Rescued 2 Piggies!

[Andrea999]

****rescued! Not sure how to edit the title

I saw a post on FB with guinea pigs in need of a new home. I got them today for free.

When I picked them up they were in horrible condition. Their cage was so small! They could barely move. Their fur felt greasy and matted. One is missing a circular patch of hair on his nose.

I gave them a bath first thing, but their coat still doesn't feel clean. Very greasy. Near their bums it's hard and stuck to them even after their bath.

They are having floor time right now and my other piggies would be out exploring. These 2 have barely moved. I just think they've never had so much room and don't even begin to know what to do. They've moved like a foot.

They're both very large and I'm not sure of their age.

Any ideas and what could be going on with the ones nose? What about the matted fur near their bums? Any ideas on teaching them to enjoy and explore during floor time?

 

[sport_billy]

Hi, so pleased you have offered these little ones a forever home.

The nose I would think maybe fungal infection by sounds of it, they often start near the nose. Can you post a closer photo? This will need a vets check and some treatment to clear if so. Until you get to a vet if it looks fungal you can pop some canestan clotrimazole 1% cream on if it does indeed look funaglly but a vets visit will be in order have a look at guinea lynz page on fugal Guinea Lynx :: Fungus

Matted bum fur, I would suggest carefully bum baths in a bowl trying to work the grease out. Baby Shampoo would be the best thing to use for this as it is delicate on skin. You can get piggy shampoo's but unsure of any US based sellers.

Hope that helps a little x

 

[flowerfairy]

Aww bless them. It is a huge change for them. I would let them settle in their new cage for a few days or even a week before introducing floor time. You will be able to judge when they aremready.

Lots of places to hide and lots of hay is what my two sweetie pies like for floor time.

Congratulations on your free guinea pigs they are lovely.

 

[Jesse's pigs]

Such a kind gesture to rescue both piggies! Hopefully they have a much better future ahead of them now! I agree the loss of fur around the nose is probably fungal- that needs a vet visit to get the neccessary treatment for it and the matted fur is probably a build up of grease around the grease gland. Stunning piggies though

 

[Guinea Mum]

Definitely give them more time to settle before introducing floor time. The other members have given you good advice, so good luck with the bathing!

They're two very lucky piggies to have found you.

 

[VickiA]

Well done for taking these beauties in and for improving their lives immeasurably.

The patch on the nose could be fungal or ringworm. Clotrimazole cream works well as an interim measure as @sport_billy has said. Please take precautions as if it is ringworm it is transferable to humans. The best treatment is oral medication from the vet.

Look forward to seeing ore of these cuties.

 

[Flutterby]

Well done on rescuing them, they are cuties!

 

[Stayc1989]

So glad they've found a lovely home with you! Sounds like they came from an awful background. Congratulations on your new piggies and well done for saving them

 

[Andrea999]

Thanks all. I will add a pic of Wilbur's nose shortly. It seems to be only on his nose which is good whatever it is.

After I brought them home and was attempting floor time they napped together and then woke up and started fighting. It was pretty intense and as much as I didn't want to, I had to separate them.

I'm not sure if it was just too big of a day for them or possibly being out of their tiny cage caused them to crave their own space for awhile.

I had to order more grids for their cage. They are so hard to find here in the USA. Right now Wilbur is in a pop up kennel for dogs. Ha! Not big enough for sure but the extra grids will be here shortly.

I'm hoping to bond Simon with my Petey. Petey had a falling out with his former cage mate S'mores a couple weeks ago. They are getting into their teens and I think hormones were going crazy. Right now Simon and Petey have cages next to each other and I'm trying to get them used to each other that way first.

 

[Swissgreys]

Thanks all. I will add a pic of Wilbur's nose shortly. It seems to be only on his nose which is good whatever it is.

I'm hoping to bond Simon with my Petey. Petey had a falling out with his former cage mate S'mores a couple weeks ago. They are getting into their teens and I think hormones were going crazy. Right now Simon and Petey have cages next to each other and I'm trying to get them used to each other that way first.

It is wonderful that you were able to offer these 2 boys a loving home.
I am sure in time they will come out of their shells and be running around like crazy - first they just need to work out what all that space is for!

A word of caution though.
As you rescued them from less than ideal conditions, and one of them is showing signs of illness, I would be keeping them well away from your other healthy piggies until they have been seen (and treated) by a vet.
If one does have a fungal condition this could easily spread to all of your other piggies too, so it would be better to keep the new boys in a separate room for a couple of weeks to make sure they can't pass anything on.

 

[Andrea999]

Here's Wilbur's nose. And then a pic of his 3rd bath since he's been with us. I know usually piggies don't need baths often. The rest of mine have only ever had 1! This guy's fur is just so greasy and not just near his bum but all over. Each wash seems to help but I think I'm going to give him a break for about a week or so and see how it's looking then. I read a healthier diet and vitamin c can help a ton. I put antifungal on his nose last night and will do that again today and see if I see improvement. I also thought it could be a wound from a fight, but I'm leaning more towards a fungus of some sort. He'll be by himself til it's clear.

 

[Pepepig]

Good for you, rescuing these two guineas! The two first guineas I had, had that same bald pinky coloured patch on their nose when I got them from the pet shop. I used grapefruit extract on it. Apparently this works well for topical treatment of fungal infection. I didn't know this until I came onto guinea forums. It worked for them but I'd be hesitant to recommend it if others disagree. It cleared up their nose and face, and the hair grew back, but I later discovered they also had mites. Not sure if they had both fungal and mite infection, but I ended up treating for both. You need chemicals for mites unfortunately, but it's non evasive. Expensive, but easy to apply and works a treat. I'm not pretending to be a vet though, see one to be sure.