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Help- white scab on ear?

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DM050820

Hello! First post. So my brother got a guinea pig for his birthday, (it was an impulse buy from my mom and he does not have the right set up, trying to convince her to get a bigger cage, but that’s besides the point-) and today I noticed he has a whitish patch of crust on the top of his ear and underneath it? He has very floppy ears so we didn’t notice it before. I don’t have any guinea pig experience, so I have no clue what this is. Does anyone here know? I can’t figure out how to add pictures from my device unfortunately, so here’s the best description I can give:

there is a large patch of scabby, whitish crust between his ear and eye, almost touching his eye. There is also a whitish spot on the top of his ear. He seems to be acting pretty normal.

please help!
 
We can only guess and you will need to have piggy taken to a vet for diagnosis and treatment, but it sounds like it could be a fungal infection.

The guide below gives details. See if it looks like these pictures. If it does, Please get the piggy to the vet and ensure you practise good hygiene as ringworm can spread to humans.

If it doesn’t look like this, and like I said, we can only guess, then your piggy still needs to be taken to a vet.

Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures

Once piggy has a clean bill of health do ensure all the welfare requirements are met, including that of companionship. Guinea pigs are highly social and suffer from loneliness if kept by themselves. The fact you say impulse ‘buy’ suggests that this is a pet shop piggy (and unfortunately such health issues are not uncommon) and likely a baby so it is even more important that he is not alone

The guides below will help you with the cage size requirements, feeding, need for companionship amongst many other things.

New Owners' Most Helpful How-To Guides and Information
 
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Yes excellent advice there from @Piggies&buns you need to see the vet as this sounds suspiciously like a fungal infection such as ringworm which can be transmitted to humans and other pets too unfortunately.
And then you really must ensure that piggy has a friend and a cage that meets the minimum welfare standards.
Best of luck, let us know how you get on!
 
eat.moss said:
Hello! First post. So my brother got a guinea pig for his birthday, (it was an impulse buy from my mom and he does not have the right set up, trying to convince her to get a bigger cage, but that’s besides the point-) and today I noticed he has a whitish patch of crust on the top of his ear and underneath it? He has very floppy ears so we didn’t notice it before. I don’t have any guinea pig experience, so I have no clue what this is. Does anyone here know? I can’t figure out how to add pictures from my device unfortunately, so here’s the best description I can give:

there is a large patch of scabby, whitish crust between his ear and eye, almost touching his eye. There is also a whitish spot on the top of his ear. He seems to be acting pretty normal.

please help!
Click to expand...

Hi!

We cannot tell you what you are dealing with but it is likely ringworm (the most aggressive and transmittable form of a fungal skin infection that can also affect other pet species and humans). Please accept that we cannot diagnose, only guess.

How long have you had him? If it is within a month of purchase, then you can reclaim any vet cost from the pet store he has come from.
Fungal infections are also very common in hot and warm weather and places with little ventilation (like fish tanks). Infection will have happened 10-14 days before the outbreak.
Please carefully read the information in this guide here; it deals with the most common new owner problems and includes information on your customer rights, as handled in different countries.
New guinea pigs: Sexing, vet checks&customer rights, URI, ringworm and parasites

The ringworm guide is vital to get on top of the highly contagious invisible and long-lived ringworm spores once and for all if the piggy has indeed been diagnosed with ringworm. it also contains pictures that show you how an outbreak typically runs as it will get worse before it can get better. The hygiene advice is very detailed. You and your family really need to follow it in order to prevent it from turning into a long running mess by trying to skimp.
Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures
 
Hello. So sorry to hear about your piggie.
To load a picture . From the devise you using . .click on Attack Files and follow directions from there to select a picture. . Hope this helps and piggie gets better.
 
Hello and thank you all! I’m pretty certain that it’s ringworm after some further research, but I am unfortunately unable to take him to the vet. As of right now I’ve washed the area with an anti fungal shampoo, and put some anti fungal cream on it! I will read all the articles you all sent.
I really am trying to get him a bigger cage and a friend, but my mom isn’t really on board with the idea. She “spent a lot of money” on the cage, which I understand, but she doesn’t want to let me get another one. And I haven’t even been able to bring up the topic of getting another guinea pig without her shutting me down. ( it’s not my pet so I don’t get a ton of say in the matter.) But I’m trying my best, she’s getting a little less opposed to a new cage so I’ll keep y’all updated!
 
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Please ask your mum to get him seen by the vet as soon as possible. We don’t recommend home treatment as it can mask or make worse the symptoms. If it’s ringworm then it’s infectious and could be passed onto you, your brother and mum. Perhaps mention that to get her to take him in. As she is the adult, she needs to now ensure that the rights of the piggy are met. One of which (very importantly) is to have access to vet care.
 
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