Ringworm nightmare

[WoodyWoodster]

Hello... I am looking for a bit of a handhold. I have three new guinea pig that we got just before Christmas and I have had a complete nightmare since. Unbeknown to us, one was infected with ringworm when I got it and now all three have it, one really badly. I have been to see three different vets and were badly let down by the first two, leading to a much worse outbreak than it could have been if we had been given the correct advice to start off with.

The third has prescribed and they are now all on itrafungol and two of them also require eye drops for ulceration (possibly due to scratching near their eyes) but we are a week in to treatment and still are getting new ringworm patches emerging. They all look awful and I have had to keep my kids away from them (partly to avoid them getting it but also because I think they would just find it too distressing for them to see them like this). The guinea pigs are clearly miserable as well, I hardly see them scamper about anymore or squeak.

It has cost me a fortune in vets bills and we are still weeks away from getting rid of it. I am finding the situation really depressing but I keep having to put a brave face on it for the kids. I am just feeling so depressed as I feel I have done my best and taken them to multiple vets and been a good owner and I am still in this situation.

Can anyone out there give me a bit of reassurance that eventually this gets better and we will one day actually enjoy having guinea pigs?

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m so sorry to hear of this situation.
I promise you, you will enjoy having your piggies! They are fantastic animals!

Ringworm needs everything thrown at it early on and I’m sorry to hear the first couple of vets didn’t help you. What did they tell you to do about it?
Rest assured that they are getting the recommended treatment now and will get better. Often it does look worse first though.

I will add our ringworm guide below to help with other information including the stringent disinfection and hygiene also needed.
We recommend disinfection with F10 disinfectant which is a vet grade disinfectant. You can buy it in a concentrate and make it up with water accordingly to the strength needed (instructions on the bottle).

Thread 'Ringworm: Hygiene, Care And Pictures'

Jun 12, 2014

1 What is ringworm and how is it treated?
- Ringworm facts
- Available treatments (UK-US-worldwide available products)
- Your customer rights with new guinea pigs
2 Ringworm hygiene during and at the end of treatment
- When to quarantine
- Recommended disinfectants (UK-US-worldwide available brands)
- Disinfection (plastic/hard surfaces, fabrics, wood/toys)
3 Ringworm hygiene/prevention and...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 2
• Forum: Wiebke's Home Care Guides

• 

 

[WoodyWoodster]

Honestly there were so many missed opportunities and poor practice from the vets. First vet just said use over the counter cream like canestan and you couldn't prescribe oral meds. Second vet (an exotic specialist)wouldn't prescribe oral meds but gave us surolan which cleared up the initial patch on the first one but in the meantime we weren't treating the other two so it was spreading to them but we didn't seen the symptoms for a few weeks so we thought they were ok. Second vet also took a cell culture but then didn't actually tell us that it was positive for ringworm, again meaning we were not treating it.

I rang the second vet once the other two were getting patches and only then were we told that it was ringworm, 3 weeks after they took the cell culture. Even then she still wouldn't prescribe oral meds and we had a few days of just doing the chemical baths, disinfecting and more surolan. It was still getting worse so finally found a vet who would prescribe the oral meds. But we have now had 6 weeks from when the first scab appeared where the treatment has been inadequate at best which has obviously allowed it to spread all over them.

It is just so depressing, they are just riddled with it. I don't know how people afford to go on like this as well, we have spent so much in consultation fees and medication.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Oh dear, I’m sorry to hear that.

Sadly, and as you now know, creaming is the most ineffective way of dealing with it - such a shame some vets are still saying it works.

Hopefully now they are on a good treatment you can get on top of it

 

[fluffysal]

Welcome to the forum and (it will be) the wonderful world of guinea pigs.
I'm afraid I have no experience with this , just wanted to offer support and send healing rumbles from my boys

 

[WoodyWoodster]

Thank you both, I think I just need to hear that it will get better. As a family we really love them but my word it has been a tough few weeks.

Yes I agree, such poor advice, if I had known what I knew now I would have been giving them all a chemical bath from day one and found got oral medication in the first one that was infected. But I trusted the second vet as she was a guinea pig specialist and the initial infection did get better and the other two seemed fine.

 

[fluffysal]

It's worth your time to read through all the care guides here as they are put together by experienced owners AND always consistent. There is a list of recommended vets too although in my experience it's often worth asking at vets for pets too as a lot of their vets see guinea pigs regularly.
One advantage of having to give them regular treatment in the early days is that you will build up a relationship with them faster out of necessity.
I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of your piggies when they are feeling better. These are my boys,
Dignified Sir George (black and white) and Mischievous Master Boris.

 

[Gem789]

I'm so sorry you've had a bad experience with your 1st 2 vets in regards to ringworm.Ive been in that position before.The ringworm guide is excellent,I've had 2 piggies in the past with it and was very lucky it never got passed on to a cage mate or me catching it.Hang in there xx

 

[piggieminder]

Here is the proof that it does get better!

This is the nose of Bertie who had ringworm from just above his nostrils to almost the top of his head. He had two weeks of Intrafungal which didn't completely clear it, in his previous home he didn't get the fungal baths which is why I think it returned as he probably had a spore or two caught in his fur. He then got another fungal outbreak on his ear which my vet tested, after 14 days it didn't show to be ringworm but the tests often don't, they can be hit and miss. This smaller patch was treated with Canesten as my vet said Intrafungal is very harsh on the guts and most vets no longer prescribe it to guinea pigs unless it's a very bad case, which is probably why it wasn't prescribed to you initially. The Canesten worked on the ear patch and he has been fine in the 18 months since treatment.
I am pleased you got the Intrafungal and I have my fingers crossed you see an improvement in your piggies soon. It does get better, don't lose heart. I covered my floor around his cage with a big sheet of plastic to make daily cleaning with F10 easier. I also got some F10 hand cream (ebay/Amazon) which gave me some peace of mind even after hand washing I felt a bit anxious about catching it. I rubbed the cream into my hands and up my arms.

The ringworm guide is excellent, it really worked for us.
Good luck, I'm thinking of you.