Specialist Pleeease help! 3mth old white piggy - SOAKING WET from excessive grooming

[HiggledyPiggledy]

Hello everyone!

My daughters lovely shy albino piggy is only 3m old, we have had her for about a month with no probs but about a week ago she started getting the odd wet patch on her back..

We ruled out dominance spraying from her cage mate, no signs of stress, bathed her on advice of many experienced rescue owners (very gently/carefully) and done ivermectin... no effect!

For about 5 days now she is COVERING herself in saliva, literally beads rolling off her back and hind?

Took her to specialist vets...even he had never seen it before, he checked her out no mouth probs, no sign of infection or skin irritation, not stressed?
Poor little thing looks like a porcupine, she absolutely SOAKS herself dripping wet at least once or twice a day and then spends the next few hours shivering of course.
She eats normally, poos normally, drinks normally? Someone pleeeeease give us some advice?

I am really concerned that she will catch a cold or much worse if she keeps it up :-(

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome

Unfortunately for you, I haven't come across anything like it either in over a decade and literally tens of thousands of piggies passing through here and some other online forums.

Has your piggy been properly treated with vet strength ivermectin or have you home diagnosed and treated on spec? Have your vets checked for a fungal skin infection (there are others beyond ringworm) and also oral thrush (candida infection in the mouth)?
New piggy problems: URI - ringworm - skin parasites

Please bring her and her companion indoors and keep her in warm, stable surroundings. If you are in the UK, the outdoors season is coming to an end with much colder days and nights close to freezing anyway. Guinea pigs are not hardy and need to be treated like tender plants.
Cold Weather Care For Guinea Pigs

You may want to contact the Cat&Rabbit Care Clinic in Northampton. They specialise in treating only cats, rabbit and guinea pigs plus other small rodents. They are seeing more piggies in a week than other vets in a month or several. They are also the best guinea pig dental vets in the whole country and are the most likely to have come across something like this if this is to do with an overstimulation of the saliva glands.
They are general vets but up to the latest research on the species they are treating.
Cat and Rabbit Care Clinic | Northlands Vets

PS: There are no albinos in guinea pigs. Pink-eyed whites are a perfectly normal healthy breed. Guinea pig eyes naturally range from light ruby to dark pink, reddish brown into black. You see pink eyes with other coat colours and there are white piggies with dark eyes, too.
Here is my Macsen to show you that bright pink eyes are not just the reserve of white coated piggies.


More information on breeds in this guide here: What-breed-is-my-guinea-pig? Picture-guide-to-common-pet-breeds

@PigglePuggle @Piggies&buns @Siikibam @furryfriends (TEAS) @Abi_nurse

 

[Siikibam]

What kind of bedding are they on? And are you sure it’s saliva that is getting everywhere? Is there something near or in the cage that is dripping?

 

[HiggledyPiggledy]

Hi and welcome

Unfortunately for you, I haven't come across anything like it either in over a decade and literally tens of thousands of piggies passing through here and some other online forums.

Has your piggy been properly treated with vet strength ivermectin or have you home diagnosed and treated on spec? Have your vets checked for a fungal skin infection (there are others beyond ringworm) and also oral thrush (candida infection in the mouth)?
New piggy problems: URI - ringworm - skin parasites

Please bring her and her companion indoors and keep her in warm, stable surroundings. If you are in the UK, the outdoors season is coming to an end with much colder days and nights close to freezing anyway. Guinea pigs are not hardy and need to be treated like tender plants.
Cold Weather Care For Guinea Pigs

You may want to contact the Cat&Rabbit Care Clinic in Northampton. They specialise in treating only cats, rabbit and guinea pigs plus other small rodents. They are seeing more piggies in a week than other vets in a month or several. They are also the best guinea pig dental vets in the whole country and are the most likely to have come across something like this if this is to do with an overstimulation of the saliva glands.
They are general vets but up to the latest research on the species they are treating.
Cat and Rabbit Care Clinic | Northlands Vets

PS: There are no albinos in guinea pigs. Pink-eyed whites are a perfectly normal healthy breed. Guinea pig eyes naturally range from light ruby to dark pink, reddish brown into black. You see pink eyes with other coat colours and there are white piggies with dark eyes, too.
Here is my Macsen to show you that bright pink eyes are not just the reserve of white coated piggies.
View attachment 154045

More information on breeds in this guide here: What-breed-is-my-guinea-pig? Picture-guide-to-common-pet-breeds

@PigglePuggle @Piggies&buns @Siikibam @furryfriends (TEAS) @Abi_nurse

Ok we'll check them out thanks very much xx

 

[HiggledyPiggledy]

What kind of bedding are they on? And are you sure it’s saliva that is getting everywhere? Is there something near or in the cage that is dripping?

Yes its definitely saliva, took the water bottle away overnight to check and she spends a lot of time visibly and excessively cleaning herself all over her back and hind?

 

[HiggledyPiggledy]

Yes its definitely saliva, took the water bottle away overnight to check and she spends a lot of time visibly and excessively cleaning herself all over her back and hind?

newspaper and hay for bedding, shavings were getting in their eyes

 

[Siikibam]

How often do you change the bedding?

I honestly don’t know what to suggest. It’s never been seen on this forum - a severely salivating piggy. Is her chin always wet?