Nightmare! Please help!

[louiserose]

Hi,

Our guinea pig has been with Vedra for the last month and a half as he had a fungal infection but is still scratching even thought there's nothing wrong with him now. She seems to think the itching is in his head.

Because of this we've had to keep his tummy bandaged. We picked him up last week and have been changing his bandages regularly but this evening i heard him squeeking and he's managed to wriggle out of the last bandage i had. I don't want to put him back in it as he has wee'd on it and since he wriggled out of it he's scratched himself to pieces again.

I was supposed to go and get some more today but haven't been able to because of the snow

We've managed to make a temporary bandage out of an old soft sock and a cut up tshirt but he keeps wriggling out of it cause he's sore.

I've heard of people giving calpol to guinea pigs. Would this help? If so how much should i give him?

I don't know what to do at the moment

 

[flintstones]

Can you not contact Vedra or perhaps Laura at the Guinea Pig Helpline?

Failing that I would try GuineaLynx for some advice.

http://www.guinealynx.info/forums/index.php

Post in the Medical forum and let them know the full story and all the treatments maybe someone there has some experience or helpful information. It's also an American Site so alot more people will be awake.

 

[jelly_bean]

when my forst piggy wa itcy he had mirte, but evn after we got rid ofhtem he still thoguth hmm I'm itch. My mum put e45 on the bitty of him that didnt have cuts to help ease the itch. it a water bassed emoilment iol thing very skin friendly normaly used on people with exema and phoisis etc...

 

[Guinea-pigGaga]

May I enquire as to the treatment that your cavy has received, what concerns have been addressed, and ask that you expand on the diagnosis that the scratching ‘is in your boar’s head’?

 

[Laura-CCC4]

Oh no Louise, poor Snuggles. For his history, GP Gaga, read this thread: http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=57107

Pain relief, yes worth giving, I have not used infant Calpol though I know it is safe, dosage is 0.2ml 2x daily. The alternative, which I choose, is children's Nurofen, again dosage of 0.2ml 2x daily.

 

[ajb]

You could try bandaging his back feet so he can't use his claws.

 

[clairelove]

please have a look at my threads as i really know what your going through, its taken almost 3 mths to clear my guineas and he is now 98% better, here is all the stuff i have used and what worked and what wasnt along with pictures of each stage x

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=56392

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=58036

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=59038

the last stuff ive found which has done the trick is malaseb shampoo and the micropore on his feet to stop him scratching him self to bits x

 

[Guinea-pigGaga]

Thank you for the link, Laura. I am just wondering whether Snuggles' behaviour is actually psychological, or emotional.

The following quote is from the above link:

Vedra did say she distracted him for about an hour and he didn't scratch so i'm thinking with a lot of attention and some nice new toys he might forget about the scratching

How did Vedra distract him for an hour? I understand that you have had to separate Snuggles from his companion due to fighting? Perhaps, Snuggles' behaviour is an emotional response as he is earning companionship?

 

[clairelove]

some scratching can be from healing! scabs healing, hair regrowth this is why taping the back feet is a must to stop them harming themselfs or they will be back to sq 1 in minutes, also scratching can induce a fit if they are in pain from the itching is he on added vit c tablets in his water every day?x

 

[Laura-CCC4]

I think points raised by GP Gaga and Claire are well worth considering, especially on the companionship side of things - living directly neighbouring other pigs (so he can get nose to nose with them) would be better than no companionship.

I also agree that his skin may well be feeling irritated with hair regrowth and scabs healing - maybe even the initial tightness of the scarring, if he literally shredded his skin beyond what I saw of him.

Using micropore tape on the feet I've no experience of doing, but on raising the topic with Vedra she did say you have to go so carefully with that as it must not be done too tightly.

 

[louiserose]

Hi,

Sorry i haven't replied, we've just changed our broadband provider and haven't been able to go online >>>

I gave him 0.2 ml of nurofen and that seemed to settle him. He is still regularly managing to get out of his bandages but luckily i've noticed quickly each time and managed to bandage him up again before he could do more damage.

Vedra told me not to bandage his feet as it can be quite dangerous so i guess i shall just have to keep on as we are.

I would love to get him a companion but don't have the space for another cage and not sure how he'd get on with another male. I was advised by vedra that he would not survive being neutered so that isn't an option

I feel so sorry for him because he's such a lovely guinea pig

 

[louiserose]

I forgot to mention that he seems a lot happier today, he's currently sat on my lap munching on some carrot and having fusses and seems quite content.

I noticed that in one of the links sudocrem was used. Is this ok as it would set my mind at ease to try and avoid infection

 

[clairelove]

i dont know why it would be dangerous taping the feet Paul my rodentologist who has worked with vedra told me to do this and it defo worked brill, its just like putting a plaster on your nail it covers the nails and stops them from ripping them selfs a part ...

Rodney was the worst case of fungal ive ever seen and in soooo much pain, every time he scratched he fitted many, many times a day,i bandaged him loads but he still managed to get out of it and rip him self a part so the healing process would have to be started again.

taping the back feet stopped him doing damage to him self and the bandaged feet can also be dipped in aloe vera so when he does scratch he rubbed aloe vera on his open sores too.(helped to heal it)...

all paul said to me is change the tape every 2-3 days and just keep a check the feet dont feel damp with the tape been used.

he has worked with guineas in rodentologist for 20 yrs and helped some horrid cases so i defo trust him and what he told me to do worked as he is 99% better now.
its defo made a massive improvement as its also made it possible for his sores to dry out.

 

[christine]

How do youput the microtape on the feet ,I mean in what way . Round and then over the toes or what ? A drawing would help ,thanks.