Mark/hair loss? on Biscuit's back

[LondonLady]

First I want to stress that this isn't a new problem. I first noticed this mark on Biscuit's back soon after I got her (towards the end of 2020) and I did mention it to a vet who just said it was nothing to worry about. Sometimes it seems to fade a bit, then it will become more noticeable again. The last time I took them for a nail trim I had a long chat about it with the nurse, who said she didn't know what it was but didn't think it was anything to be concerned about. Sorry, the pictures aren't very clear. Has anyone any idea what it is? Is it normal? Am I being silly worrying about it? Or is it something that needs to be checked/treated?

Biscuit seems ok in all other ways except that over the time I've had her she has lost quite a bit of weight. Her weight is steady now but she is something like 80-90g down on her original weight. Again this is something I have mentioned to the vet and the vet nurse and both have said she's ok.

One minute I think I'm worrying about nothing - I've been told there's nothing to worry about so I should stop worrying. Then the next minute I feel guilty because I think there's got to be something wrong and I should be doing something about it.

Any advice please?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Do you ever see her scratching/biting at that area?
How old is she?
Does she seem to be in any discomfort particularly in that area?

A V shaped mark on the back can be a classic sign of mange mites. I would have her checked with that in mind. With that said if she has had it for coming on two years without it getting worse (mange mites are the worst of the mites and left untreated can become a very serious, potentially fatal problem), then it may not be current or it may be something else entirely.
All we can ever suggest is having a vet check done (and I appreciate you have already mentioned it to the vet)



Regarding her weight, if she is now stable then that is the important bit.

 

[PigglePuggle]

This looks like the classic place and shape where mange mite infestations often first appear. A healthy piggy with a good immune system msy well kerp them in check for a while but they wont completely clear up on their own.
A skin scrape test from the vet may confirm this, but with a light infection may miss them.
It would be very unusual for this to have gone on over a year without getting worse... but also very unusual that your vet hasnt suggested a course of 3 doses of Xeno ivermectin treatment, 2 weeks apart, just in case, as the location and pattern of hairloss are so textbook classic for mites?

 

[LondonLady]

Do you ever see her scratching/biting at that area?
How old is she?
Does she seem to be in any discomfort particularly in that area?

A V shaped mark on the back can be a classic sign of mange mites. I would have her checked with that in mind. With that said if she has had it for coming on two years without it getting worse (mange mites are the worst of the mites and left untreated can become a very serious, potentially fatal problem), then it may not be current or it may be something else entirely.
All we can ever suggest is having a vet check done (and I appreciate you have already mentioned it to the vet)



Regarding her weight, if she is now stable then that is the important bit.

Thank you for replying. Biscuit is just over 4yrs old now. No, I haven't noticed her scratching it, it doesn't seem to bother her at all. I've just now picked her up to have a closer look and she was sitting quite happily on my lap and didn't mind me touching it.
I guess I'd better make a vet appointment