Anything else I can try for dry flaky skin?

[machuandpicchumummy]

Machu seems to have a problem with dry flaky skin on his ears. Vet recommended Vaseline but he really doesn't like this as it's so sticky and greasy and gets hay stuck to it and every time I stop using it once its looking better it comes back worse. Vet said there's nothing she can see that's causing it and it's a 'Machu problem'. Is there anything else I could try on his ears to clear them up for good? Only posts I can find on this topic are 10+ years ago so just seeing if there's any new products or guidance that might help.

 

[Siikibam]

I assume the vet has rules out anything fungal? Otherwise I don’t know what you can use really. Hopefully someone more experienced will be able to answer you more comprehensively.

 

[machuandpicchumummy]

I assume the vet has rules out anything fungal? Otherwise I don’t know what you can use really. Hopefully someone more experienced will be able to answer you more comprehensively.

When his ear was all crusty she had a look and didn't say anything about fungal so assuming she checked for that. She definitely shone a light through it to look for ringworm and that was all clear. He just seems to be a bit dry and itchy and I want to
make it better for him

 

[Wiebke]

Machu seems to have a problem with dry flaky skin on his ears. Vet recommended Vaseline but he really doesn't like this as it's so sticky and greasy and gets hay stuck to it and every time I stop using it once its looking better it comes back worse. Vet said there's nothing she can see that's causing it and it's a 'Machu problem'. Is there anything else I could try on his ears to clear them up for good? Only posts I can find on this topic are 10+ years ago so just seeing if there's any new products or guidance that might help.

Hi

Has your vet considered a mild fungal infection? It is not at all uncommon for guinea pigs to get it on the ears. We get enquiries dry and/or scaly ears regularly. There are other much milder forms of fungal that guinea pigs can catch that are not infective and contagious the way ringworm is.
The UV light test has unfortunately not proven to be wholly effective for a ringworm diagnosis but you would have long since experienced a serious outbreak if it had been that since the spores would have spread and affected other parts of the body.

A very thin layer of fungal cream will hopefully take care of it (athlete's foot cream or similar is OK).
Please never apply any creams thickly on guinea pig skin; especially not on the ears which guinea pigs use to regulate their body temperature with by controlling the blood flow and vessel widening. A thick layer of vaseline is like wrapping a piggy into a ski suit. Sudocrem used on spec can dry out the skin and make it crack to allow more bugs in.

 

[machuandpicchumummy]

Hi

Has your vet considered a mild fungal infection? It is not at all uncommon for guinea pigs to get it on the ears. We get enquiries dry and/or scaly ears regularly. There are other much milder forms of fungal that guinea pigs can catch that are not infective and contagious the way ringworm is.
The UV light test has unfortunately not proven to be wholly effective for a ringworm diagnosis but you would have long since experienced a serious outbreak if it had been that since the spores would have spread and affected other parts of the body.

A very thin layer of fungal cream will hopefully take care of it (athlete's foot cream or similar is OK).
Please never apply any creams thickly on guinea pig skin; especially not on the ears which guinea pigs use to regulate their body temperature with by controlling the blood flow and vessel widening. A thick layer of vaseline is like wrapping a piggy into a ski suit. Sudocrem used on spec can dry out the skin and make it crack to allow more bugs in.

Hi,

Not sure the vet we saw was very experienced with piggies as our normal vet who specialises in them wasn't in that day so I'm not sure if she considered that.

Thank you for the tip about vaseline, maybe that's why he doesn't like it if it makes him really warm, didn't even consider it would do that.

I'll try some athletes foot cream and see if that clears it up. Poor little guy is very dry. Haven't noticed anything with his hutch mate.

 

[weepweeps]

Percy had dry ears when I first got him. I was recommended Daktarin athletes foot cream. Twice a day for 10 days. It’s never come back. I would say that looks like a mild fungal infection to me.