Old man losing hair

[Andy33335]

Hello ladies! This forum has been a great source of info and advice for me everytime my piggies got issues so i come asking for your advise again.
I have an old man that i think has arthritis thus having difficulty grooming himself. I often see him trying to scratch his nose with his back leg but giving up mid air because he isn't flexible anymore. I also know he can no longer groom his 2nd half of the body.
Today i discovered in the back of his body, along the spine, portions of his hair falling. There are chunks of hair attached to dead skin, i think? I have attached a few fotos.
I gave him a good comb and removed most of the loose hair and dead skin.
My question is if he has a skin condition and i should see a vet or is this because he can no longer clean himself properly and thus i should pay more attention to him? Giving him baths and comb him regularly.
Otherwise he is eating very well, drinking lots of water, a walking poo factory
Please see the photos.

Thank you very much for all the support

 

[poggle]

I would personally see a vet for both issues - I would want a proper examination for that skin. Also, if he does have arthritis, pain killers could significantly improve his quality of life and ability to care for himself

How regularly are you bathing him?

Glad to hear he is otherwise well though, all the best for him

 

[Mother Hubbard]

So, that looks like to me you have an issue. You will need to see a vet to get a diagnosis.

 

[Wiebke]

Hello ladies! This forum has been a great source of info and advice for me everytime my piggies got issues so i come asking for your advise again.
I have an old man that i think has arthritis thus having difficulty grooming himself. I often see him trying to scratch his nose with his back leg but giving up mid air because he isn't flexible anymore. I also know he can no longer groom his 2nd half of the body.
Today i discovered in the back of his body, along the spine, portions of his hair falling. There are chunks of hair attached to dead skin, i think? I have attached a few fotos.
I gave him a good comb and removed most of the loose hair and dead skin.
My question is if he has a skin condition and i should see a vet or is this because he can no longer clean himself properly and thus i should pay more attention to him? Giving him baths and comb him regularly.
Otherwise he is eating very well, drinking lots of water, a walking poo factory
Please see the photos.

Thank you very much for all the support

Hi

Please see a vet for either a fungal problem or skin parasites, we cannot tell you which one you are actually dealing with at this stage. They need different treatment so please do not treat on spec with low dosed home treatments as you can push back being able to step in with a vet strength product if that is needed.

It is not uncommon for either to make an unwelcome appearance in olde guinea pigs when their immune system becomes more fragile and can allow opportunistic issues that are normally kept under control by a fully working immune system to break through. Sometimes this can be pretty dramatic if the immune system has become too weak.

PS: If you haven't seen a vet over the arthritis, please mention it. Painkillers can provide a significant improvement in the quality of life in combination with glucosamine if you are dealing with bone arthritis.

New piggy problems: URI - ringworm - skin parasites
Caring for Older Piggies and Facing the End - A practical and supportive information collection

 

[Andy33335]

In my country the cavy savy vets are few and not that experienced but i will ask her to look for artrithis. How can this be diagnosed?
He is not in pain and whenever i get him out on the floor he is super fast and moves a lot without problems, he just has problems of flexibility
As for the skin problem, i'm calling tomorrow to get him an appointment

 

[Merab]

Hope all goes well and you can get some clear diagnoses and answers

 

[Piggies&buns]

In my country the cavy savy vets are few and not that experienced but i will ask her to look for artrithis. How can this be diagnosed?
He is not in pain and whenever i get him out on the floor he is super fast and moves a lot without problems, he just has problems of flexibility
As for the skin problem, i'm calling tomorrow to get him an appointment

The problems with flexibility can be a sign of arthritis and he is likely to be in pain if it is arthritis - you just may not be able to tell given piggies can hide it.

He sounds very much like my oldest rabbit. Four weeks ago, he developed scruffy fur and started losing hair along his spine. I suspected mites.
He moves well enough and didnt appear to be in pain when moving but every now i could see him stumble, he seemed less flexible and didn’t like scratching with one particular back leg but could do it if he had to, he is also a little slow to get up when he has been resting but once up and moving he seemed fine. I knew he was likely feeling sore and I suspected arthritis.
I took him to the vet and sure enough he had mites due to his immune system not functioning as well as it did when he was younger and also has spinal arthritis. He is getting his third and final dose of mite treatment today - the mites have now been dealt with and his fur is starting to look so much better again.
He has also been on a twice daily dose of anti inflammatory pain killers for four weeks now (will be on them for the rest of his life) and he is now moving much more freely and seems so much happier.