Tiny bald patch on Banana's back.

[missybct]

Hi all, I was wondering if I could get some advice.

I was grooming Banana earlier - he is a long haired white piggie around 7 months old. Obviously the hair, like human's, parts at a certain point. Whilst I was brushing him I noticed there was a very very small patch that had no hair, and had what looked like a small scar.

He has not been scratching any more than usual - they will sometimes have a bit of a scratch which I've read can occur in long haired guineas and it's certainly not continuously. He hasn't been grooming any more than usual. He is eating lots of hay, veg and pellets as well as drinking plenty of water. He doesn't squeak when I touch it and it isn't infected or red - in fact it looks more white than anything.

I'm obviously concerned about mites. He is paired with his boar friend Gilles, who has no bald patches - but if Banana is infected with them I know I need to treat Gilles as well, being his cage mate.

The reason I have posted this rather than going straight on the phone to the vets is that the small patch occurs on the natural hairline, and wondered whether it was just placement of fur.

I managed to take a rather rubbish photo of the patch.

Sorry for the quality of photo - he was pretty squiggly.

Thanks in advance xox

 

[missybct]

Sorry - I also wanted to add.

A couple of days ago, Gilles and Banana were being pretty aggressive with each other and nipping at each other. I don't know whether this could have caused it, but I thought I would mention it too. I didn't see specifically any fur flung around the cage however.

Thanks xox

 

[Mamaguineapig]

I am no expert .... Far from it , but to me it looks like a scar . One of mine once had a small hairless patch between his shoulders .... Just like your piggie , white in colour and not inflammed. The vet told me it was a scar . It always remained a mystery as to how he got it as he always got on well with his brother. The vet at the time checked for mites etc .... He had the scar for the rest of his life .

 

[missybct]

I am no expert .... Far from it , but to me it looks like a scar . One of mine once had a small hairless patch between his shoulders .... Just like your piggie , white in colour and not inflammed. The vet told me it was a scar . It always remained a mystery as to how he got it as he always got on well with his brother. The vet at the time checked for mites etc .... He had the scar for the rest of his life .

Thanks for your reply. I thought it could be a scar, purely because I did a few searches online and other people had posted pictures of scars. We also, and I regret this, got Gilles and Banana from Pets at Home (believe me, never again) and it wouldn't have surprised me if he had got them whilst he was in the pen with the other guinea pigs, as he was being harassed (we got Gilles and Banana because they were the teeny tiny ones who were being bullied from the others).

I guess because I hadn't noticed them before it worries me. I know that his natural hairline changes quite a lot as he ruffles his hair a bit and we do tend to massage them when we hold them. Maybe that's why I hadn't noticed.

The patch looks far bigger on that photo than it actually is - it's probably only the size of an "o" if you are looking on a normal zoomed screen (100%).

Thanks xox

 

[Mamaguineapig]

I always wondered if my Guinea has been stung by a bee or wasp ( his scar came one summer ) although obviously no wasps about just now ! Someone on the forum once said put sudacrem on it to help scar heal properly . Because the scar was between Snaggle's shoulder he couldn't lick it off. I separated him from his brother for a few days when I was putting on the sudacrem. rolleyes

 

[missybct]

I always wondered if my Guinea has been stung by a bee or wasp ( his scar came one summer ) although obviously no wasps about just now ! Someone on the forum once said put sudacrem on it to help scar heal properly . Because the scar was between Snaggle's shoulder he couldn't lick it off. I separated him from his brother for a few days when I was putting on the sudacrem. rolleyes

The scar looks pretty healed to be honest - there is absolutely no irritation around it, it's not scabby or peeling. I'm going to keep a good eye on them, that's for sure. I normally spend about two hours a day just staring at them to make sure they are okay - no weird sounds or movements. They must be quite used to be creeping up on them to check them out! Haha xox