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Please help! Advice needed

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Hannah8881

Hannah8881

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Hi I have noticed tonight that Marley has got very bad red raw dry skin and a bald patch. He was very uncomfortable and tried running away when I was looking through his fur and he is normally really placid. It looks terrible and I feel so horrible that I haven't noticed it before now. I'm sure he hasn't had it long as I check him every week but still. What could this be? Do I need to take him to the vet? Will jack have it too? Please help as I am quite worried.
 
Whereabouts on his body are the sores/ bald patch?

I wonder if it's mites. Flumpet scratched sores overnight when she had them. No sores one day and then an angry looking open sore the next day (I felt terrible). It would explain the skin sensitivity too. Probably best to nip them both along to the vets to get a proper diagnosis. It's easily treated but the sooner the better. :) Both my girls needed 3 lots of injections for mites (a week apart). The vet also gave Flumpet a steroid jab to ease the itching.
 
It's on his left hand side. I wanted to check the rest of his body but he was really flitting about. I am trying to look for a small animal vet in Lincoln now *** I do want to get it sorted.
 
He's all red on his back of his neck and down his sides. His back and bum is fine
 
Could be mites or fungal, or anything else for that matter. Sorry, not much use. :)

For now, aloe vera gel/ointment or Bepanthen (nappy rash cream) will help soothe the skin until you can get a diagnosis and start treatment.
 
Do you think I should take them to the vet or just buy some mite treatment and see how that goes? It's the first time I have owned guinea pigs so I am unsure what is the norm? Thank you
 
If in any doubt, have him seen by a vet. I wouldn't never treat on a guess if I wasn't really sure about what I was treating; you could make things much worse.
 
Hannah8881 said:
Do you think I should take them to the vet or just buy some mite treatment and see how that goes? It's the first time I have owned guinea pigs so I am unsure what is the norm? Thank you
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I think you have to have the mite treatment prescribed by a vet as the stuff you get in the shops isnl' as strong and works more as a preventative rather than a cure.I think the vets is the best option but maybe you can take some pictures ane we might be able to advise a bit better to help before you go to the vets
 
Thank you. Yes I will take some pictures later as I am at work at the minute. Hopefully somebody might be able to shed some light
 
hi, it sounds like a fungal problem, but i would take him to a vet, poor little chap:(
 
If the skin is visibly irritated and sore looking I have to say I wouldn't recommend using a spot-on topical (on the skin) ivermectin treatment. Oral would be far preferable in my mind, or injected even preferable to topical. The vet may feel differently though so go with what you feel.
 
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