Random Squealing and dry skin problems

[emiruth0303]

Hi, I’m just coming on to look for some advice on my Guinea pigs who both have separate issues.

My Guinea pig Linus has been making a strange squeal/squeaky sound for the past 5/6 days where he goes into his hide and seems to cry. I’ve been keeping watch on him and I’m starting to wonder if it’s when he tries to go to the toilet since he did it out of his hide once and when he moved he had peed. He doesn’t appear tired and he’s still eating normally, still pooping regularly and as far as I can tell he’s drinking as well. I would just hate to ignore the noises he’s making if he’s in pain, especially since I’ve been researching and some websites are leading me to worry about bladder stones.

My other Guinea pig Hershel has been having problems with itchy skin, he’s been constantly itching for a while but there was never anything to see when I looked. Recently I’ve noticed his skin is very dry and he’s got lots of dandruff. He has very long, thick, curly hair and so I’ve heard dandruff is common, I just want to be sure it’s not a sign of anything else- i.e fungal problems or mites. I can’t see anything in his fur other than dry skin but I know that you might not if it is mites. I’m planning on buying some shampoo/ointment to see if that helps his skin first before I take him to the vets.

If I end up having to take Linus into the vets, I will also take Hershel, I just wanted to come on here first and see if anyone had any advice before I spend any money. Obviously I would rather avoid any costs if possible, but don’t want my piggies uncomfortable/ in pain.

Any help would be amazing

 

[Piggies&buns]

It would be best to go to the vet and have them both checked out by the vet this week, particularly Linus.
We can’t tell you what may be wrong with either of them so the vet should be your first port of call.

Please do not use any shampoo or ointment on Hershel prior to going to the vet.
Two reasons not to bathe him
- doing so will wipe the scene of any evidence a vet needs to make a diagnosis. Should it be mites or fungal then a bath will make it look very different and you then risk a misdiagnosis
- using a shampoo could make things worse.

It sounds as if he hay be a teddy/rex type breed which are known for having dry skin.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi, I’m just coming on to look for some advice on my Guinea pigs who both have separate issues.

My Guinea pig Linus has been making a strange squeal/squeaky sound for the past 5/6 days where he goes into his hide and seems to cry. I’ve been keeping watch on him and I’m starting to wonder if it’s when he tries to go to the toilet since he did it out of his hide once and when he moved he had peed. He doesn’t appear tired and he’s still eating normally, still pooping regularly and as far as I can tell he’s drinking as well. I would just hate to ignore the noises he’s making if he’s in pain, especially since I’ve been researching and some websites are leading me to worry about bladder stones.

My other Guinea pig Hershel has been having problems with itchy skin, he’s been constantly itching for a while but there was never anything to see when I looked. Recently I’ve noticed his skin is very dry and he’s got lots of dandruff. He has very long, thick, curly hair and so I’ve heard dandruff is common, I just want to be sure it’s not a sign of anything else- i.e fungal problems or mites. I can’t see anything in his fur other than dry skin but I know that you might not if it is mites. I’m planning on buying some shampoo/ointment to see if that helps his skin first before I take him to the vets.

If I end up having to take Linus into the vets, I will also take Hershel, I just wanted to come on here first and see if anyone had any advice before I spend any money. Obviously I would rather avoid any costs if possible, but don’t want my piggies uncomfortable/ in pain.

Any help would be amazing

Hi

Have you checked Linus's penis shaft recently for any build-up of hardened smegma or semen fluid and the anal sac for signs of impaction? These are all easily sortable issues that should be checked for regularly anyway.
Boar Care: Bits, Bums & Baths

Depending on the age, arthritis in the lower spine in older piggies can make bending down to pick up redigested poos more painful as well.

On the more squeaky scale of pain, bacterial or non-bacterial urinary tract infections can take several days to develop fully. A possible stone cannot be excluded but it is definitely not first in the queue. A vet should be able to feel the bladder but they wouldn't be able to feel a stone that has passed oninto the urethra.

I would recommend to start with what you can check for at home first and then let the vet give him a health check with a view of pain issues in the lower body; it's all very tightly packed in there so pain can radiate.

Please switch from the usual once weekly weigh-in and body onceover to weighing daily on your kitchen scales first thing in the morning for best day to day comparison in order to monitor the food intake. Hay/grass make over three quarters of what a piggy eats in a day, which you simply cannot control by eye but which is usually the first and biggest hit food group with a pain issue.
It's an important tool whenever you have health concerns so you know exactly when to step in and how much support your piggy needs over the coming 24 hours. With only rather vague symptoms, that is one of the more effective monitoring tools to check the severity/potential impact of any pain issue. Guinea pig are prey animals that suppress symptoms to a large degree.
Please take the time to read our weight monitoring guide; it tells you all the necessary information.
Weight - Monitoring and Management


Hershel we cannot comment on sight unseen; he will need a hands-on examination to determine whether he has got a skin parasite or a fungal problem. Please be aware that ringworm is only the most infectious and aggressive form (and the only that will be lab tested for but that there are other forms of fungal out there. Long-haired piggies with a thick coat can be more susceptible to skin problems because they are initially not as noticeable and a dense hair cover can trap moisture and create a fungal-friendly climate on the skin.
I would however recommend that you give him a summer short haircut today to improve ventilation for the skin and then book him and his mate in at the vets.
An Illustrated Guide to Hair Cutting

Skin parasites and fungal require different treatment; if your vet decides to go for both ends then you have to be aware that any skin treatment needs 48 hours to full absorb before you can put on any other treatment. If you home treat now on spec you not only wipe out the markers but you will also delay any vet grade treatment which should take care of the issue once and for all.

I hope that this helps you? Please let us know how you get on and we can help you from there.

 

[Cait_lin]

Poor little ones, I hope they're alright I would definitely go to the vet's. Taking them early on before the problems get worse will be better for them, and less expensive for you than if you wait until things get more serious and they require more treatment. I hope your boys feel better soon