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Possibly Mites? Advice Needed

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MyGuineaPigPals

MyGuineaPigPals

Teenage Guinea Pig
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My poor baby colossus hasn't been himself the last few days. I thought he might have a sulk on which he does sometimes especially after his nails have been cut which I have recently done. But he's been weighed today and his weight has defo dropped. I cant get him to eat and I've noticed hes losing more hair than normal. Ive had a poke around his fur and I think I can see little possible mites on him. I will call my vet first thing Mon morning but is there anything I can do to get him to eat before hand and would a bath help him at all? Any advice appreciated? I will get all my pigs treated but he is the one suffering atm. My poor little baby :( if I need to contact the emergency vet tomorrow does anyone know if they normally charge more for this? Thanks in advance
 
MyGuineaPigPals said:
My poor baby colossus hasn't been himself the last few days. I thought he might have a sulk on which he does sometimes especially after his nails have been cut which I have recently done. But he's been weighed today and his weight has defo dropped. I cant get him to eat and I've noticed hes losing more hair than normal. Ive had a poke around his fur and I think I can see little possible mites on him. I will call my vet first thing Mon morning but is there anything I can do to get him to eat before hand and would a bath help him at all? Any advice appreciated? I will get all my pigs treated but he is the one suffering atm. My poor little baby :( if I need to contact the emergency vet tomorrow does anyone know if they normally charge more for this? Thanks in advance
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Depends on the vets opening hours.
My vets is open 7 days a week, so there are no extra charges for a weekend, only for out of hours, where we get directed to 'vets now' which are extortionate.
 
How much has his weight dropped and over what period of time? Does the hair look like it is broken part way down the shaft, or can you pull the hair out with a gentle tug. Does the skin look sore or flaky? It may be lice or fungal or a combination of both. Get to the vet for a proper diagnosis.
 
Hi, if he's not eating at all then you need to syringe feed him. Without food & water he will deteriorate quickly. I wouldn't bath him as this will cause more stress at the moment & he will need a specific treatment for any mite or fungal issues. There are many things that can stop a guinea pig from eating & he definitely needs to see a vet asap.
 
Please do not bath him or treat on spec; he needs a proper diagnosis. Enquire for an out-of-hours vet. They will tell you the fees; they can vary a lot depending who is providing the service. Please never wait with a piggy that is not quite right. "Sulking" is usually the onset of an illness. Weigh him daily at the same time in the feeding cycle instead of just weekly.

You can start top him up with hand feed him straight away to prevent him losing more weight: http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/complete-hand-feeding-guide.115359/
 
I'm going to take a chance as I know feelings sometimes run hi, but if you have a local pets at Home some stores have vets and their vets do a seven day service, and the last time and I inquired the price was the same seven days a week.
To anybody who is dead against Pets@home sorry but needs be etc.
 
I was just checking the pets at home website to try and fine out as u trust them more than my local emergency vet who throw my hamsters 7 feet in the air and leave them injured on the floor for me to pick up
 
I use the P@H vets and they've been really good with my boy, hope your piggy gets well soon x
 
Vet care and out-of-hours vet care varies enormously. Pets@home have vets only in some stores. There is usually a fairly decent and reasonably price out-of-hours day care now available in many urban areas (nights are still very expensive); more rural/small town areas struggle with the cover and it can be very expensive. It also always depends on who is on duty. If you can find a decent general vet service that is open on the weekend and that can deal with basic emergency issues, then please use that.
 
I got him to a vet and I was wrong in my prediction when I originally posted this, it wasn't mites it was a respiratory infection. My vet gave him injections for pain and anti biotics, and I bought lots home too to give him as well as vit tablets. However I'm truly devastated to say he passed away. He just wouldn't eat I syringe fed him but he didn't want to eat enough and the weight loss became to much too quickly. I am sorry for not posting sooner but I'm havnt come to terms with it myself yet I miss him so much. Him and nemmy are my first pigs. Thanks to everyone who replied. I havnt announced it on my facebook page yet either as I'm still to upset he was my baby with the pretty little face. WP_20141007_006.webp FB_20141019_20_31_33_Saved_Picture.webp
 
I am so sorry for your sad loss. The stress from the respiratory infection could have caused mites in addition, as mites tend to be caused by elevated levels of stress.
 
Ive bought more correx and I'm remaking the cage and moving nemmy up to the top so I can be with him more and also chucking all the old correx away so there's no chance of germs anywhere. Although nemmy and colossus weren't together they were neighbours and spent a lot of time with each other on the floor and laying by each other at the cage divide. I'm hoping by changing the cage for nemmy will distract him to help him with grieving with a whole new cage to explore and so he's closer to my height and can see me easier too. I will decide at a later date whether or not to get him a friend, as right now I'm just not sure.
 
Ruby Inferno said:
I am so sorry for your sad loss. The stress from the respiratory infection could have caused mites in addition, as mites tend to be caused by elevated levels of stress.
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The vet said he appeared near enough mite free just his dandruff got bad from the low immune system and as the most obvious symptom at a glance i had assumed it was that initially when I wrote the post. Obviously in closer inspection i doubted it myself
 
MyGuineaPigPals said:
The vet said he appeared near enough mite free just his dandruff got bad from the low immune system and as the most obvious symptom at a glance i had assumed it was that initially when I wrote the post. Obviously in closer inspection i doubted it myself
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Ah. :(

Sadly these things happen. Feel free to post a memorial on the Rainbow Bridge section.
 
I am very sorry that you have lost your lovely boy. When respiratory infections and a lowered immune system come together, a piggy can unfortunately go downhill very quickly. But it is good that you had him seen by vet. :(
You are welcome to post a full tribute in our Rainbow Bridge section anytime it feels right for you.

Here are our tips for what you can do for any bereaved companions: http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/looking-after-a-bereaved-piggy.110463/
We have got a rescue locator on the top bar. if the companion has died from an infectious disease, we recommend to wait 2-3 weeks before meeting any new piggies (quarantine).
 
Wiebke said:
I am very sorry that you have lost your lovely boy. When respiratory infections and a lowered immune system come together, a piggy can unfortunately go downhill very quickly. But it is good that you had him seen by vet. :(
You are welcome to post a full tribute in our Rainbow Bridge section anytime it feels right for you.

Here are our tips for what you can do for any bereaved companions: http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/looking-after-a-bereaved-piggy.110463/
We have got a rescue locator on the top bar. if the companion has died from an infectious disease, we recommend to wait 2-3 weeks before meeting any new piggies (quarantine).
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Thanks wiebke, nemmy is incredibly dominant and a bit of a bully, hence only being neighbours with colossus, and I'm not sure he will pair with another boar easily. I'll have a look at that link for ideas though. Nemmy will be moving into his new 2x5 tomorrow. Hope hes not lonely with all the extra space. I'm not In a rush for a companion for him so quarantine time isn't a problem. I just worry incase I cant get him to bond as I don't wanna have two single pigs again now I wanna focus on the cages I have at the new sizes. I will maybe neuter him next year if I can save the money and if hes not too old by then. Maybe he would prefer a wife if a male pairing cant be found.
 
MyGuineaPigPals said:
Thanks wiebke, nemmy is incredibly dominant and a bit of a bully, hence only being neighbours with colossus, and I'm not sure he will pair with another boar easily. I'll have a look at that link for ideas though. Nemmy will be moving into his new 2x5 tomorrow. Hope hes not lonely with all the extra space. I'm not In a rush for a companion for him so quarantine time isn't a problem. I just worry incase I cant get him to bond as I don't wanna have two single pigs again now I wanna focus on the cages I have at the new sizes. I will maybe neuter him next year if I can save the money and if hes not too old by then. Maybe he would prefer a wife if a male pairing cant be found.
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How old is Nemmy? Dating at one of our recommended piggy savvy good standard rescues has the advantage that your come only home with a new companion if there has been success and you always have them to fall back on if there is a problem along the way.
If you want to go down the neutering route, then finding either a good general vet with lots of experience in piggy neutering or a small animal specialist is vital in order to minimise the risk of mainly post op complications. With a good vet, I know of boars as old as 4 years having been snipped successfully. You also need to factor in a full 6 weeks post op weight. I have the baby of a supposedly safe over 5 weeks post op boar (not one of mine), just to prove that particular point. If certainly pays to do your research if you are not faced with an acutely pining piggy.
 
Nemmy is around 2 1/2- 3 yrs old. Probably closer to 2 1/2 really. Hes sitting by the divide but I'm not sure I that's just because hes comfy there or pining. I put a sheet of correx up so he wasn't looking at the empty neighbouring cage too much and I keep calling colossus's name when I feed them so he may think he's still around somewhere (although I doubt hes that stupid I'm daft really but I just want to not make a big deal out of it infront of him.) and the big cage change tomorrow will hopefully also provide a distraction for him. He is eating plenty still and running away from me when I want to pick him up and his weight is fine so health wise I'm happy with him but watching him closely. So I think he knows and hes not happy about it but hopefully not pining yet. Boar dating would be best for me my local RSPCA say no to it though. I'm in Hemel Hempstead so if there's 2 or 3 rescues near me that do do it I would be interested down the line. I'm happy to travel a few miles or so maybe up to an hour away even.
 
Oh no :( I am so sorry. Massive hugs to you x
 
@Wiebke I have remodelled the cage today and nemmy is getting used to his new surroundings but seems ok. I have also sent a message to hazelcroft rescue on this forum as they are my nearest. I have explained the situation to them and asked them to bare me in mind if boar dating is an option for any single boars they may rescue in the coming months. thanks again for all your help. Nemmy is going to get extra cuddles from me whether he likes it or not from now on lol heres a pic of the new cage set up and a pic of nemmy in his old cage. I will add more decoratin to the cage in the coming months is a bit plain at the monew cage.webp IMG_9351.webp
 
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