximage.webp
 
It does seem a difficult spot to reach, but I have seen my pigs do it. If you gently tug the hair does it come out easily?

The vet may think otherwise and confirm it is not a skin condition but it is best to get it checked in case.
 
Thanks for taking the time to answer all my questions. Much appreciated. One thing I can say for sure is his hair doesn't fall out easily. It grows so fast that he gets a bum bath and hair cut every two weeks otherwise he can't see past his fringe and stands on his fur x
 
It's a good sign that it doesn't come out easily. In which case if it is something skin related I would think mange mites.
 
Hi all,

Off we went to the vet yesterday (Apex Vets in Denny, Scotland) - Glenn Hodgson really is brilliant with Guinea's).

When Glen first saw Mali he said it looks like classic mange mites. He then gave him the once over and felt confused as there was no other symptoms and he wasn't scratching/biting himself etc. We had a chat and he suggested that I keep an eye on him (he said that's what he would do if Mali was his) and see how his wound looks in 7 days and if it heals it is just an injury if not he put a note on Mali's file of the treatment he would need.

He did say that Mali is a fatty and he needs to go on a diet :eek: (he weighed 1400g!) so I will need to gradually reduce their nuggets/ treats, which he isn't going to like:td:

Thanks for all your help! :love::love:
 
Hey,

Just thought id show you Mali's wound a week on...

Mali healing.webp

It looks to me like its healing but always appreciate a second opinion!

Thanks as always! :)
 
Just wanted to say a big thank you to @helen105281 and @Wiebke - Mali and Myself were back at the vets yesterday as his skin broke out again.
They agreed it may be fungal/mites so prescribed (inver -something :doh:) drops to put on the back of both Guinea Pigs necks once every two weeks for 6 weeks to kill whatever's there. If no improvement in the next two weeks they want to take hair/skin samples for tests.

If you both hadn't suggested a skin problem I may not have been keeping an eye on him so much so would not have got him the help he needed.

If you think of anything I can do please let me know - we spent 5 hours last night cleaning their cage and washing everything they may have touched!

Thank you again!

Love Mali and Aspen and Myself xxxxx
 
Wishing poor Mali all the best! An interval course of 3-4 rounds with an ivermectin product is the regular treatment for mites. The first two courses usually take out any mites while the later rounds take care of any emerging eggs. ;)

Skin problem can often be puzzling when they are either clearly fungal, mites or microbial; I have been through my own share of them.
 
Glad you have seen the vet and they are treating for mites.

If it turns out to be fungal, he will need different treatment, ideally Imaverol dips. Hopefully it is mites and not fungal though.
 
helen105281 said:
Glad you have seen the vet and they are treating for mites.

If it turns out to be fungal, he will need different treatment, ideally Imaverol dips. Hopefully it is mites and not fungal though.
Click to expand...

Thanks Helen!

Do you know how will it will take until I notice if the medication is the right one or not?
 
The Ivermectin should kick in fairly quickly, however, injections are more effective for mange mites than spot on.

It does look more like mange mites to me than fungal as I can see broken hairs, however, I am just concerned that in this weather if it is a fungal infection (could even be both) and it is left untreated it will get worse. If it were my pig I would probably treat with Imaverol dips as a precaution but they would need to be at least 48 hours after any Ivermectin dose.

http://www.hyperdrug.co.uk/Enilconazole-100mg_ml-100ml-Imaverol/productinfo/ENILCON

If you are unsure please let your vet know what I have said. Imaverol (or Enilconazole which it is sold as) is non prescription only, but I know you will want your vet to agree to any treatment.
 
Thanks for that- will def buy some. Wish you were Mali's vet!

Here he is today about 15 hours after the XENO 450 was applied ( I'm reading of the vet bill) the open skin wasn't there last night.

image.webp image.webp image.webp I He is eating happily but grooming himself a lot. Hope he gets some relief soon is there anything else I can buy to help? X
 
Is the open skin from him scratching and biting at himself? I have an idea which I will message you about shortly.
 
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