Ringworm

[Winniethepiggy]

This is definitely ringworm isnt it? Both my guinea pigs are itching a lot still as we thought it was lice at first so the vets gave us spot on treatment but ive realised that my 2 year old guinea pig has now got 2 bald patches behind her ear and my youngest one has 2 bald patches behind her ear and under her eye that is scabby.


I have attached the picture of the youngest

 

[Piggies&buns]

It does look like it but please do see a vet for the correct diagnosis and treatment, and follow the advice in our ringworm guide including stringent hygiene.

Ringworm: Hygiene, Care And Pictures

(Do note piggies do naturally have a bald patch behind each ear)

 

[Winniethepiggy]

It does look like it but please do see a vet for the correct diagnosis and treatment, and follow the advice in our ringworm guide including stringent hygiene.

Ringworm: Hygiene, Care And Pictures

(Do note piggies do naturally have a bald patch behind each ear)

Thank you

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome

It rather looks like ringworm. Especially as it is so close to the eye, please ask your vet for oral treatment (which is prescription-only and not quite cheap but the most effective) since any dip (or insufficient creaming) can badly swell the eyes. You will need to treat all piggies in close proximity since the invisibly tiny spores are shed in their thousands and can stay live for around two years. It takes 10-14 days between infection and outbreak; you want to catch any companions during this gap to prevent an acute outbreak.

Please read our guide and follow the very explicit hygiene measures in there. They do really work because we have had 15 years to find all the possible transmission angles and pool our personal experiences with various treatments as they have become available.
The biggest problem with ringworm is that it is so highly contagious, highly species jumping (including to humans) and that the spores are so long-lived and can cause later outbreaks.
Here is the link, which you may want to bookmark as you will be living with it in the coming weeks. At least if you do it all correctly; you can get past it in one round, so it is worth throwing the kitchen sink at it.

If necessary, please show your vet this link if they are not piggy savvy; it also contains ringworm outbreak pictures around the eyes and recommended treatment options.
Ringworm: Hygiene, Care And Pictures

Recommended Guinea Pig Vets

All the best!