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Very Concerned About My 9 Week Guinea Pigs

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Amberc321

Amberc321

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hi I'm a New Guinea pig owner I researched owning guinea pigs and made the decision I had the time money and was willing to look after and give two piggies a good home.
I bought my two boys Elvis and Percy from pets at home (which I know realise was a big mistake I should have reserched further where I was getting them)
And since a week ago the problems have been never ending and I'm spending a fortune making sure they're okay.
The second day of having them I realised Elvis had a sore eye gammy crusty and not opening well I took him to the vets she said it was a surface wound gave us some eye drops it is clearing up nicely we switched to fleece in the cage Incase it may have been the fault of the sawdust.
However the most worrying problem occluded Thursday night my other piggie Percy had blood down his back and when I inspected he had a sore on his back in a circle I obviously suspected ring worm and took him to the vet she looked them both over said it wasn't ring worm and gave us some cream to rub on it however he keeps chewing it and now both my pigges especially Elvis keep sneezing and having kind of like little fits where they will jump in the air and shake they both itch and rub their faces atleast 20 times a day do you think this is something I should go back to the vet with?! I suspected mites but on her first inspection she said it wasn't mites I'm so confused and so upset Ive grown to love them and this is heart braking for me :/
 
Hi, I would definitely go back to your vet asap. If the skin problem is caused by mange mites, they cannot be seen with the naked eye as they live beneath the skin. The vet can test for them & they are easily treated. There are also fungal infections other than ringworm that can cause skin problems. The sneezing needs addressing too as the sawdust they were on can irritate the upper respiratory tract & leave it prone to infection. I really hope you can get your piggies sorted & well again quickly. It is distressing when our pets are ill. Also, have you contacted pets at home about the health problems? I would complain big time! It may be worth checking on the vet locator at the top of the page for a more guinea pig savvy vet in your area if you aren't over confident with the one you have seen so far.
 
From my own experience, when I got Bert from P@H he quickly developed a URI, and although he popcorned he was coughing and sneezing whilst doing it. So the popcorning isn't something to worry about, but the biting of the wound and such I would be concerned. I would take them back to the vets. P@H should pay for their treatment anyhow even if you take them to another vet. Best of luck. x

They sneeze when they clean their faces, and itch when grooming as well, but if this is excessive then I would also recommend a vet looking into this further.

As above ^ use the vet locator to find a cavvy savvy vet :) x
 
Thank you for all the advice I will contact pets at home tomorrow and explain all the problems we have been having and seeing of they are willing to refund me my money however when Percy's back wound was noticed it was out of usual vets hours so I paid £94 for an emergency appointment and a further £50 for transport as the nearest emergency vet was ages away and I don't drive so I wouldnt expect them to refund that.I will also get them seen to about the sneezing and biting of the wound and ring for advice and an appointment.
 
I would!
You bought those Piggies in 'good faith' and as much as it pains me the law doesn't view animals as we do they are seen as goods...
If you bought something from any other shop and it broke or wasn't working you'd complain.
At the end of the day they jolly well should pay for your vets fees and taxi- it's their responsibility.
 
Amberc321 said:
hi I'm a New Guinea pig owner I researched owning guinea pigs and made the decision I had the time money and was willing to look after and give two piggies a good home.
I bought my two boys Elvis and Percy from pets at home (which I know realise was a big mistake I should have reserched further where I was getting them)
And since a week ago the problems have been never ending and I'm spending a fortune making sure they're okay.
The second day of having them I realised Elvis had a sore eye gammy crusty and not opening well I took him to the vets she said it was a surface wound gave us some eye drops it is clearing up nicely we switched to fleece in the cage Incase it may have been the fault of the sawdust.
However the most worrying problem occluded Thursday night my other piggie Percy had blood down his back and when I inspected he had a sore on his back in a circle I obviously suspected ring worm and took him to the vet she looked them both over said it wasn't ring worm and gave us some cream to rub on it however he keeps chewing it and now both my pigges especially Elvis keep sneezing and having kind of like little fits where they will jump in the air and shake they both itch and rub their faces atleast 20 times a day do you think this is something I should go back to the vet with?! I suspected mites but on her first inspection she said it wasn't mites I'm so confused and so upset Ive grown to love them and this is heart braking for me :/
Click to expand...

Hi! We have got a piggy savvy vet locator on the top bar if you want to get a second opinion on what exactly is going on. You can still reclaim the vet costs together with a proper diagnosis in writing from p@h as it is for treating issues they have come with. It sounds to me rather either like mange mites or fungal on the back.
Face washing and popcorning (jumping) are normal activities.
Could you please list the medication (names and doses) you have been given, so we can get a better idea?
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/pages/guinea-pig-vet-locator/

You can also help us a lot in being able to always give you the best possible advice by adding your county to your details. We have got members from all over the world, and our advice - especially when it comes to medications etc. - can very quite a bit.
 
For Percy's back wound I was given Surolsn it says on it "ear drops and cutaneous suspension" it's to be applied twice daily and massaged into the wound.

For Elvis's eye (which is doing well) I was given fucithalmic or dechra it says both on the packet I am unsure which is the name and that's 1 drop in the left eye twice a day
Okay thank you I am from the UK and I will update my info asap :)
 
Fucithalmic drops are often prescribed for eye injuries/ulcer and they are usually very effective.

I would still have the wound on the back seen by another vet. Surolan is a broad spectrum, all purpose cream; it looks rather that your vet is not quite sure what he/she is up against.
 
I've used the vet locator and unfortunately as I live in a very remote area the closest guinea pig vet is 34 miles away I'm going to see what happens tomorrow ring both pets at home and the vet and get an appointment (I did trust this vet as she said she had guinea pigs of her own) if not I shall see if my boyfriend will drive us up on his day off which is unfortunately Wednesday :/
 
That is it he has not lost the hair around it the vet cut it off to get a better look when I took him to the vets the hair was still growing over it.

image.jpg
 
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A picture would help, I had a pig that was treated with Flamazine for an infected wound, but that may not be applicable in this case.
 
It's probably uncomfortable and itchy. I would definitely get him seen again, whether it is by your local vet, or Lance if you can get to him. He may need a course of steroids to break the itch scratch cycle. There are different types of fungal too, not just Ringworm, though Ringworm is the only one that would show up in any tests. My first though for what could have caused it though is mange mites, which are not visible to the naked eye and should be treated with a course of Ivermectin, preferably by injection. Do you know how your vet ruled out mites?
 
I did think mange mites was a possibility but the vet seemed rather dismissive of this idea she checked behind his ears noticed nothing unusual and she said there was no scabbing round the wound so she eliminated the idea I think when I go back I must really insist that everything is done to test for them
 
It does sound like she didn't check fully, especially as he now has a wound. Have you noticed anything with his hair? are the strands broken half way down at all?
 
No it's very bizarre besides the biting of the wound and the itching Percy with the sore back is fine however Elvis who had the sore eye seems to cough/sneeze alot and rub his face a lot :/
 
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