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Fur coming out

Tigermoth

Tigermoth

Adult Guinea Pig
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Jenny’s fur seems to be falling out at great speed. It’s normal for there to be a few hairs around but it seems excessive the last couple of days.

She doesn’t have any bald patches, her nipples aren’t crusty.

Eating, drinking, pooping all fine. Weighs 760g which is ok for her. I’ve been slack with weekly weigh ins but she was only about 830 at her prime. She’s definitely lost a lot of heft but she is over 8 years old (we’ve had her over 7 years, she was thought to be about 18 months when we got her. Certainly a fully grown adult) She sleeps most of the time now if she isn’t eating. Often found asleep on her hay.

We thought we had lost her a couple of times when she’s been very cold and still but after a bit of skin to skin time she’s perked up again.

Any thoughts? She’s booked in with the vet on Thursday.
 
Tigermoth said:
Jenny’s fur seems to be falling out at great speed. It’s normal for there to be a few hairs around but it seems excessive the last couple of days.

She doesn’t have any bald patches, her nipples aren’t crusty.

Eating, drinking, pooping all fine. Weighs 760g which is ok for her. I’ve been slack with weekly weigh ins but she was only about 830 at her prime. She’s definitely lost a lot of heft but she is over 8 years old (we’ve had her over 7 years, she was thought to be about 18 months when we got her. Certainly a fully grown adult) She sleeps most of the time now if she isn’t eating. Often found asleep on her hay.

We thought we had lost her a couple of times when she’s been very cold and still but after a bit of skin to skin time she’s perked up again.

Any thoughts? She’s booked in with the vet on Thursday.
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Hi

If there are no bald areas, then she is very likely just shedding.

It may have underlying causes if she is a very old lady coming to the end of her life. They do seem to sleep whenever they are not eating; that is very normal for that age. Her circulation/heart seems to be getting weaker if she is getting cold.

Offer her a half-warmed snugglesafe that is just warm but not hot. Oldies tend to crave warmth; the same as old people.
 
So in case this comes up in a Google search for anyone…

The level of hair loss is beyond what is considered normal shedding but isn’t leaving bald patches etc. The working diagnosis is old age/likely cystic ovaries but no real reason to investigate as we wouldn’t act on findings. At approx 8.5 she isn’t a candidate for spay.

She was tender on palpation and this plus her splayed back legs/waddle suggests possible spondylitis and so she’s prescribed 0.2ml dog metacam twice daily with a view to upping it if need be.

She’s an old lady with a limited life span ahead of her so she is being considered as being managed palliatively and can have whatever she needs to keep her comfortable so this is a good start to that.

I’m happy with the outcome. Bless her, her little face when they took her for a second opinion out back. Her eyes were shouting “Muuuuum!” 🥰
 
Aww what a lovely age. I hope the metacam can help to take away some of the tenderness and make her more comfortable.
 
Sending hugs to you and your old girl. Luna who recently left us for the rainbow bridge age almost 7 also lost fur in her last few months, general thinning and shedding, no bald patches- like her fur was finer and less firmly attached, and moulted fur didnt quite regrow properly. She was just very old, with increasingly dodgy hips and decreasing back leg mobility, but still had a happy few final weeks on a similar dose of metacam- hope Jenny also has many more happy todays with you x
 
PigglePuggle said:
Sending hugs to you and your old girl. Luna who recently left us for the rainbow bridge age almost 7 also lost fur in her last few months, general thinning and shedding, no bald patches- like her fur was finer and less firmly attached, and moulted fur didnt quite regrow properly. She was just very old, with increasingly dodgy hips and decreasing back leg mobility, but still had a happy few final weeks on a similar dose of metacam- hope Jenny also has many more happy todays with you x
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That’s exactly it. It just doesn’t seem as well attached.
 
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