Red Scabs On Back

[PeanutButter]

Hi guys,

My older guinea pig has been biting himself on the back a lot and today I noticed a few scabs/red areas in the places he's biting. There's no balding around the area and it looks like bite wounds from doing my research. What do you guys think it could be? What can I do?

The blurry picture is the best I could get

 

[DM030819]

It looks like mites to me. A vet will diagnose it, and provide the appropriate treatment.

 

[Critter]

I agree, just to add, the very best treatment for mites is a course of ivermectin injections, dosed per his weight, and spaced out over a couple of weeks to catch all mites hatched after the initial injection. Spot-on treatments don't always work, as I found out myself to my own pig's detriment!

There are times when mites don't show on a skin scraping but if your vet agrees that it's the most likely he may start the course anyway. Mites are generally easily treated with the injections but can get bad quickly without, so your piggy will require prompt treatment.

There are other possibilities, but with the irritation that your piggy is showing it's likely that your vet will suspect mites, but may well take a sample in case it's fungal.

xx

 

[Wiebke]

Hi guys,

My older guinea pig has been biting himself on the back a lot and today I noticed a few scabs/red areas in the places he's biting. There's no balding around the area and it looks like bite wounds from doing my research. What do you guys think it could be? What can I do?

The blurry picture is the best I could get

View attachment 59902

Please see a vet for mange mites (more likely than fungal, but it has be kept in mind as it requires different treatment).

If it is mange mites, make sure that you conduct a full course of three rounds of treatment to catch all the emerging mites and prevent a comeback with a more high dosed product than you get in the shops and that you treat any piggies in contact with each other.