Piggy Is Losing Hair Behind Ears

[Jessiewalka]

Hi guys, I recently took my guinea pigs to the vet because they are both losing hair behind their ears and itching all over. The doctor prescribed me ear drops because they found bacteria in their ears that is known for ear infections.
This is what it looks like:

I wanted your eyes second opinion on it. I'm still not convinced that it is an ear infection...I feel like it is more than an ear infection such as mites.

What do you think? All opinions welcome! I'm so worried about them.

 

[gizzy]

Hi, l would like to hear what the others say, but to my mind that looks natual

 

[helen105281]

Pigs do have bald spots behind their ears and that does look like a normal bald spot. However, I am concerned at the scratching all over and so think there could well be something else going on (unrelated to the bald spot behind the ear). Do they have any hair loss elsewhere? do any hairs look as if they are broken, so shorter looking than others? Have you noticed any dandruff? or bright pink skin?

 

[Jessiewalka]

The brown skin is normal? They do not seem to have any hairloss anywhere else. They do not have dandruff or pinky skin either and no crusties. The vet did find bacteria in their ears that she classified as an ear infection. They didn't show any other signs. From the looks of the picture it doesn't look like ear mites or anything like that to you?

Thank you so much for your input!

Pigs do have bald spots behind their ears and that does look like a normal bald spot. However, I am concerned at the scratching all over and so think there could well be something else going on (unrelated to the bald spot behind the ear). Do they have any hair loss elsewhere? do any hairs look as if they are broken, so shorter looking than others? Have you noticed any dandruff? or bright pink skin?

 

[helen105281]

Yes, it is, all pigs have slightly different coloured skin. My Mabel did have a yeast infection behind her ear once but it didn't look like that. No it doesn't look like ear mites from what I can tell.

Please could you update your location as we may be able to recommend a different vet near you if you wanted a second opinion about the scratching.

 

[Abi_nurse]

This is completely normal.

The brown colouring is just pigmentation of the skin, it can sometimes change colour as piggies age. Certainly looks like normal healthy bald spot behind the ears. I cannot comment on ear mites as I cannot see the ear on the picture.

x

 

[gizzy]

Yup , the bauld pach looks the same on all my pigs, so ear probabaly ok.
Is there any any chanch of a photo of the inerside of the ear, just to make sure the scorse of the iching
Wasent from the inside

you said pig was iching,,? Is this still haperning

 

[Freela]

Pigs have a bald spot behind their ears naturally. They also can have a variety of different skin colors, depending on their coloring. It can range from pink to jet black, with all kinds of shades in between (I even had a pig with mottled brown-black skin behind her ears- she was brindle with mixed red and black hairs and her skin was colored to match.) The skin itself looks clear/healthy in the picture. Fungal skin infections tend to look crusty/scaly. However, if they are still scratching all over, there could be other issues, such as lice, mites, etc. Did your vet check for those issues?

 

[Jessiewalka]

I'm going to finish with the treatment they gave me for the ear infection and then I will be taking them back in to be tested for those things.
How much would you say is an abnormal amount of itching?

Pigs have a bald spot behind their ears naturally. They also can have a variety of different skin colors, depending on their coloring. It can range from pink to jet black, with all kinds of shades in between (I even had a pig with mottled brown-black skin behind her ears- she was brindle with mixed red and black hairs and her skin was colored to match.) The skin itself looks clear/healthy in the picture. Fungal skin infections tend to look crusty/scaly. However, if they are still scratching all over, there could be other issues, such as lice, mites, etc. Did your vet check for those issues?

 

[Freela]

I'm going to finish with the treatment they gave me for the ear infection and then I will be taking them back in to be tested for those things.
How much would you say is an abnormal amount of itching?

I would say if they are repetitively going back to the same places, chewing/biting rather than simply scratching/grooming, or have areas where hairs are broken off or absent or thinning or where skin looks sore/irritated, scabbed/scaly. All pigs are going to scratch sometimes, but if you see any of that I would wonder if there is an underlying cause.