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white spots on guinea pigs ear?

mezmezmeeez

New Born Pup
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Hi, I'm not sure if the pictures are good enough but I've noticed dandruff? like white spots on my guinea pig's ears. there's a red spot beside it which I also think is new? I don't think any of the two were here yesterday; they definitely weren't there three days ago when I last took pictures of him. He doesn't seem to find it scratchy (haven't noticed him trying to scratch it) and he doesn't flinch away when I touch the spots. He has been making a rumbling sound ever since I got a new guinea pig (whom I do not know the gender of -though I'm guessing female- will make sure as soon as s/he stops being so scared of me); and did popcorn and zoom around when I gave him treats an hour ago.
Any help would be appreciated as I would rather not see a vet, since the last time I did one of my babies was killed.
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It’s not quite easy enough to see but there is a possibility it could be a fungal infection if it is getting worse over the course of a couple of days. You will have to see a vet to get the diagnosis and treatment in any event. We cannot diagnose anything.

The rumbling is a normal dominance behaviour for a guinea pig to do.
Please do not put this piggy in the same cage your new piggy though if you do not know the sex and if this piggy in the picture is unneutered. Unneutered Boars and sows must be kept separate and in a secure cage as boars can and will become very determined to get in with sows and cause pregnancies.
 
It’s not quite easy enough to see but there is a possibility it could be a fungal infection if it is getting worse over the course of a couple of days. You will have to see a vet to get the diagnosis and treatment in any event. We cannot diagnose anything.

The rumbling is a normal dominance behaviour for a guinea pig to do.
Please do not put this piggy in the same cage your new piggy though if you do not know the sex and if this piggy in the picture is unneutered. Unneutered Boars and sows must be kept separate and in a secure cage as boars can and will become very determined to get in with sows and cause pregnancies.
I guess I should ask around for a vet that knows a bit more about rodents than the last one.

They are separate as I figured putting a screen (? idk what the name is English isn't my first language) between their two areas would work best when introducing them; since I'm going to a vet anyways I'll get the other sexed as well. Thank you for your reply!
 
I guess I should ask around for a vet that knows a bit more about rodents than the last one.

They are separate as I figured putting a screen (? idk what the name is English isn't my first language) between their two areas would work best when introducing them; since I'm going to a vet anyways I'll get the other sexed as well. Thank you for your reply!

yes, trying to find a good vet is important, not always easy though. I hope you can find one.

yes they will need to stay separated at all times If they are different sexes. But you will also need to be make sure the divide between them is very secure/ high. Boars can be very determined and climb or jump on hidey houses and find their way in to sows cages. Be very careful when keeping a mixed sex pair next to each other. Definitely do ask the vet to sex your new piggy.
 
So, I did take him to a vet. Unfortunately, I did not find a rodent specialist; but I managed to track a vet down who has experience dealing with guinea pigs. By the time I found him, the white flaky spots had spread over and inside the ear, a spot behind his ear and around one of his eyes; none of the areas too big but spread nonetheless. The scratching had also started. They told me It's a fungal infection and to get ketoconazole and vitamin A&D creams and to apply a mix of them 4 (?) times a day.

Is this okay? on the ketoconazole box it says to apply once a day (on humans); and 4 times a day on a tiny piggy seems a little too much to me?
I know I am to trust vets, but honestly, considering the fact that the last vet injected one of my piggies with amoxicillin, I'd like to ask the people on this forum for their opinion as well.

Also, I got Frodo sexed. He's male, still separated from Percy though till the fungi situation is dealt with.
 
I’m glad that you have been to the vets and that your other piggy is also a boar.

I’m sorry that your previous vet gave the wrong treatment :(

Ketoconazole is a human anti fungal cream. Please follow your vets advise and apply 4 times a day.

I once had to apply a human anti fungal cream to a piggy who had a fungal infection and that too was 4 times daily
 
Please also ensure you thoroughly clean down your cages with a good quality pet safe cleaning solution as fungal spores can persist in the environment and cause reinfection
 
Please also ensure you thoroughly clean down your cages with a good quality pet safe cleaning solution as fungal spores can persist in the environment and cause reinfection
Luckily, I had bought several pieces of fleece, and just completely changed it altogether.
Changed their hideys with cardboard boxes for now till I can go buy a cleaning solution.
Hopefully this will all be over soon because the stress is killing me.
 
I’m glad that you have been to the vets and that your other piggy is also a boar.

I’m sorry that your previous vet gave the wrong treatment :(

Ketoconazole is a human anti fungal cream. Please follow your vets advise and apply 4 times a day.

I once had to apply a human anti fungal cream to a piggy who had a fungal infection and that too was 4 times daily

Did the cream make your piggy red too?
The cream I'm applying has made the infected areas red?

The flaky, dry dandruff like parts are gone and smoothed over, under which on the infected part on Percy's back there is a small wound (?) like dot, which isn't bleeding, just seems like one of those wounds that scab over and fall after a while.
However, his ear and around his eye and around the back wound are pretty red Compared to the color on the first picture of this thread.
This morning his ear was also kind of flopped down and he has a slight head tilt; Also the infected eye is a bit more closed compared to his fine one.

I'm afraid I might've done something wrong while applying the cream?
He also absolutely hates the cream and shakes his head and even scratched my arm while I tried to apply it this morning :(
I'm sure he's going to absolutely hate me when all this is over.

I've attached a couple of pictures as I'm terrible at explaining, If anyone would be as kind to tell me whether these reactions are normal I'd be eternally grateful.
My poor baby looks like he's recovering from terrible life choices :(
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My piggy has fungal infection, I have been applying a mix of ketoconazole and Vitamin A&D as recommended by the vet 4 times a day.
He hates the cream, scratches my hand and shakes his head so I don't apply it.
The infected areas are on his ears, around his left eye and on his back.
Today, I have noticed that he has scratched the eye area bloody after I applied the cream, How do I make this stop?
for the back and ear I could cover it with a sock or sth if it happens but what do I do with the eye area?
 
Oh you poor thing and poor piggy! I don't have the knowledge to advise but I see you have posted earlier about this problem. Perhaps it would help people to advise if they know a few more details? Such as how many days the piggy has been having the ketoconazole... sometimes treatments take a while before you see improvement. Did the vet tell you what to expect? And did he say if there was any alternative treatment if this did not work after however many days? I would also have a look at the instructions to check this stuff can still be applied to 'broken' skin (the bloodied area)...

I understand you might be in an area where vets don't see a lot of guinea-pigs, I just hope someone here can advise and sorry I'm not more help. We are just waking up here in the UK so someone should be posting soon. Good luck 😪 💕
 
My piggy has fungal infection, I have been applying a mix of ketoconazole and Vitamin A&D as recommended by the vet 4 times a day.
He hates the cream, scratches my hand and shakes his head so I don't apply it.
The infected areas are on his ears, around his left eye and on his back.
Today, I have noticed that he has scratched the eye area bloody after I applied the cream, How do I make this stop?
for the back and ear I could cover it with a sock or sth if it happens but what do I do with the eye area?

please keep your questions on the same issue to the same, original thread. This enables us to have all the information in one place and can immediately see the background to the issue. I have merged your two threads.
 
Oh you poor thing and poor piggy! I don't have the knowledge to advise but I see you have posted earlier about this problem. Perhaps it would help people to advise if they know a few more details? Such as how many days the piggy has been having the ketoconazole... sometimes treatments take a while before you see improvement. Did the vet tell you what to expect? And did he say if there was any alternative treatment if this did not work after however many days? I would also have a look at the instructions to check this stuff can still be applied to 'broken' skin (the bloodied area)...

I understand you might be in an area where vets don't see a lot of guinea-pigs, I just hope someone here can advise and sorry I'm not more help. We are just waking up here in the UK so someone should be posting soon. Good luck 😪 💕

This is the third day of applying the cream, The vet told me the whole infection should clear up in 3-4 days? After which I'm supposed to bring him to vet for a medical bath.

This particular vet has more experience with piggies because people bring theirs for nail clippings and baths to him but to be honest, I don't think the vet has much of an idea on what to do either. Most people around here just leave their piggies in a small cage and they generally die before the year is up, and any extra spending on medical issues is practically unheard of.

I did bring up Oral and shampoo treatments, but the vet just said to keep up with the cream.
I have messaged and called once again for the blood issue but they have yet to reply.

Thank you for your kind words :(
 
please keep your questions on the same issue to the same, original thread. This enables us to have all the information in one place and can immediately see the background to the issue. I have merged your two threads.

I'm so sorry!
I'll make sure to keep to this thread in the future. Thank you for the reminder!
 
I'm so sorry!
I'll make sure to keep to this thread in the future. Thank you for the reminder!

not a problem! It just makes it easier for us to have everything in one place as we deal with multiple health threads each day and can’t always remember which one is which!

Treating fungal infections can take time.
To my knowledge, using creams is not the most effective way to deal with a fungal infection. I’m glad you asked about oral medication. Perhaps they may change their mind if there is no improvement.
Unfortunately clipping nails is not something you need to be specialised at so it doesn’t mean the vet has the necessary experience with guinea pigs.
do you have another vet you can access Maybe?
 
Most people around here just leave their piggies in a small cage and they generally die before the year is up, and any extra spending on medical issues is practically unheard of.

Then you are a pioneer by getting a friend for your guinea pig and understanding more about their needs! They are lucky piggies.
In one of my previous posts fungal issues were discussed and I learned about, ".... itrafungol, a systemic oral cat fungicide that has been successfully used for years for both ringworm and candida infections in guinea pigs ". My problem wasn't fungal (and sadly was incurable) but I had not heard about oral treatments before. Maybe this stuff is just not available where you live though...

The other thing, and please forgive me if I might be being a little culturally insensitive here, I don't know how your vet reacts to suggestions. My vets tend to welcome some discussion as we all try and improve our knowledge but I have met vets before from a different country (just socially) and one was saying how he got very offended if people came in with - shall we say - a proactive attitude, and he dismissed them straight away if they were not showing him proper deference! I would feel awful if you mentioned any suggestion and your vet reacted badly. I have everything crossed for you - I'm not sure what a medical bath is but I hope it is more antifungal treatment! 💕
 
not a problem! It just makes it easier for us to have everything in one place as we deal with multiple health threads each day and can’t always remember which one is which!

Treating fungal infections can take time.
To my knowledge, using creams is not the most effective way to deal with a fungal infection. I’m glad you asked about oral medication. Perhaps they may change their mind if there is no improvement.
Unfortunately clipping nails is not something you need to be specialised at so it doesn’t mean the vet has the necessary experience with guinea pigs.
do you have another vet you can access Maybe?

Unfortunately not :(
I have asked all my friends who have pets (and even veterinary students), but all the vets around here only care for cats and dogs. After talking to someone who keeps rabbits, I was introduced to this vet on the account that he has taken his rabbits to him before for various problems.
The nurse assured me that most rodent owners come to him as there simply isn't a rodent specialist in Iran at all; Considering the conservative views on raising pets in general, I'm not really surprised.

On the bright side, the white dandruff like things are gone? Also beside scratching himself bloody (only this morning after I applied the cream, for now he seems to have stopped) , there doesn't seem to be any other problem. He is less vocal, but I'm guessing that's because he doesn't trust me enough to ask me for treats anymore. Still popcorned when I changed the hay in his cage, so that's nice. After searching online, I'm not supposed to apply ketoconazole on wounds so I'll leave the eye alone till the vet gives me another option.

I have attached a picture of the bloody eye area so if anyone has any ideas on how to make him not be able to do it again once I'm out of eyesight I'd be thankful.
He doesn't look so scary on the other side of his face, I promise :(:(
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Then you are a pioneer by getting a friend for your guinea pig and understanding more about their needs! They are lucky piggies.
In one of my previous posts fungal issues were discussed and I learned about, ".... itrafungol, a systemic oral cat fungicide that has been successfully used for years for both ringworm and candida infections in guinea pigs ". My problem wasn't fungal (and sadly was incurable) but I had not heard about oral treatments before. Maybe this stuff is just not available where you live though...

The other thing, and please forgive me if I might be being a little culturally insensitive here, I don't know how your vet reacts to suggestions. My vets tend to welcome some discussion as we all try and improve our knowledge but I have met vets before from a different country (just socially) and one was saying how he got very offended if people came in with - shall we say - a proactive attitude, and he dismissed them straight away if they were not showing him proper deference! I would feel awful if you mentioned any suggestion and your vet reacted badly. I have everything crossed for you - I'm not sure what a medical bath is but I hope it is more antifungal treatment! 💕

The last vet I took my other piggy to yelled at me when I asked why they're giving him injections; that if I'm going to question what he's doing to just take the pig and go. Newt ended up dying due to that injection so I'm trying not to listen blindly just because I'm scared this time.

This vet is pretty chill though, He didn't get mad when I mentioned oral treatments just said that based on his own experience to keep up with the cream. But considering the bleeding I am going to translate the mega threads on this forum and ask him whether any of the options mentioned here could work in this situation.

Hopefully all will be better in a week or two!
 
You can’t do anything about the scratching unfortunately. I think fungal infections usually get worse before they’re better. Make sure you keep up with the hygiene regime. I’ll tag @Wiebke @PigglePuggle @Piggies&buns they will better advise you as I’m not experienced with treating fungal infections.
 
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