I work with Cats and Dogs but have a guinea pig at home (1years&3months old) I do health checks on her each and every day. Today I took her out of her cage for enrichment and felt on her stomach that felt crusty. When I went to check her stomach she squealed in pain so it took me a while for her to let me check it out. I’ve noticed a sore line from her chest to her stomach. I’ve put some Aloe Vera gel on it to sooth the wound. She keeps chewing the wound which will make it worse and possibly make it get infected. I’ve gave her a carrot to chew as a distraction as with a dog I’d usually do the same with a dog give it something to chew on to distract from chewing a wound so I suspected it would be the same theory. As it is Sunday today the vets are closed and I can’t call to make an appointment for her till 9am tomorrow. I’m just so worried with what to do with her for the rest of today and over night till I can get her to the vet as I can’t keep giving her carrots with them being so high in sugars but I don’t want her to irritate her wound anymore. I’d bandage her up but I don’t want her to over heat with the bandage on or it restrict her breathing or she choke herself or something over night with it on or whether it will be best for the wound to breathe. Someone please help me out. I just feel like I should just have her by my side at all times and stay awake all day and night just to make sure she’s okay. The picture shown is her wound with aloe Vera gel applied. Also would the vets give her metacam for pain relief or is that just for cats and dogs? And are head cones a thing?
Hi and welcome!
Please have her seen tomorrow and try not to panic! Do not treat on spec for skin conditions with whatever you have had at hand, as you can make a diagnosis very difficult or impossible; as hard as it is to sit by for you. Your vet will thank you for making their job easier and allow them to step in with the correct medication straight away! Leave her as she is and don't interfere; she is in no danger of life and things are not getting any more uncomfortable until you see a vet.
It sounds like a fungal skin infection, possibly ringworm even though the location is not typical for a classic, but by far not all outbreaks are. In your case with a multispecies household, ringworm spores can have easily be carried into your house by your other pets and then picked up by your piggy - even via your clothing.
Please take a deep breath! If it is fungal, then you can work past it with some good hygiene to prevent it from spreading to you and your other pets as well as making a comeback. With the appropriate treatmen, things won't get past the level of some acute discomfort for your piggy, which will soon settle down although you have to brace yourself for the infection to run its due course and to look worse before it heals off again. Be careful to follow all our hygiene tips as we have had plenty of time to work out all the possible angles transmission can happen and address them - and they really work, as other forum members can attest!
Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures
Since we have members and enquiries from all over the world, we find it very helpful if you please added your country, state/province or UK county to your details so we can always tailor any advice to what is relevant and available where you are straight away. Click on your username on the top bar, then go to account details and then down to location. This makes it appear with every post you make and saves everybody time. In your case, medical brand names differ from country to country; knowing which corner of the world you are in will help us to help you as efficiently as possible. Thank you!
