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Why's My Rodent Going Bald Again?

@ Swissgreys - My vet wouldn't prescribe Metacam without getting a consultation fee out of me, lol. No chance there. :lol:

@ Stayc1989 - I did take the rodent to the vets a year ago when she had her URI. I asked about her shape and balding and he said her shape was because she has a slack abdomen and there's nothing to worry about, he gave her belly a good feeling. & at the time he wasn't sure about the hair loss but said to try some ivermectin, failing that the hair loss could just be stress from being ill with the URI. I tried Xeno afterwards to rule out mites.

After keeping an ear on the rodents for the last week I think the whimpering sound is more because Ugly is harassing her and Pretty Fat is telling her where to go. Ugly knows there's something different about her and keeps smelling her bottom and mounting. She's not getting properly bullied, they love each other but I guess it's rather irritating for Pretty Fat so that's why she's making noise.

@ Natwee88 - I'm in Keighley so far away from Huddersfield.

I'll just keep an eye on things for the time being. Thanks.
 
I agree with the others, if you can I think it would not do any harm to have a vet check her over. If consultation fees are high you can probably make the most of it by having them check both your "Pretty Fat" and "Ugly" rodents at the same time.

Ugh that sentence looks so mean while trying to be polite and using their names :doh:
 
Please have her checked by a vet. Going bald is certainly not normal and more than likely she is in pain or discomfort. If it was a child going bald you would take them to the doctors, the same should happen with the animals you are responsible for.
 
I agree with the sentiments echoed above.
I understand that you don't want to take her to vet and may be worried about paying the fee for a consultation, but you owe it to your pet (who has no control over her situation) to offer her the chance to receive appropriate care.
You might not agree, but you have asked our opinion, and the overall consensus seems to be that she needs to see a vet.
Please try and find a way to take her to one.
Seeing a vet a year ago for the same problem does not mean she shouldn't see one again.
This may be a different problem, or a worsening of the same problem, but only a vet can tell you that.
I sincerely hope that for the sake of Pretty Fat you are able to get her to a vet very soon.
 
Also Ugly may be noticing something amiss hence trying to dominate her ...

Hope you manage to see a vet.
 
Well some things are quite shocking here. There is clearly a problem with the guinea pig... they don't just go bald for no reason. If it is ovarian cysts then bad news for you because they won't just disappear and neither will an infection like mites but as its one piggy affected I would guess it wasn't an infection. Consultation fees really aren't that huge. Mine are usually around £15-20 I think which is nothing for the comfort and good quality of life for your pet.

I see that your vet won't prescribe metacam without "getting a consultation fee" out of you... what utter nonsense... its not about getting money out of you but about prescribing the right treatment at the right dosage. Giving pain relief without any investigation would be like a GP prescribing paracetamol for cancer and expecting it to go of its own accord... what a waste of time.

I do apologise if this is coming across blunt but what answer do you want from this thread? You've asked a question which clearly shows your pet is ill but you are intent on not paying attention to any advice or recommendations made. So would you rather we all just lied and said everything will be fine?
 
Lady Kelly said:
Well some things are quite shocking here. There is clearly a problem with the guinea pig... they don't just go bald for no reason. If it is ovarian cysts then bad news for you because they won't just disappear and neither will an infection like mites but as its one piggy affected I would guess it wasn't an infection. Consultation fees really aren't that huge. Mine are usually around £15-20 I think which is nothing for the comfort and good quality of life for your pet.

I see that your vet won't prescribe metacam without "getting a consultation fee" out of you... what utter nonsense... its not about getting money out of you but about prescribing the right treatment at the right dosage. Giving pain relief without any investigation would be like a GP prescribing paracetamol for cancer and expecting it to go of its own accord... what a waste of time.

I do apologise if this is coming across blunt but what answer do you want from this thread? You've asked a question which clearly shows your pet is ill but you are intent on not paying attention to any advice or recommendations made. So would you rather we all just lied and said everything will be fine?
Click to expand...

You put exactly what I was thinking!
 
Lady Kelly said:
Well some things are quite shocking here. There is clearly a problem with the guinea pig... they don't just go bald for no reason. If it is ovarian cysts then bad news for you because they won't just disappear and neither will an infection like mites but as its one piggy affected I would guess it wasn't an infection. Consultation fees really aren't that huge. Mine are usually around £15-20 I think which is nothing for the comfort and good quality of life for your pet.

I see that your vet won't prescribe metacam without "getting a consultation fee" out of you... what utter nonsense... its not about getting money out of you but about prescribing the right treatment at the right dosage. Giving pain relief without any investigation would be like a GP prescribing paracetamol for cancer and expecting it to go of its own accord... what a waste of time.

I do apologise if this is coming across blunt but what answer do you want from this thread? You've asked a question which clearly shows your pet is ill but you are intent on not paying attention to any advice or recommendations made. So would you rather we all just lied and said everything will be fine?
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@Lady Kelly You've said exactly what I wanted to but couldn't put into words.

@Sue_P if you don't want to look after your pigs any more there are some fantastic rescues that will give them all the medical attention they need, regardless of age. Caring for animals isn't just feeding them, you have to do all the vets etc that comes with them. It's not even expensive for a check up. If you can't manage this then you have to put their welfare first and surrender them. Sorry to sound rude but it's a fact. To keep them in pain is cruelty and breaches the RSPCA's 5 freedoms.
 
Guys, I am going to close this thread for the evening. Temperatures are running high.

Sue, I know we've spoke in the past to you when your piggies have been unwell and you often pop back for advice and you have had lots of advice from Wiebke and furryfriends in the past on issues and took their advice on board. So i am asking you to trust us again, you must be worried because you have come on asking for advice...

Posters on this thread are very concerned and are just worried your piggy may be in pain. They are only trying to help you to help your piggy.

Now I know you care very deeply for your piggies and love them very much. Please get your piggy checked out at the vets, just in case they are in pain as they will need some painkiller if so.
 
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I think there's been a bit of a misunderstanding, I came on here just wondering if her balding again was owt to do with the time of year. It seemed like a big co-incidence that it should happen again at exactly the same time of year. I thought other rodent owners who have had balding rodents may have noticed a pattern with theirs.
 
Sue_P said:
I think there's been a bit of a misunderstanding, I came on here just wondering if her balding again was owt to do with the time of year. It seemed like a big co-incidence that it should happen again at exactly the same time of year. I thought other rodent owners who have had balding rodents may have noticed a pattern with theirs.
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No Sue, that is not a pattern just a co-incidence. Time of year would not cause baldness like that. I would suggest a vets visit
 
My Lady went bald on the sides just like yours have done. I didn't wait, I went straight to the Vet and she got operated on for Ovarian cyst.

Why take that gamble? I surely wouldn't on any of my piggies. As stewards of animals, we are responsible for the well being of any animals under our care.
 
Our little girl Toffee had baldness on her side so we took her to see the vet. She confirmed that it was a cyst by gently feeling, learning her history and of course the hair loss!
It wasn't stressful at all for Toffee and didn't hurt her so don't worry about your piggies getting hurt or stressed! She's too old to operate on, and so the vets just said to monitor it - but it's a relief to know for sure what it is and what to look for next.
We've had three more sows surrendered and two are showing signs of cysts so they'll be visit the vets too! I wouldn't take them if I didn't think it was worth it - you should too :)
 
Sue_P said:
I think there's been a bit of a misunderstanding, I came on here just wondering if her balding again was owt to do with the time of year. It seemed like a big co-incidence that it should happen again at exactly the same time of year. I thought other rodent owners who have had balding rodents may have noticed a pattern with theirs.
Click to expand...

The word “Rodent” covers a large classification of mammals from teeny tiny mice to something the size of a capybara. So when you are asking about if other rodent owners are experiencing baldness are you also asking about the rats and hamsters out there on the forum or specifically guinea pigs?
 
Squeakz said:
The word “Rodent” covers a large classification of mammals from teeny tiny mice to something the size of a capybara. So when you are asking about if other rodent owners are experiencing baldness are you also asking about the rats and hamsters out there on the forum or specifically guinea pigs?
Click to expand...

Sue, refers to her pigs by the term rodents she always has donr since she joined the forum. So she is indeed just referring to pigs here
 
I haven't taken her, she's still fine in herself. The other rodent was scratching a bit though a week or so ago so I gave them some Xeno just to be on the safe side to rule out mites again.

I presume Pretty Bald's hair will grow back again soon, I hope it's before the cold weather sets in.
 
To be honest if it is mites, you will need a diagnosis from the vets because Xeno might not be strong enough and you will more than likely need ivermectin injections. Hay mites don’t cause servere baldness like that, and you would see black eggs on her white patches. Mange mites are harder to get rid of as they live under the skin. My piggies were scratching for ages and I had to take them to 3 different vets before they gave them ivermectin injections. Cleared it up straight away unlike the Xeno. Either way she needs to see a vet!
 
Let's not let this get out of hand. We all feel quite strongly, but threatening to report Sue to the RSPCA will not make her change her mind. She knows that the pigs needs to see a vet and we need to encourage it, not start an argument (because frankly that will get us nowhere).
 
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