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Skin problems

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Carolinemm

Carolinemm

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hello, I am new to owning piggies and have had my beautiful pair of agouti rexs 3 and a half weeks now. I got them from a rescue centre. Today I have given them a good check over and have noticed that Ginger has a thick scabby area on her sort of thigh area of her front leg (I have been away for a week prior to this and my boyfriend was looking after them so it could have gone undetected for a week?). It doesnt look sore, more scabby than anything but it feels really thick. When I adopted them, ginger had just given birth (and abandoned her young) so she as been quite fat underneath. I have obviously booked her into the vets, Ill take both of them for a good look over, but does anyone know what it might be? I'm guessing Ill come back with some medicated shampoo stuff and need to give them their first bath! :) Guessing Ill need to treat both if they live together? The appointment is Friday and I just wondered if it sounded familiar to anyone as Id like to know what it might be and how she got it? Thank you x
 
It could be from a wound; could be self inflicted. Have her checked for fungal and mites at the vets
 
Great thanks for that I will. It doesnt look like a scab from a wound? She had one of those on her back, the rescue centre said the person that brought her in had said the two were fighting but hadnt separated them! She is now with a different piggy. So that has now healed nicely and she has clean skin again where the scab was. Although I guess that suggests it could be from what I have just said! Hope its nothing nasty. Thanks for your advice.
 
Hello, Just an update and to ask for a bit more advice please.
Ginger has suspected ringworm, she had a pluck and scrape test, I need to take her back to the vets in Thurs so may know for sure then. In the meantime, it did look very sore when the vet was messing so she gave me antibiotics and I asked for pain relief as I didnt believe it couldnt be sore, and have been applying canestan twice daily. I obviously have been very careful with washing hands etc as have 4 bunnies and 2 cats and dont want them or me getting it! but am concerned that just treating the small patch may mean it could return? It is looking so much better and as far as I can see, no other patches. I clean the hutch out daily anyway as they eat a lot and go to the toilet a lot! so am constantly removing the old bedding...should I stop worrying or is there anything else I could do to stop it coming back? The vet said it just lives on the skin of most animals and could have come about through stress. She had just had young and abandoned them quite soon before I adopted her? Thankfully no signs of it on Jasmine who she shares her hutch with....any advice appreciated, I have read a lot of related threads but any more advice would help :) thanks very much
 
i think that maybe you could relax just a little and enjoy your piggies, youve done the right thing taking her to the vet and now your sorting it.

god i love agouti rex's i lost my boy a few months ago, he was so beautiful.

Good luck x
 
Ah brill :) thanks for that - it means a lot. I read a website that virtually said 'bin the wood!' its a brand new triple storey hutch and they have only used it 4 weeks and not explored the other levels yet! modifications are in progress :) he he, thanks for that it really is reassurring just want to do what best for them. Not bothered about the money it just would seem a waste! Thankfully she had no loss of appetite and I have had them out exploring the floor of the outhouse the hutch is in the other day which they were loving! they are so much fun :))
 
have you looked for threads on here re ringworm, they will be able to help, i have never experienced it, so i dont know, i meant just relax a little because you need to enjoy your babies.

If you type ringworm in the search you may get info.

I'm sure you will get lots of advice here.
 
Carolinemm said:
Ah brill :) thanks for that - it means a lot. I read a website that virtually said 'bin the wood!' its a brand new triple storey hutch and they have only used it 4 weeks and not explored the other levels yet! modifications are in progress :) he he, thanks for that it really is reassurring just want to do what best for them. Not bothered about the money it just would seem a waste! Thankfully she had no loss of appetite and I have had them out exploring the floor of the outhouse the hutch is in the other day which they were loving! they are so much fun :))
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i hope i havent misled you here, you need to get advice from someone who has experienced this, i would guess that cleaning the cage approprately would suffice, but i dont know anything about separating or as such. others will come along and tell you correctly.
 
if your that worried you could give her a bath in nizoral shampoo, can be brought from the pharmacy, do a bath once a week for the next 2-3 wks as well as the canerstan cream, you need continue with the cream until all the hair has re grown or it will come back x
 
Hi ,I'm new too, and my two young piggies showed signs if a slight skin infection, with a couple of patches. They have been treated with ivermectim, can only be used once a month though I think. I now have some ointment called surolan which I put on the sores and it seems to be helping. the vet could not tell me if it is a fungal infection like ringworm or if it is mites. I really don't think it is mites though, as surely it would be really itchy? Anyway, I don't think this is really of any help, all I can advise is take the advice of your vet and you could always contact the rescue centre for advice too being you haven't had them long?
 
It might be worth buying some Virkon S to clean the hutch. Quite a few rescues seem to use it. It works against fungal and parasites.
:)
 
Hi
My Guinea Pig developed ring worm 3 weeks after i had her, i took her to the vet, she gave her mycozole and it had cleared up totally within 2 weeks, she had it on her nose and ear. Her cage mate did not catch it, my vet advised me to buy Milton sterilising fluid and i cleaned the cage with it and all the food bowls, vet also said to sterilise the water bottle daily as this is how it spreads. i was very worried when she had it as i had not experienced anything like this before. about 3 weeks ago it flared up again on her ear so i just used the treatment again and its nearly gone, much less stressful this time around, i agree with the earlier post just enjoy your piggies. i always kiss my piggies and i didnt catch it. ;)
xx
 
Hello! thanks very much for your kind replies - (I have been working like an idiot so late to respond). Good news is the vet was really pleased with how it had almost gone in a week (although I noticed some soreness on her ear two days ago, vet wasnt sure if was ringworm, but I had already started putting cream on it) anyway - other than that she said she looked so much better. Wouldnt advise a bath at this stage as they are semi-outdoors and jasmine hasnt caught it, also if I sterilised the cage and made it wet etc she'd think I should keep them out of it for a good 2 days so said just see how I go on, I do spray my normal antitbacterial stuff each day anyway. I think I shall stop worrying now, they are the best, and £108 later and more to come on her second check up next week :)) theyre the best. Just really like to know peoples opinions as sometimes I think an experienced long time guinea pig owner can almost know more than a vet, which is what I had found with my rabbits and the rabbit forum which is why I was asking so thank you very much :)
 
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