• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Ring Worm?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Samlee

Samlee

New Born Pup
Joined
Mar 11, 2014
Messages
4
Reaction score
5
Points
0
Location
City of Bradford
My poor new piggy is suffering with a bad case of ring worm I'm treating him with an anti fungal wash and an antibacterial cream , but it doesnt seem to get any better , any idea? Its very scabby not looking at sore but still doesnt look good after a week
 
I would take him to a guinea pig savvy vet. Skin complaints can get a lot worse very quickly if not treated effectively. There are a lot of knowledgeable people on this Forum who will give you more detailed advice than myself and they may be able to help.
 
Please have him checked by a competent vet; it could be something else or your treatment could be inefficient - but that needs to be decided by someone who can see your piggy and make a correct diagnosis.We have got a piggy savvy vet locator on the top bar for your UK members.

When dealing with potential ringworm, please always use extra good hygiene, like disposable gloves, antifungal disinfectant like F10 (I also use the hand gel) and washing any fabrics in contact with a ringworm pet at a minimum of 60 C (including any clothing of yours). Ringworm is one of the few things that transmit easily between mammals (including humans). The incubation period is 10-14 days.
 
ches had fungal on his ear and the vet took a skin scraping to send to the lab, which came back as ringworm. ches had to have a medication syringed and also cream to apply to his ear. i can't remember the name of the medicine now. will check if it's on the original thread i made about it.
 
Thank you all for the replies, I dont have the names of the treatment to hand, but I think I will take him to a guinea pig vet. I have been to the vets twice with him so far and I dont feel completely happy as he isnt my friend at the min with all the treatment :(
 
I agree with everyone else about getting him seen by a vet. They will be able to diagnose properly. My preferred course of treatment for ringworm is Imaverol dips with oral medication in the form of Itrafungol but the vet may suggest something else. As Wiebke says, hygiene is incredibly important when treating ringworm.
 
That is good news! A systemic fungal will make sure that is eradicated at the root. The itrafungol will take at least a week to work and then you need to tack on two weeks remission (the length of the incubation period) before you can be fully sure that the ringworm has gone. All the best!
 
Samlee said:
Ive now got the itrafungal and an antibiotic to give orally, the vet said it was very nasty, so hopefully this will work, thanks again for all your comments
Click to expand...

Neither itrafungol or baytril (which is most likely the the nasty tasting antibiotic) are nice to get into a poor piggy. We have got tips on how to best to in this thread here: https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...ering-medications-and-wrapping-piggies.36533/

When you have been prescribed an antibiotic, especially baytril which often causes loose poo or loss of appetite, it is advisable to give a pinch of a probiotic about 1-2 hours after the antibiotic to help stabilise the guts. Bio-lapsis, avipro plus or fibreplex are good brands which you can order online, but in a pinch you can get a probiotic from a pet shop.

The good news is that your piggy will forgive you once the ordeal is over and it is happy and healthy again!
 
Just reading through these threads got me thinking. What actually causes ringworm? Or is it just one of those things that doesn't have an explanation?
 
You know I am not sure, think it tends to strike out of the blue, some fungal conditions are caused by an overload of Candida but not ringworm.
 
Oh. Do you know of any pics on here just so I know what to look out for?
 
Winifred said:
Just reading through these threads got me thinking. What actually causes ringworm? Or is it just one of those things that doesn't have an explanation?
Click to expand...

Ringworm is caused by fungal spores. These can be simply in the environment, may be blown in by wind or can be transmitted though contact with an infected mammal (including humans and human clothes). Often, like in the last few weeks with my Papi, ringworm appears pretty much right out of the blue - there had been no change to her environment in the previous 2 weeks. She's just been able to rejoin her group yesterday after her 2 weeks remission wait to make sure that she isn't carrying anything back.

Ringworm is quite common in shop piggies that are stressed out by all the late upsets to their short lives, including the move to a new home. It is an opportunist and often hits animals that have a somewhat lowered immune system from stress, illness or neglect/bad diet. Warm, humid weather also encourages the appearance of ringworm, like all funguses.
Ringworm in guinea pigs: http://www.guinealynx.info/fungus.html
Here is some information about ringworm in humans: http://www.medicinenet.com/ringworm/article.htm
 
Scary stuff. I'll be looking out for that one then on their lap time inspections

Thank you
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top