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Hi, from Angmering

3littlewheekers

3littlewheekers

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I have 3 gps ;2 female and 1 male. They are 7months old and we have recently moved to West Sussex. My young daughters and I always wanted a pet and finally after a year of saving and responsibilities we all are proud GP'rents!

Today we found our brown GP itching like mad. I examined her to find little flakes so I went to the LA rescue(Saskia)on you tube to see what could be the issue. She has dandruff but also I noticed when I'm touching her flank she give a high wheek sound. I am thinking she may either have an injury or her dandruff is mangy. She is shedding a bit of hair when I'm brushing and two weeks ago they had their bath that I bought from Gorgeous Guineas. I bought specific shampoos to keep the mites at bay but I think she may need to see a vet. Problem is to find an older vet as they would have more experience that young vets.

Both the other two piggies just have fungal nose stripe so using caneston nappy cream on their noses. Ive also treated the third one incase its contagious.

It will be lovely to speak to someone who has a good vet that they rely on if you live in the West Sussex area.
 
:wel:
It sounds like you need to take them to see a vet in case its ringworm. I wouldn't of thought Caneston nappy cream would do much for a fungal infection as it would need to have a fungal fighting ingredient like miconazole in it. With guinea pigs you have to be careful as they are allergic to many drugs so anything needs to be prescribed by a pig savvy vet.
I'm not an expert but there will be someone along soon who will know more.
 
:wel:

we would love to see some pictures.

Please don’t home treat for any issue - always go straight to a vet - it can make the problem worse and make diagnosis and treatment harder. If a piggy has an active mite infestation, they need the correct course of prescribed medication.

Have a look at our Vet Locator. The Vets on here are member recommended as being cavy savvy.
 
I wouldn't worry too much about younger vets - their training is much more recent and sometimes treatment prescribed is much more effective!
If you can't find something on the vet locator near you try phoning a few practices and (1) asking the price for a 3 pig consultation and (2) asking if any of the vets keep piggies themselves, as it has been my experience that Vet piggie-owners have been on my wavelength and know more about pig behaviours and body language.

I would definitely go for a vet trip because two things that can cause itching are mites and fungal infections... not uncommon and you can get rid of them with the correct treatment but the wrong treatment can allow them to flourish and it's unpleasant for poor piggy and upsetting for the owners to see them scratching so. AND they're both contagious so the sooner the better!

I actually don't shampoo mine unless there's a real problem - gorgeous guineas is designed for pigs but at the same time they do have delicate skin with a careful balance of oils so I don't mess with that. I've got 3 and they all smell slightly different which to me is part of their charm 🥰

OK, yes, I smell my piggies, I admit it!
 
:wel: The nose strip thing is normal and doesn’t need treatment. Hope it’s something simple. It’s always a good idea to get them seen by the vet if they’re not from a (decent) rescue.
They shouldn’t need a bath unless they’re really grubby either. Doing so too often can strip them if their natural oils. The majority do a good job of keeping themselves clean.

Is the boar neutered and living with the girls? Or he’s to be/has recently been neutered?
 
Hello and welcome - I’m so glad you are GP’rents’ ! They are such lovely creatures. Good luck with getting your piggie treated. Lots of great advice given already and the vet can properly identify what it is. That’s very important as lots of fungal problems can look similar but may need different treatments. Make sure she is eating and check her weight a bit more often to be sure she’s ok. We always love seeing guinea piggie pictures ......just saying 🥰
 
3littlewheekers said:
I have 3 gps ;2 female and 1 male. They are 7months old and we have recently moved to West Sussex. My young daughters and I always wanted a pet and finally after a year of saving and responsibilities we all are proud GP'rents!

Today we found our brown GP itching like mad. I examined her to find little flakes so I went to the LA rescue(Saskia)on you tube to see what could be the issue. She has dandruff but also I noticed when I'm touching her flank she give a high wheek sound. I am thinking she may either have an injury or her dandruff is mangy. She is shedding a bit of hair when I'm brushing and two weeks ago they had their bath that I bought from Gorgeous Guineas. I bought specific shampoos to keep the mites at bay but I think she may need to see a vet. Problem is to find an older vet as they would have more experience that young vets.

Both the other two piggies just have fungal nose stripe so using caneston nappy cream on their noses. Ive also treated the third one incase its contagious.

It will be lovely to speak to someone who has a good vet that they rely on if you live in the West Sussex area.
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome

Please see a vet; the increased itching can both be a sign of either mange or hay mites (invisible parasites that have lay their eggs either in the skin or fix them to the hair respectively) or ringworm.
PLEASE to do not DIY diagnose and home treat on spec. You can make things a lot worse when you treat for the wrong thing and by undertreating - any of these issues is ultimately A LOT cheaper and much less exhausting/exapserating if you do it properly with vet grade treatment and get on top of it once and for all. If it is ringworm, please carefully follow the hygiene advice in our ringworm guide. I promise you that it is not overkill but the only way of getting on top of it without more repeats.

The general pitfall guide also lists your customer rights for recently purchased pets. Is your boy neutered and if yes, how long since he has been so?

Here is our recommended vets locator: Vet Locator

New guinea pigs: Sexing, vet checks&customer rights, URI, ringworm and parasites
Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures
 
Hello!👋 I'm also in West Sussex and I have just made an appointment to see a vet in Faygate (found it recommended here on Vet Locator). Their vet Gianluca has experience with exotic animals including guinea pigs. We'll be visiting them later this week, so I don't have any experience with them yet but they sounded very lovely and helpful on the phone:)
 
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