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Patch Of Fur Missing From Chest

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1GuineaPig1

1GuineaPig1

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Today I was giving Bacon a small check-up, and I noticed a patch of fur missing from his chest. I took him to my mother. She felt it, and thankfully it wasn't a bump, a rash, bloody, or a bug/flea bite. We suspected he had been rubbing his chest against something in the cage, but I can't be sure of what it might be. I checked Eggs, and nothing is wrong with him.
Bacon has the same appetite, same activity. There is nothing wrong with him. No bloating or crusty eyes/nostrils. He seems perfectly fine, so that is why we suspected that he is rubbing it on something.
He might be stressed. I was wondering that before I brought him to my mother. I think he may be stressed because his cage is so small, but thankfully I am getting a C&C cage for Christmas.
My questions:
What could it be?
If he is rubbing it on something, what could it be?
Any other advice?
Thank you in advance, any advice welcome.
 
Perhaps you could post a photo for some of our experienced UK members to see when they wake up. It could be fungal or mites & a vet visit might be in order. I have 2 boys who share the same cage but only one of them gets ill with UTIs. The only indication of a UTI is the odd grunt I catch when he is toileting. You would never know by his appetite or behaviour that there is something wrong with him. I think by the time a piggy shows distress things may have gotten very serious. So, while Bacon seems to be fine otherwise, a missing patch of fur could be the start of something needing vet attention.
 
Yes a photo would definitely help if you could post one. There are many reasons for hairloss, and it may be that you need to take him to the vets for a proper diagnosis if it is not a case of the hair rubbing off for some reason.
 
Thank you, I'll tell my mother about your theories, and see if we can arrange a trip to the Vet. I will try to post a picture when I get home from school today.
 
Here is a photo of the missing fur.101_2625.webp Sorry for the terrible quality, it is a bit hard to hold a camera, a carrot, and your piggy in the same pose. This was my 5th take!

Anyway, please reply, I am ever so worried about my Bacon, I will talk to my mother soon.
 
It does look pink and not red so good sign I think.I myself have no experience with piggy hair loss as haven;'t faced it in my pigs. Best to see what @helen105281 or @Elwickcavies thinks. If it was my piggy though I would be seeing a vet.
 
Is it the patch that is higher up that I am looking at? is it an area that is able to rub against anything? does the hair come out easily if you tug it gently? is he scratching at all?
 
It's an odd place to be seeing hair loss. As Lilly said, it's not looking inflamed as far as I can tell. The only time I've seen this kind of small bare patch is with one of my barber pigs who went through a phase of pulling the hair out of her herd. That was in more accessable places though. My gut feeling here is that it may be rubbing, or perhaps the hair has caught on something and been pulled out. I would keep an eye on it to see if it gets worse - bigger bare patch, itching, inflamation - and see your vet is it does.
 
Thank you! He is not scratching any more than usual. The patch right above the rosettes on his chest is where the hair loss is. He could be rubbing it on his hidey, it is possible for him to rub it on the entrance part, as they sometimes chew on it and make parts that could rub it off. I will keep a special eye on him and if it becomes bigger I will take him to the vet.
Something like this happened once before, and Bacon scratched his nose on the bars of his cage because I was out of hay at that time (I made sure that never happened again!) and he was trying to get to the hay rack.
 
Does the skin feel raised at all?
 
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