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Managing Dandruff

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Hi, one of my girls has had flaky, dry skin on her lower back and bottom since I got her a year ago, and I'm 99% sure it's just dandruff. She lives in a group with 4 others and nobody else has any skin problems, so I'm assuming its not fungal, and I've researched mites and her skin looks nothing like it.

I took a proactive approach today and shaved her fur off (she's a merino and has thick curly fur) so I can clearly see the skin, and she has several scabby flaky patches on the area just above her bottom.

I rubbed in some olive oil to try and moisturize the skin and now I'm looking for products I can use to manage it. I was thinking about getting a melt from gorgeous guineas but I wanted to check whether there is anything better first.

Does anyone with experience with flaky skin have any advice?
 
The melt has coconut oil in it, right? Coconut oil is an absolute godsend - my pigs don't have skin issues, but I have a major case of scalp psoriasis, and coconut oil was recommended to me for.
 
Gorgeous Guineas stuff is made specially for pigs so I would go for that option first. @GuineaWiggles

@Lorcan is right about the melt having coconut oil in it.

I have tried the melt before on one of my pigs with fuzzy hair and it did help him a lot. I have to admit to being rubbish at putting it on, and I ended up using way too much
 
@Lorcan after reading your post, I went and put some coconut oil that I have for grease glands onto the flaky patches. Thanks!

@Jaycey i love gorgeous guineas products! I am definitely getting the coconeem melt, but I wanted to find something to try in the meantime before it arrives. I'll keep on the olive oil and coconut oil in small amounts to keep her moisturized.
 
Dandruff and dry skin seem to be an issue for particular breeds. I have Teddies that are prone to the same problem. I think part of it is that the hair traps the flakes, so it looks worse than it is. I have heard good things about coconut oil, and I use an antidandruff shampoo like Nizarol every so often.
 
I think my pigs have dandruff. I don't think it's mites because they haven't lost fur or anything.
 
Are your piggies indoors? Sometimes the dry, warm air inside or being near a radiator can do it. Not very helpful I know haha sorry.
 
Cavy Kung-Fu said:
Are your piggies indoors? Sometimes the dry, warm air inside or being near a radiator can do it. Not very helpful I know haha sorry.
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Yeah, they have their own bedroom, but the radiator is off. She was living in a shed before I got her though, and she still had the problem then. It seems like we'll just have to manage it.

I just bought the melt, along with something called Kwench lotion that's also for flaky skin, so hopefully it'll get it under control.
 
Rex/Teddies etc are usually the piggies with the worst dandruff. Chrissie at Gorgeous Guineas recommended the Manuka & Neem shampoo/range for that problem. Interestingly my little girl with dental problems had recurring dandruff when her weight dropped & her teeth needed doing, Simon at the Cat & Rabbit Clinic thought it could be she wasn't grooming herself properly because of her dental problems. I'm not saying it is the same for your piggy, but any increase in dandruff might be worth getting checked by the vet for fungal/mites & also it could be worth checking the weight of your piggy to make sure there is nothing else going on as it could be a sign of lack of condition. Hope it clears up soon :)
 
I had the exact same issue with my Fudge. First, check there aren't any underlying infections that could cause a general immune response (Fudge had a severe ear infections that we didn't catch until later on).

I found that for long-haired Fudge, the only thing that worked was shaving the fur right down, using a CocoNeem melt from GG and then washing with Malaseb twice a week for 3 weeks, applying Kwench lotion to the affected area after the pig is dry. It was very time-intensive, but her skin issues have cleared up now.
 
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