Dandruff

[Lilaclemons]

Hello! I have a female guinea pig who has a reoccurring neck abscess that while treatable, is not curable in our situation. When we went to the vet they did not give us any advice, nor tell us how to go about ensuring there is no trapped pus. The vet can not be called for a couple of days, as well. Because of this my sibling and I have been doing a lot of guesswork, massaging out the pus with warm gauze and whatnot. We gave her a quick bath today to help with the cleaning, and I noticed soon after when drying that she had an abnormal amount of dandruff, mostly on the area connecting her hind legs and underbelly. Is this simply due to stress or is it something i should try to treat? Attached are photos of her leg and and a photo of a dandruff piece from her back.

 

[Wiebke]

Hello! I have a female guinea pig who has a reoccurring neck abscess that while treatable, is not curable in our situation. When we went to the vet they did not give us any advice, nor tell us how to go about ensuring there is no trapped pus. The vet can not be called for a couple of days, as well. Because of this my sibling and I have been doing a lot of guesswork, massaging out the pus with warm gauze and whatnot. We gave her a quick bath today to help with the cleaning, and I noticed soon after when drying that she had an abnormal amount of dandruff, mostly on the area connecting her hind legs and underbelly. Is this simply due to stress or is it something i should try to treat? Attached are photos of her leg and and a photo of a dandruff piece from her back. View attachment 120133View attachment 120134

Please have your piggy checked for a potential fungal skin infection when you see them. There are quite a few milder forms of fungal around; as it doesn't look like a ringworm patch (which is the most aggressive and contagious form).
Alternatively it could be the start of mange mites. They can look much more similar in the very early stages than textbook images will let you think!

Please do not home treat on spec. The issues require different treatment. By home treating the spot you make any identification near impossible for the vet as you basically wipe the crime scene.
Both fungal and mange mites are opportunistic issues that can hit when the immune system is suppressed from an ongoing health problem.

 

[Lilaclemons]

Please have your piggy checked for a potential fungal skin infection when you see them. There are quite a few milder forms of fungal around; as it doesn't look like a ringworm patch (which is the most aggressive and contagious form).
Alternatively it could be the start of mange mites. They can look much more similar in the very early stages than textbook images will let you think!

Please do not home treat on spec. The issues require different treatment. By home treating the spot you make any identification near impossible for the vet as you basically wipe the crime scene.
Both fungal and mange mites are opportunistic issues that can hit when the immune system is suppressed from an ongoing health problem.

Please have your piggy checked for a potential fungal skin infection when you see them. There are quite a few milder forms of fungal around; as it doesn't look like a ringworm patch (which is the most aggressive and contagious form).
Alternatively it could be the start of mange mites. They can look much more similar in the very early stages than textbook images will let you think!

Please do not home treat on spec. The issues require different treatment. By home treating the spot you make any identification near impossible for the vet as you basically wipe the crime scene.
Both fungal and mange mites are opportunistic issues that can hit when the immune system is suppressed from an ongoing health problem.

thank you!