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Potential fungal infection.

Flamestriker

Flamestriker

Adult Guinea Pig
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I have been clipping nails of the piggies over the last several days and picked up Sweetie...I found a small, white crusty bit between her eye and nose. I think she has a fungal infection. None of the herd, including her, seems to be scratching much...

I can't remember ringworm looking this crusty, and it doesn't look red or sore. The room might be too warm for the herd?

It's all I Need between work and the course I am doing....I can't take on more stress.
 
Flamestriker said:
I have been clipping nails of the piggies over the last several days and picked up Sweetie...I found a small, white crusty bit between her eye and nose. I think she has a fungal infection. None of the herd, including her, seems to be scratching much...

I can't remember ringworm looking this crusty, and it doesn't look red or sore. The room might be too warm for the herd?

It's all I Need between work and the course I am doing....I can't take on more stress.
Click to expand...

Hi! Could you please post a picture and see a vet for a diagnosis please. I can't give you advice just from your description.

There are a lot more varieties of fungal than ringworm or it can be something different altogether. Ringworm always starts with one spore causing an infection in one piggy; whatever it is, it has just started.
Only when it becomes acute (visible) and new spores from the acute patch spread around will other piggies catch it; the period between catching and coming down with it is 10-14 days. If you treat with the correct diagnosis and the correct treatment during that time you can prevent any further spread and any outbreaks in other piggies.
Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures

Please take a deep breath and tackle the diagnosis first; then you know what you are up against and can act appropriately. You have got a few days' grace yet.
 
Oh no, it does look like a fungal patch unfortunately. However it looks very early stages so hopefully you have caught it early enough to be able to prevent too much of a problem for the group
 
Thank you - it rather looks like the very early stages of fungal. Unfortunately this means a cage deep clean and a protective bath for the other piggies after you have quarantined your poor piggy during the treatment and the 2 two weeks post treatment phase. As it is in the early stages, any treatment shouldn't take more than a week. Please do not treat with anti-fungal cream; it is very inefficient and won't prevent further outbreaks.

For a one off, nizoral/anti-dandruff shampoo (which is rather harsh on the skin) will do to prevent the others from coming down with it and to remove any spores sitting in their coats. As you have caught it so early on, you should comparatively easily be able to keep the damage to that one patch and that one piggy. These things always seem to happen at the most inconvenient of times.

All the best!

Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures
 
This sounds silly but do I have to completely quarantine Sweetie from the main herd?

Do I have to get her a cage or can it be a part of the main C&C cage cordoned off?

If she needs a cage then I must rebound the herd after the infection?

Thank you
 
I will take Sweetie to the vet tomorrow but I can only do a deep clean and bathe the herd on Sunday due to work commitments. Is this too late?
 
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