Ringworm

[Lina0703]

Hi, I have a Guinea pig he has just recently gotten ringworm, he is using fleece as his bedding and has been biting on his cage all the time I’ve bought him some toys still no change I have the all living things cage from pet smart for his ringworm I have been using anti fungus cream 2times a day. What should my next steps be should I just buy a new cage because it’s a bit rusty in some areas I need some advice and if I do get a new cage would a wooden cage be a good replacement and should I keep it the same size? Any advice would help I’ve been up late a night doing research and have not really found any good information.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Welcome to the forum

I’ve moved your post to its own new thread so you can receive ongoing advice and support

Have you seen a vet?
Creaming is a very ineffective way to treating ringworm as you miss creaming the wider area of the body. spores continue to be shed from those areas which can continue the cycle of reinfection. An oral medication prescribed by a vet is the best way to treat ringworm.

You also need to carry out full disinfection of the cage and every item using F10 and including hot washing the fleece. Ringworm spores can life in the environment for up to two years so if you don’t deal with it thoroughly it is going to come back.

Please make sure his cage mate is checked and treated as appropriate.

The guide below details how to effectively dealt with ringworm

Ringworm: Hygiene, Care And Pictures

 

[Zorro1]

Sorry to hear this.
Has he been to the vet yet? He should be taken to a vet to get proper treatment.
Hope he gets better soon.

 

[Freela]

He should definitely see a vet for an oral antifungal (ringworm is notoriously difficult to treat using only topical cream.) It's also essential to disinfect the cage and to wash that fleece on HOT to kill remaining spores so that no one is reinfected. Treat him and any companion pig at the same time and make sure to wash your hands really good yourself, as ringworm can also be spread to people.

 

[Lina0703]

Hi, I have a Guinea pig he has just recently gotten ringworm, he is using fleece as his bedding and has been biting on his cage all the time I’ve bought him some toys still no change I have the all living things cage from pet smart for his ringworm I have been using anti fungus cream 2times a day. What should my next steps be should I just buy a new cage because it’s a bit rusty in some areas I need some advice and if I do get a new cage would a wooden cage be a good replacement and should I keep it the same size? Any advice would help I’ve been up late a night doing research and have not really found any good information.

My Guinea pig actually lives alone and I’m not able to take him to the vet sadly, is there any home remedies?Or any other over the counter medication I could give the poor guy I know he must be in pain he itches all day long

 

[Piggies&buns]

My Guinea pig actually lives alone and I’m not able to take him to the vet sadly, is there any home remedies?Or any other over the counter medication I could give the poor guy I know he must be in pain he itches all day long

Ringworm really needs to be dealt with properly so that it doesn’t come back, you really do need to try to find a way to see a vet.
As I say, it can reinfect up to two years later so getting on top of it by getting the correct treatment prescribed by the vet and stringent hygiene will save you a lot of effort in the long.
There are dips you can do if a vet won’t prescribe introfungol. A dip is better than creaming. Using creams is likely to mean you are dealing with this for a long time to come.
We don’t recommend home treatments due to the issues they can cause.

Please do read the guide I linked in.

Once he is treated, please do get him a friend. Guinea pigs are highly social herd animals and should never be kept alone. Companionship from another piggy is essential and a single piggy really does struggle with loneliness even if they hide the signs of it.

 

[Lina0703]

Okay, my Guinea pig has been living alone for about 5 years now the first time he had someone in the same cage with him he grew very aggressive. I have been looking at the link you sent if I can not see a vet would the shampoo and the cream method work along with the zymox topical spray if I’m not able to see a vet as my parents are always working busy hours and I live in a house with a big family and money is tight.

 

[Lina0703]

I’ve heard that these remedies work from a website ringwormtreatment
It gives home remedies on how to get rid of it and I’ve been think of buying a smaller enclosure for him since I don’t have two Guinea pigs anymore. Would make his space smaller affect him at all and would small pet select paper bedding be a good choice of bedding if I were to make the switch from fleece to bedding?

 

[Piggies&buns]

We do not recommend creaming - it’s ineffective.
We do not recommend any home remedies. I cannot comment on zymox as I have not heard of it but what I can say is that some treatments may be toxic to piggies so please exercise extreme caution.
Sprays should generally not be used around piggies due to the risk of inhalation.

A imaverol dip is better than shampoo. Shampooing with nizoral is very harsh on their skin and would not be recommended due to it being so harsh on them.

We can only stress the importance of providing vet care when it is needed. Using any home remedies can make things so much worse, much harder and actually much more expensive to deal with.

Any enclosure must still meet minimum welfare requirements and that is that it measures no less than 120x60cm. A single piggy still requires a lot of room and in fact the minimum sizing for two piggies is still the same size as for a single piggy.
If his space is too small then yes it absolutely will affect him and his quality of life.

You can use any bedding you wish but do be aware that it would need to be changed regularly and you would need to ensure it is disposed of carefully. It can work out more costly due to the need for wet areas to be replaced every day.

Being aggressive with a piggy does not mean they can never be bonded with another. A piggy is usually only aggressive with another piggy is they are not properly matched and character compatible.

 

[Lina0703]

Thank you for all the wonderful advice I will try to get him in as soon as I can after I talk with my parents. Have nice rest of your day.