# Guinea pig with bald patches



## butterfingersbimbo (Jan 26, 2008)

Well I'm hoping that someone with GP experience might be able to help here, one of ours has suddenly developed a couple of bald patches, he is living with his brother and they get on really well, have both been neutered and are fed on GP mix and fresh veg and greens.....




















does this look fungal? I have looked for crawlies and haven't seen anything on either GP. Obviously I'm happy to go to the vet but if there's a remedy I could try or something I'm doing wrong I'd love some advice please : victory:


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## stinglestick (Aug 28, 2008)

It looks exactly like when one of mine has a go at the other one if im honest Emma..I reckpon his bro has had a couple of scuffles with him!! Its only natural!!and it looks like its already growing back..


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## butterfingersbimbo (Jan 26, 2008)

thanks hun :2thumb: I've just been reading up on ringworm but the skin where it's bald looks healthy.....


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## stinglestick (Aug 28, 2008)

Incidentally, his arse is huge!!


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

It's possibly just barbering. I would get it checked out at the vets though (but don't let the vet do a skin scraping for mites!) just in case it is fungal. 
Doesn't look like ringworm to me, ringworm usually brings up a bright red ring in the bald patches. : victory:


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## butterfingersbimbo (Jan 26, 2008)

stinglestick said:


> Incidentally, his arse is huge!!


That's a bit personal! I'm glad he can't read :lol2: actually i think it's the way i'm holding him. Should i weigh them?



LoveForLizards said:


> It's possibly just barbering. I would get it checked out at the vets though (but don't let the vet do a skin scraping for mites!) just in case it is fungal.
> Doesn't look like ringworm to me, ringworm usually brings up a bright red ring in the bald patches. : victory:


What's barbering?


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

Sometimes guinea pigs will out of the blue start chewing/grinding each others fur. It can be caused by a lot of things, it isn't usually health related but it can be. That's barbering.


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## LisaLQ (Jan 29, 2009)

This is what fungal infection looks like:









See on his nose too









Scaly, dandruffy and sometimes red bumpy and sore. When they had it on their ears, they looked like white powdery tidemark lines.

A couple of nizoral baths, some anti-fungal spray and several canestans later...back to normal with new hair growth:









He's completely better now - was a few weeks to get rid of it though.


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## butterfingersbimbo (Jan 26, 2008)

LisaLQ said:


> This is what fungal infection looks like:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for that! It looks different to ours, I was trying to find pics of fungal infections but couldn't. Plus I would have thought if it were fungal they would both have it?


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## LisaLQ (Jan 29, 2009)

Vince only ever got a tiny patch on his ear. I wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't been inspecting him!


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## stinglestick (Aug 28, 2008)

LisaLQ said:


> Vince only ever got a tiny patch on his ear. I wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't been inspecting him!


You have a guinea pig called Vince?? you are a modern day poet !


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## LisaLQ (Jan 29, 2009)

They're named after members of Motley Crue :lol2:

I've got a rat called Sixx, I just need a Mick now - but that's my husbands name...


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## Mush (Jan 20, 2008)

i think it looks like mites? do you use fresh hay or treated hay? when i had piggys i used to use fresh hay but they all caught mites from it but after some treatment they all soon recovered


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## butterfingersbimbo (Jan 26, 2008)

I will have a look at the hay, if it were mites then wouldn't they both have missing fur?.......

Right I've got the bag here and it says "specially selected for discerning pet owners....no sprays, insecticides or weedkillers are used on this product"
"meadow Hay" made by Pettex......I will have a look at their website.

http://www.pettex.co.uk/animal.html#


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## Mush (Jan 20, 2008)

butterfingersbimbo said:


> I will have a look at the hay, if it were mites then wouldn't they both have missing fur?.......
> 
> Right I've got the bag here and it says "specially selected for discerning pet owners....no sprays, insecticides or weedkillers are used on this product"
> "meadow Hay" made by Pettex......I will have a look at their website.
> ...



at the time i had 6 piggys in together, one came down with it first then 2 more than a few weeks later the rest.

i think its worth a trip to the vets though, when treating my pigs i was chaged £15 consult and £3 each per injection so wasnt expensive


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## butterfingersbimbo (Jan 26, 2008)

Mush said:


> at the time i had 6 piggys in together, one came down with it first then 2 more than a few weeks later the rest.
> 
> i think its worth a trip to the vets though, when treating my pigs i was chaged £15 consult and £3 each per injection so wasnt expensive


I will phone the vets for an appointment, better safe than sorry : victory:


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## butterfingersbimbo (Jan 26, 2008)

Well luckily are vet is near us and he had time to see us, we took both GP's and he had a look, checked for lice, he said he didn't think it was mites but gave them both a jab in case, they are to have another next week. he thinks it's probably hormonal. But I'm glad I went because you never know.


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