scar on guinea pig’s back

[guineapigletz]

Hi. I’m new to the forum. This is my first post. My family and I own two male piggies - one of them is three and the other one is just two months old. They have been roommates for a month. Sometimes they’re very friendly but sometimes they seem to annoy each other - they make angry sounds and mount. Yesterday I found this scar on the older piggy’s back. Could this be a bite mark? Please keep in mind that the older piggy is three times as big as the young one. Please help if you can.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome!

Please have this vet checked. It could be the start of mange mites or a fungal skin infection (most likely ringworm in new guinea pigs).
New guinea pigs: Sexing, vet checks&customer rights, URI, ringworm and parasites

Deep bite marks usually look like two needle pricks, or if it was a glancing blow like a long scratch. You would also usually notice from their behaviour if there had been a serious full-on fight.

 

[guineapigletz]

Hi and welcome!

Please have this vet checked. It could be the start of mange mites or a fungal skin infection (most likely ringworm in new guinea pigs).
New guinea pigs: Sexing, vet checks&customer rights, URI, ringworm and parasites

Deep bite marks usually look like two needle pricks, or if it was a glancing blow like a long scratch. You would also usually notice from their behaviour if there had been a serious full-on fight.

Thanks for the quick reply! He’s actually not a new pig though - we’ve had him for the full 3 years of his life. And we just took him to the vet last month and everything was perfect. That’s why I’m a little shocked.

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks for the quick reply! He’s actually not a new pig though - we’ve had him for the full 3 years of his life. And we just took him to the vet last month and everything was perfect. That’s why I’m a little shocked.

His mate could have come with spores in his fur without being acutely infected himself if they happen to have a problem with ringworm at the shop. I had ringworm carried in on a not infected piggy in contact with affected ones at least once. The spores are invisible and the time between infection and acute outbreak is 10-14 days.
You can find more information (including on ringworm hygiene) via the link in my first post. Believe me, we have had plenty of time and occasion to work out in just how many ways ringworm can be transmitted and how to address all possible angles!

However, what we cannot do is diagnose just from a picture, nor are we qualified to. We can only guess and not replace a vet visit. Nor do we recommend to treat on spec. Mange mites and ringworm can look very similar in the early stages. I've had either in this location on the body.
Your vet may find that it is neither; it all depends on how the thing progresses but you want to make sure that you treat whatever it is correctly and with good quality products. Where we can help you is with support during treatment.

 

[guineapigletz]

His mate could have come with spores in his fur without being acutely infected himself if they happen to have a problem with ringworm at the shop. I had ringworm carried in on a not infected piggy in contact with affected ones at least once. The spores are invisible and the time between infection and acute outbreak is 10-14 days.
You can find more information (including on ringworm hygiene) via the link in my first post. Believe me, we have had plenty of time and occasion to work out in just how many ways ringworm can be transmitted and how to address all possible angles!

However, what we cannot do is diagnose just from a picture, nor are we qualified to. We can only guess and not replace a vet visit. Nor do we recommend to treat on spec. Mange mites and ringworm can look very similar in the early stages. I've had either in this location on the body.
Your vet may find that it is neither; it all depends on how the thing progresses but you want to make sure that you treat whatever it is correctly and with good quality products. Where we can help you is with support during treatment.

The young piggy is actually from a friend who breeds guinea pigs. I don’t think they would have any ringworm problems. Is it still possible for the younger one to have infected my older boy even if he doesn’t have any scars himself? I will try to make an appointment with a vet ASAP.

 

[Wiebke]

The young piggy is actually from a friend who breeds guinea pigs. I don’t think they would have any ringworm problems. Is it still possible for the younger one to have infected my older boy even if he doesn’t have any scars himself? I will try to make an appointment with a vet ASAP.

It is often impossible to say where ringworm has come from - you may have accidentally carried it in or it could have been blown in etc...

Please see your vet within the next few days during regular consultation hours and see what they say. We can only speculate.