• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Dry Skin - Treatment Ideas?

AimeeOx

AimeeOx

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Apr 6, 2017
Messages
174
Reaction score
231
Points
330
Location
Oxfordshire, UK
My long haired monster, Gibson, has seriously dry skin on his rump. It causes him real irritation and he hates it being touched.

He's had it checked (swabs etc) and there's nothing underlying, so I wondered if there was anythingI could use to ease it for him? I considered olive oil (his brother-from-another-mother Higgins is a hair stylist, so it must be edible!), would anyone recommend that?

I also considered getting him shaved to see if that cleared it up, but I think that's quite drastic (and he only just lets me trim his hair!).

Any help at all would be appreciated - thank you!
 
@helen105281 Have you got any tips?

I would recommend a humidifier; dry skin is generally worse when the radiators are on full tilt.
Is your boy a teddy? They are known for dry skin issues due to their thick coat and the ensuing bad air circulation.
 
Thanks @Wiebke . No, not a teddy, a long haired cross of some description (in my profile pick).

We don't use the radiators generally and have a wood burner on, but I will get a humidifier today and give that a go!
 
I’ve been using kwench lotion from gorgeous Guineas as a nice moisturer for my piggies when a little bit of dry skin occurs and it seems to work well. It’s also nice on the back of my hands :lol:

Not sure if he would let you put it on if he doesn’t like being touched there though?
 
I don't really have any ideas other than Humilac spray which I use for dry skin on skinnies but have not as yet used it on a hairy pig. You can get it from Vet UK, you may need to clip his hair in the area first though.
 
I know that many people solve a lot of issues (also with their pets) using organic coconut oil, which has a lot of good properties and is safe for piggies. This oil is solid if the temperature is lower than 25-26°C, hence you need to warm it before rubbing it on the skin.
Buy a good quality (also online) and if it will not work on your piggie's skin, you can use it for cooking (or you can use it for yourself: read online all its amazing properties).
I copy-paste something found on the net:

Amazing Coconut Oil
Guinea Pig Uses and Benefits
  • Dry Skin - a fantastic moisturizer.
  • Bumblefoot - keep moisturized with Coconut Oil. It cannot hurt, can only help and there are reports of bumblefoot being cured.
  • Fungal infections - VCO Coconut Oil has anti-fungal properties AND it is very soothing when applied AND it is not toxic to your guinea pig.
  • Mites and Hair Loss - the book talks about one of our long-time rescuers using a total coating of VCO CO for a guinea pig. It can certainly help soothe inflamed skin and helps heal wounds. It seems to also do a great job of encouraging hair regrowth. For mites, please read the book and know what you are doing.
  • Cleaning your Boar's Grease Gland - rub some in liberally and gently and use a soft tooth brush to work it in and gently brush/comb it through.
  • Toe Nails/Skin tags on feet - Keep Coconut Oil massaged into old, dried or curling toe nails and you'll see improvement. Soften and help reduce skin tags. Rubbing Coconut Oil on your piggies feet two or three times a week can help keep them healthy.
  • Anal Impaction/Perineal Sac Cleaning - Any time you read "Mineral Oil," Please use Coconut Oil instead. Please do not use mineral oil. Coconut Oil is the healthy oil to use.
  • Cleaning the Penis - Yes, sometimes, it's necessary, and please use Coconut Oil.
  • Scaly, scabby, dry ears - Massage coconut oil into your piggy's ears and skin to help keep them moisturized.
 
My new piggie, Prince, also has dry skin especially at the back area. He doesn't like me touching it too. He was treated for some skin condition when RSPCA rescued him (he had his 3rd panomec injection on December). Apart from that, he doesn't scratch much, only the usual occasional ones.
 
Thanks @Guineautopia I will look into that.. I can hold him tight and touch the area, he just doesn't like it because of the itchiness/over-sensitivity at the moment..

@helen105281 I will read up on this, too.. He has only just 'allowed' me to clip his skirt, as I think he's realised that it's much nicer than running around all day with poops stuck to you, so a full clip of his back end could be challenging..!

@rome_italy I have some coconut oil in the cupboard, so will warm some up and try that! Oh he will smell even more wonderful than usual!

@anyar.dris aw bless you rehoming Prince, a very lucky boy I'm sure. I hope he recovers well, good to hear he's not too scratchy!
 
Good luck and let us know how you get on? I’m interested in the coconut oil, having read about that now I’m going to see if that can help my boars grease gland!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top