Waxy Ear Or More Sinister?

[katiepig]

Hi

I've taken in a lovely new little guinea pig today, Jaffacake. I'm keeping her on her own for a couple weeks until I start the introductions later on. She's got teddy/rex type fur and she has a case of dry skin on her back but looks like that's all it is.

Now I noticed she has one very dirty ear, the other is clean. This ear has a lot of what I'm guessing is wax in it though it's a paler colour than my other guinea pigs usual ear wax. At first I thought it was mixed in with dry skin but actually her other ear isn't dry at all. It's like the whole of all the little nooks and crannies of her ear structure has a layer of dirt over it, a little spread on to the edge/back of her ear and I've scratched it gently and it comes away (she seemed to be loving the attention! I wonder if it's itchy). It's mostly dry and doesn't wipe off with cotton like my other pigs does, it has to be gently scratched off.

Inside her ear canal is a great big .... thing?! I'm guessing that it's a lump of wax but it's too far in to dislodge ( a tiny bit came off and was the same material as is in her outer ear), I'll have to wait till tomorrow when I get back home (away from home atm) to use some ear drops I have bought previously and hopefully that will dislodge it. I doubt she can hear much through that ear.

Do you think there's anything to worry about? I've heard of ear mites but I don't know much about them is this a concern here?

Thanks for any help x

 

[Wiebke]

Hi

I've taken in a lovely new little guinea pig today, Jaffacake. I'm keeping her on her own for a couple weeks until I start the introductions later on. She's got teddy/rex type fur and she has a case of dry skin on her back but looks like that's all it is.

Now I noticed she has one very dirty ear, the other is clean. This ear has a lot of what I'm guessing is wax in it though it's a paler colour than my other guinea pigs usual ear wax. At first I thought it was mixed in with dry skin but actually her other ear isn't dry at all. It's like the whole of all the little nooks and crannies of her ear structure has a layer of dirt over it, a little spread on to the edge/back of her ear and I've scratched it gently and it comes away (she seemed to be loving the attention! I wonder if it's itchy). It's mostly dry and doesn't wipe off with cotton like my other pigs does, it has to be gently scratched off.

Inside her ear canal is a great big .... thing?! I'm guessing that it's a lump of wax but it's too far in to dislodge ( a tiny bit came off and was the same material as is in her outer ear), I'll have to wait till tomorrow when I get back home (away from home atm) to use some ear drops I have bought previously and hopefully that will dislodge it. I doubt she can hear much through that ear.

Do you think there's anything to worry about? I've heard of ear mites but I don't know much about them is this a concern here?

Thanks for any help x

Some teddies can be prone to ear wax, but please have any new guinea pig vet checked as a matter of course unless they come from a place with mandatory quarantine and vet care.
If the build-up is really bad, it is better to have it checked and carefully removed by a vet. he can also give you a suitable product to help prevent another build-up and show you have to remove any gunk from the ear without damaging it. DIY ear treatment can do more harm than good.
It is impossible for us to say what is causing the build-up without a hands-on examination.

 

[Betsy]

I'd take your new Piggy to visit your vet just to make sure it's nothing horrible. Also you could ask him/her to give your new gp a once over so you know she is OK.

 

[katiepig]

Yeah ok it's probably worth a vet visit anyway cos as far as I could tell she hasn't been being fed any hay either so I'd feel happier if someone looked at her teeth as well. Thanks both