Dust?

[Lunapxggies]

Yesterday I took in one of my mutual friends two female guinea pigs (their cage is absolutely tiny and I got a new one that’s coming within the next few days but as for now they’re in a small cage). I was checking up on them today, Pumpkin (who is the brown one and is younger) seems obviously overweight and is very jumpy and was hiding all of today and yesterday. As i was observing them i realized that they both have this dust like stuff on their back ends. I would try to touch it and rub it off but they both are insanely jumpy and I can’t. I was just really wondering if anyone knew what it was it’s really worrying me.

 

[Wiebke]

Yesterday I took in one of my mutual friends two female guinea pigs (their cage is absolutely tiny and I got a new one that’s coming within the next few days but as for now they’re in a small cage). I was checking up on them today, Pumpkin (who is the brown one and is younger) seems obviously overweight and is very jumpy and was hiding all of today and yesterday. As i was observing them i realized that they both have this dust like stuff on their back ends. I would try to touch it and rub it off but they both are insanely jumpy and I can’t. I was just really wondering if anyone knew what it was it’s really worrying me.

Hi

Please have them checked for potential hay mites (which come usually with the hay).
The mites themselves are invisible but - unlike mange mites burrowing their eggs in the increasingly inflamed skin - they are fixing their tiny egg cases initially mainly to the bum end and any under-layers of the hair coat. Because they mainly live off debris on the hairs and skin, while they are the least harmful of the skin parasites, they can be a bit more difficult to get rid of. Please accept that I can only guess sight unseen from your decription.

More information on guinea pig specific skin parasites in this link here: New Guinea Pig Problems: Sexing & Pregnancy; URI, Ringworm & Parasites; Vet Checks & Customer Rights

Settling in, prey animal instincts (and how to work around them) and piggy whispering techniques:
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pigs Safely

Please also put your girls on a good mostly hay based diet with a minimum of pellets and only a modicum of predferably leafy hay and give them plenty of exercise in combination with enrichment lures once they have settled in. The combination of overfeeding on wrong food groups with lack of movement/exercise possibilities can lead to overweight.
Please take the time to read these very practical and helpful links here:
Weight - Monitoring and Management (includes overweight - how to check for it and what to do)
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

You can find all these helpful how-to guide links and many more in our very useful practial information collection. You may want to bookmark the link, browse, read and re-read at need. Our own long term experience as well as 15 years and LOTS of questions have all fed into our guides: Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides