Guinea pig hair and weight loss

[pigneedhelp]

Hi. I have noticed that one of my female guinea pigs have been losing weight and hair, especially on her belly, but she has also lost hair in small patches on her back. She is very active and eats and drinks well, despite missing one of her lower teeth (she was missing the tooth when I adopted her). She does not itch and so I don’t think it is a parasite.. There are no exotic vets where I live and so I would have to make a 6+ hours drive to the capital and so everything feels a little hopeless. I have gone to my nearby vet and they told me they could not identify the problem as they weren’t experienced with guinea pigs.. anyone know what the issue may be?

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry to hear this.

I'm afraid we cannot tell you what the problem is, only a vet can make a diagnosis followings a hands on check and any appropriate tests.
However, if she is losing weight then you must step in with support feeding. Hay is the largest part of the food intake and if she is losing weight then it means she is not eating enough hay. You need to switch from the routine weekly weight checks and instead weigh her daily so you can monitor more closely.

All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures

It’s first important to check there isn’t a fungal or parasite problem with skin tests. These things can be treated should such an issue be identified.
There are other reasons for hair loss also, but we can only make wild guesses as to what might be causing it in your case, which won’t be helpful nor a diagnosis in any event.

The other possibility, dependent upon her age - if she is over around 2 years of age , may be ovarian cysts. The guide below explains further

Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)

Ultimately though you do need to see a knowledgeable vet for diagnosis and any treatment.

 

[Claire W]

I am very sorry. Weight loss and hair loss can point to a number of reasons but sadly, only a vet can diagnose and treat.

I would firstly ask your vet to do a skin scrape to test for mites or fungal. If these come back clear, I’d be inclined to ask for an ultrasound to check for ovarian cysts.

Please weigh her daily and if she is losing weight, you will have to step in and syringe feed her. @Piggies&buns has already included the links. Good luck