Tumors have occasionally been found internally in the barbered location. Guinea pigs can suffer from fungus, like ringworm. Guinea pig. ', The Importance of Vitamin C for Guinea Pigs. For guinea pigs, grease glands come up during the puberty stage and are more prone to male guinea pigs. Regardless, its a good idea to practice good hygiene when treating a guinea pig with ringworm, as it can spread to other animals and humans in the household. The vet will likely diagnose the guinea pig based on symptoms alone (itching, hair loss, skin irritation, etc.). As treatment, topical products containing chlorhexidine, miconazole, enilconazole or systemic pharmacotherapy such as terbinafine 20 mg/kg BW, PO, q24h, and itraconazole 5 mg/kg BW, PO, q24h are effective in guinea pigs affected with dermatophytosis (5,7). The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the Serum Vitamin C levels can be used to confirm the diagnosis (3,10,12). The initial approach consists of examining the animal from its cage to obtain information on the mental state, locomotion, and respiratory rate. Ok, lets carry on. Pinta's guinea pig, Abigail, continually barbers her legs. The owner should control the rate of eating of its guinea pig. scabby crusty The most recent information indicates that Tiramissou has total hair regrowth. Daily brushing with a metal greyhound comb will help remove some of the loose hair and lessen shedding. Apart from nutritional and genetic factors, other reasons such as an infectious disease, parasite, or fungal infection are responsible for hair loss in guinea pigs. Also, its advisable to apply lemon juice to the barber guinea pig or any bitter juice to make its fur painful and unpleasing to other bullying guinea. Evangeline's black and white guinea pig would have hair 3 to 4 inches long if it weren't for her tendency to trim her hair shorter. Most of these problems are treatable at home, but it is advisable to seek veterinary support when the issue is advisable. Also, it can apply to the bloodstream leading to the death of a guinea pig. Again separate the dominant guinea pigs from the non-dominant if the behavior is influenced by fighting. ovarian medical cysts symptoms You can control this condition by reducing stress in the places where a guinea pig lives. Dont let the vet trim the incisors; examining the back teeth should be done before concluding to treat the front teeth because the back teeth are the central problem of drooling. It appears that as long as the skin seems healthy, this is just the way they are. If the owner is unsure about its guineas health, its advisable to seek advice from the veterinary. Hence a guinea pig struggles with the weight-bearing on the affected part; therefore, walking and standing becomes a problem to the guinea pig. Diagnosis is based on the clinical history, abdominal palpation, imaging techniques such as radiography and ultrasound. PMC legacy view Guinea pigs usually have bald spots inside the front legs (see photo at right), perhaps as a result of grooming, with the hair being continuously rubbed off by cleaning their faces and eventually failing to regrow. Treatment for this infection is by covering and practicing proper hygiene on the wounds to prevent further disease, spread all over the skin, causing hair loss. Always pay a visit to your exotic vet if hair loss persists or you cant identify the root cause. ovarian cyst guinea pig cysts tumors guinealynx snowflake loss info Overgrowth of the back teeth causes trapping of the tongue hence drooling. While this may be normal and some guinea pigs seem to shed excessively, it is important to note that shedding may be one of the early signs of a parasite or fungal infection. Again a guinea pig with active grease glands and long hair is at high risk of infection on the skin, so its advisable to treat to be a bit shorter for grooming and avoiding infections more hair loss. You have to provide healthy, warm, and dry surfaces to guinea pigs all the time. Maintain their hygiene as much as possible. Pilny A. They can cause extreme itching, dandruff, skin irritation and scabs, and even seizures. Besides, the pig can be taking the soft food and leaving the hard food behind. The more safe way of treating the disease is by spraying guinea pigs with ivermectin. ), Breed or type, sex, and age (juvenile, adult, geriatric, or known date of birth), Environmental factors (area, humidity, and temperature), Feeding and management (diet, bedding, cleaning, cage disinfection), Other animals owned by the household (same or different species), Manifestation of itching, before or after the onset of alopecia. Any hair loss in an old guinea pig you should first inspect before inflicting any treatment since aging cannot lead to hair loss. petsoid It can be hard to identify these signs because it suggests other illnesses, indicating different conditions. It turned out to be Cushings disease. Its a condition where the hair below the jaw and neck is ever wet due to a guinea pigs dripping saliva. For severe cases, you have to treat the animal three times in 7-10, and the animal can be safe for a month. Ovarian Cysts: Hormonal changes in sows that develop ovarian cysts can cause hair loss, usually appearing first on the sides. For the infected feet, antibiotics can be used. Guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) are mammals belonging to the suborder Hystricomorph, 1 of the 2 main suborders of rodents. What Are the Causes For Hair Loss in Guinea Pigs? It happens when a lot of pressure is applied to the skins soft tissues, causing inflammation and even death of those issues, causing a lot of pain, especially in the affected region. Trixacarus caviae is the most common mite found in guinea pigs, being reported mainly in males and juveniles (1,3). Baby guinea pigs will occasionally loose the hair from their noses when nursing. Totally normal. While these are the most common causes of hair loss in guinea pigs, other potentially serious diseases can produce similar symptoms. A very young child may pull out a guinea pig's hair. Do Guinea Pigs Need Exercise Wheels and Balls? The Veterinary Dermatology column is a collaboration of The Canadian Veterinary Journal with the Canadian Academy of Veterinary Dermatology (CAVD). Fungal infections are a close runner-up. Ovarian cysts cause abdominal swelling in a guinea pig and hair loss on both sides of the abdomen. Fungus can cause bald patches, scaly skin, and hair loss. (VetPath). A guinea pig doesnt lose hair due to aging, there must be an infection, but the bald spots are typical. guinea pig teeth malocclusion guinealynx info lynx care malocclusions dental planing entrapment health In another case, a combination of unprepared vet and uncooperative guinea pig resulted in a painful patch of fur loss. It also causes seizures and dandruff on the skin and can lead to hair loss in guinea pigs. I have since taken her advice. The owner also cleans the wound with disinfectants to avoid infections and feeds the guinea pig a lot of vitamin C to fight the foreign bodies from getting into the damage. While there are many possible reasons for hair loss, the most common reason by far is microscopic mange mites, a painful parasitic condition easily treated with ivermectin. Find The Best Deals on Your Favorite guinea pig Products and Save! Trichophyton Imentagrophytes are the primary cause of ringworms. Visit your guinea pigs vet regularly for checkups, especially as soon as you notice that something is unusual with your pet. Kim SH, Jun HK, Yoo MJ, Kim DH. Barbering can also be triggered by pain or discomfort (gas, bloat, or other discomfort). The itchiness for fungal infections is not intense as that of mange mite infection. Hair loss in guinea pigs can be scary. about navigating our updated article layout. Alopecia is defined as the absence of hair in an area where it is normally present. As in other species, data collection is of utmost importance as part of an appropriate diagnostic approach. Tagged with: health issues. Clinical signs are often severe itching (giving the appearance of seizures or spastic movements), generalized alopecia (Figure 3), hyperkeratosis, erythema, and secondary pyoderma (2,3,8). Guinea pigs do not lose hair with old age. magnification cochlea Its sign and symptoms are rough haircoat, lameness, hair loss, joint swelling. In addition, dermatological lesions such as desquamation, erythema, scabs, excoriations and their distribution on the skin should be evaluated. Ringworm commonly starts around the head area, unlike mites, which often presents as a V shape on the back. The Bethesda, MD 20894, Web Policies The new PMC design is here! Enough space at the cage gives guinea pigs freedom of exercise, therefore, reduce the chances of obesity, that is, excess weight. When the guinea pair marks the territory, they end up fighting, injuring themselves, affecting the skin leading to hair loss. Often starts on the face, usually easily treated with an anti-fungal cream. This condition now leads to pododermatitis. Bathing wont cure mites, and can even make irritation worse and treatment more difficult. Cutaneous clinical signs such as alopecia (Figure 1), rough hair, peeling of the ears, petechiae, ecchymosis, and bruising may be present, as well as multiple nonspecific signs, such as weight loss, anorexia, reduced growth rate, stiff or crawling gait, lameness, bleeding gums, diarrhea, pain (manifested by teeth grinding or excessive vocalization), poor wound healing, or even death (5,7,10). The skinny pig owes its origin to the crossing of hairy guinea pigs and hairless guinea pigs, the latter comes from a strain related to a genetic mutation identified in 1978 in Canada. Accessibility It allows it to wear its teeth naturally hence controlling the problem of drooling. In guinea pigs, most ringworm infections are caused by Trichophyton mentagrophytes. Normally, spaying a guinea pig is the recommended course of action. The .gov means its official. Due to stress on the infected animal, animals can fight, increasing the chances of spreading the infection among the animals. The hairless area is larger in albino pigs and in colored animals the skin is usually more darkly pigmented than the remaining skin. My mission is to teach others useful tips and tricks about these cute creatures. In some cases, they are associated with concurrent cystic endometrial hyperplasia, mucometra, endometritis, and fibroleiomyoma (5).