Fungal area on new pig, or bullying injury?

[4boipigs]

I got this boy yesterday from the animal shelter to join my bereaved boar. I immediately noticed the area on his eye, but was told the vet thinks he was being picked on. He was housed in a small cage with another baby and an adult (the shelter had probably 10 or 15 rabbits from a hoarder, so they had no kennels left). Both male. They only had one hide. The employee suspected the adult was definitely dominant and the other baby was also. I noticed a couple other small spots, one bald (nose) and the other looks like it is starting to thin out and isn't noticeable unless you're looking at it (behind his front leg). He has shown no other issues so far - he is eating, playing, wheeking, and being a happy baby. My adult is very kind to him.

I suspect something fungal regardless of what I was told, so I decided to take some precautions and keep handling to a minimum and wash my hands after doing anything around them like cleaning.

I can get to the vet later in the week if needed. Does this look like something I need to have checked out?

 

[Piggies&buns]

I would absolutely be thinking fungal first and foremost, and seeing a vet for diagnosis and treatment

The guide below explains ringworm further

Ringworm: Hygiene, Care And Pictures

 

[Claire W]

I was just about to say that it looks like Ringworm. Please see a vet for the correct diagnosis and treatment

 

[Wiebke]

I got this boy yesterday from the animal shelter to join my bereaved boar. I immediately noticed the area on his eye, but was told the vet thinks he was being picked on. He was housed in a small cage with another baby and an adult (the shelter had probably 10 or 15 rabbits from a hoarder, so they had no kennels left). Both male. They only had one hide. The employee suspected the adult was definitely dominant and the other baby was also. I noticed a couple other small spots, one bald (nose) and the other looks like it is starting to thin out and isn't noticeable unless you're looking at it (behind his front leg). He has shown no other issues so far - he is eating, playing, wheeking, and being a happy baby. My adult is very kind to him.

I suspect something fungal regardless of what I was told, so I decided to take some precautions and keep handling to a minimum and wash my hands after doing anything around them like cleaning.

I can get to the vet later in the week if needed. Does this look like something I need to have checked out?

Hi

This looks a fully developed case of ringworm to me. (See the reference pictures in the last chapter of the link below)

Please take the time to carefully read our ringworm hygiene and care guide; it is very thorough and the best way to get on top of the most contagious species jumping form of a fungal skin infection. The biggest problem with ringworm is to get on top of the thousands of long-lived inivisibly tiny spores once and for all. in 15 years of running this forum, we have had time to work out the various transmissions routes and how to best address them. The hygiene lessons in our guide have been hard ones, but they work if you follow them closely. The guide is very practical and step-by-step.

Here is the link again: Ringworm: Hygiene, Care And Pictures

 

[4boipigs]

I decided to pick him up and take a good look. He has a red spot on his front side behind his leg and under a back leg he also has a spot. Soonest I can go to our vet is Thursday. Is there anything I can do for him aside from taking care while handling and disinfecting?

 

[Wiebke]

I decided to pick him up and take a good look. He has a red spot on his front side behind his leg and under a back leg he also has a spot. Soonest I can go to our vet is Thursday. Is there anything I can do for him aside from taking care while handling and disinfecting?

No; the best thing is to not do anything to make the diagnosis clear and easy. A vet cannot diagnose when faced with a treated spot. As long as you catch any further infected spots in the 10-14 days between infection and outbreak, you are fine. Any acute spots have to unfortunately run their course.

Please do not give in to creaming; it is the least effective and frankly outdated way of treating. Creaming will not contain spores to be shed onto the bedding and then picked up from there because the ringworm patch is actually reaching well into the hairs that have not come out yet.
You need to treat either systemic (with an oral fungicide) or with a whole body dip/shampoo to get all spores and to prevent any further already infected spots from breaking out. Ringworm is not a deadly infection in itself (although it is certainly vert unpleasant) but containing any spores as quickly and preventing any more from being produced and distributed is the real challenge with ringworm. That is why at least one whole body bath at the end of treatment is so important - spores can sit in the coat and are not reached by oral medication; you do not want your piggies carrying anything into a deep cleaned area for a totally fresh start.

But with the correct treatment and good hygiene you can get on top of ringworm in most cases in 1-3 weeks. It is really worth the extra effort.

 

[4boipigs]

Okay, I will leave it alone. I am also contacting the shelter, since they told me it wasn't ringworm and it was from bullying. I work at a vet clinic and was suspicious of that spot on his eye immediately. If a vet really examined him, how could they overlook it? I'm quite worked up over it. This means all the other guinea pigs and possibly the rest of the animals in that room are at risk. Here is the area on his left with the red circle.

 

[Wiebke]

Okay, I will leave it alone. I am also contacting the shelter, since they told me it wasn't ringworm and it was from bullying. I work at a vet clinic and was suspicious of that spot on his eye immediately. If a vet really examined him, how could they overlook it? I'm quite worked up over it. This means all the other guinea pigs and possibly the rest of the animals in that room are at risk. Here is the area on his left with the red circle.

Hi

Ringworm patches can look like that in the very early stages - see the comparison pictures in my ringworm guide. I have specifically included them to help owners judge whether they are dealing with ringworm when they are failed by the places they have got their piggies from or a by a general vet not familiar with ringworm in guinea pigs.

 

[4boipigs]

To update, the shelter is willing to test for ringworm (it's a culture which should take 3 days to come back). I decided to keep my regular vet's appt this morning either way.

I haven't seen more areas, and the existing ones have only gotten a little bit bigger.

I'll make a post later on what the vet decides. I trust them a lot more than the shelter.

 

[Wiebke]

To update, the shelter is willing to test for ringworm (it's a culture which should take 3 days to come back). I decided to keep my regular vet's appt this morning either way.

I haven't seen more areas, and the existing ones have only gotten a little bit bigger.

I'll make a post later on what the vet decides. I trust them a lot more than the shelter.

All the best! We have seen enough ringworm on here (including on our own piggies) to be pretty sure in your case; but we have neither the vet qualifications nor do we wish to act counter UK guidelines re. the need of a hands-on vet diagnosis unless as a very last resort for our foreign members that do not have access to vets familiar with guinea pigs.

 

[4boipigs]

The vet started with a Woods lamp...the area under his eye didn't glow, but his nose/lips/chin did. I honestly had no clue he was having problems there. That was enough for the vet to prescribe an oral med and a waterless shampoo for both pigs.

Unfortunately, I'm not surprised I was right in my suspicions, and the shelter vet was wrong.

 

[VickiA]

The vet started with a Woods lamp...the area under his eye didn't glow, but his nose/lips/chin did. I honestly had no clue he was having problems there. That was enough for the vet to prescribe an oral med and a waterless shampoo for both pigs.

Unfortunately, I'm not surprised I was right in my suspicions, and the shelter vet was wrong.

Well done for getting to the root of the problem. The oral medicine is the most effective so hopefully he will soon be on the mend.

 

[4boipigs]

How often should I clean with a disinfectant? I'll be able to get F10 on Amazon.