Last night I noticed a scab on the face of one of my daughters guinea pigs.i have been looking on the Internet for advice but I'm not really getting anywhere.she does have an appointment at the vets tomorrow as they are closed today and it's not an emergency but I'm feeling lost and confused as to how this could of happened. I do think it's some sort of bacterial thing or mites but I've checked the rest of her body and see nothing except a new scab on the other side of her face today.could this be ringworm and is there anything I can do just now to ease her discomfort from it.if this is ring worm I am going to have to treat my other two pigs as they all live together.any advise would be great and appreciated thankyou x
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Scab On Pigs Face
- Thread starter eldda
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Merrypigs Sanctuary
Adult Guinea Pig
It does sound like Ringworm! Could you post any pictures?
Ringworm can be treated topically if caught early enough
Do they live in a wooden hutch at all?
Make sure to disinfect everything, as spores can survive for a long time in the environment ( you could use Milton baby sterilising fluid as it's anti fungal)
Good luck!
Ringworm can be treated topically if caught early enough
Do they live in a wooden hutch at all?Make sure to disinfect everything, as spores can survive for a long time in the environment ( you could use Milton baby sterilising fluid as it's anti fungal)
Good luck!
I'm using my phone so trying to figure out how to post a picture sorry I'm useless. Yes they do. could I have bought the wooden hutch and it already had ringworm in it?it was bought new.i also buy them wooden chew toys.they get a new one every two weeks.could those be carrying the ringworm also?
Hi and welcome!
Are you the lady that just messaged our facebook page? You can upload pictures with the help of this guide or try and see whether you can copy/paste your picture into a post on here.
Please have your guinea pig checked for fungal, potentially ringworm, especially if the area is growing quickly and is developing a whiteish crust. Having her seen tomorrow is perfectly fine.
As ringworm is the most infective problem that can cross between all mammals (including humans and other pets), please keep your children from handling the guinea pigs for the time being, at least until you have a proper vet diagnosis. Use one way gloves. Please do not treat on spec.
You may find the tips and pictures in our guide helpful in getting on top of ringworm, if that is what you are dealing with. It is quite a bit of extra work for you, but with the help of our measures and the recommended disinfectant, you can get on top of it as quickly and effectively as possible and prevent it from spreading or returning. So it is well worth it!
Ringworm: Hygiene And Pictures
Merrypigs Sanctuary
Adult Guinea Pig
Sadly spores just love living in wood, so give it a good soak! Any wooden chews or toys are best thrown away sadly
If your hutch was new then hopefully it didn't come from there! It can come in on untreated hay though, and from contact with other pets that have it. Even if there are spores on your clothes from another animal as wiebke says, it's very contagious so be careful!
PS: How long have you had your guinea pigs? Ringworm is not uncommon in new guinea pigs. You can reclaim the vet cost from the shop if it happens within 2-3 weeks after the sale.
It does sound like Ringworm! Could you post any pictures?
Ringworm can be treated topically if caught early enough
Make sure to disinfect everything, as spores can survive for a long time in the environment ( you could use Milton baby sterilising fluid as it's anti fungal)
Good luck!
Thanks! That looks rather like ringworm to me. You need to treat both piggies once you have confirmation.
yes i am.i think ive managed to do it but not sure sorry.she does seem fine in herself still being chatty and eating.if this is ringworm do you know if she will go off her food.?we are an animal friendly house so i will put them into quarantine away from all other pets at children.am i best to start treating the cage and pigs just now or wait for a diagnosise?thankyou for the help
they are around 20 weeks now. maya did come with a sister but unfortunetly she died a couple of weeks after we got her then got two more to keep her company at the start of december.i am so confused as to how she would of caught it.the other two arent showing any signs but since they all live together will have to be treated too.can ringworm lie dormant in a guinea pig without showing signs?
That does look like Ringworm to me, too. But best let the vet check and decide on treatment. Topical treatment is not ideal near eyes so vets usually give you an oral treatment (intrafungol or sporanox) to kill the spores. The other piggies will need to be checked and the vet will decide if they need treatment.
If it is fungal you will need to disinfect the whole cage and contents. Ask your vet for some F10 spray as that kills all fungal spores. Bedding and fleece items will need to be washed at 60 degrees to kill spores. Wooden items will either need to be binned or soaked in F10 to kill spores.
Keep the affected piggies away from children and other animals, and exercise care yourself when handling. It is transferable to humans. I have a special long sleeved top and apron I wear when handling piggies with fungal infection to prevent cross contamination. I only wear it when handling the affected piggy and wash it on a hot wash afterwards.
These things happen - new piggies are prone to mites and fungal infections. Please don't worry. It will clear up and the piggies will not appear ill as a result.
If it is fungal you will need to disinfect the whole cage and contents. Ask your vet for some F10 spray as that kills all fungal spores. Bedding and fleece items will need to be washed at 60 degrees to kill spores. Wooden items will either need to be binned or soaked in F10 to kill spores.
Keep the affected piggies away from children and other animals, and exercise care yourself when handling. It is transferable to humans. I have a special long sleeved top and apron I wear when handling piggies with fungal infection to prevent cross contamination. I only wear it when handling the affected piggy and wash it on a hot wash afterwards.
These things happen - new piggies are prone to mites and fungal infections. Please don't worry. It will clear up and the piggies will not appear ill as a result.
Please wait with treating until you have a diagnosis; you are making this much more difficult for a vet if you treat on spec with any skin issues - they are often not all that easy to diagnose in the early stages. Yours is a pretty classic case.
Please put the piggies in a separate room and order F10 disinfectant online now; it is the only one that can also kill ringworm spores, which are shed in their thousands. If you have a lot of disinfecting to do, I would recommend using the concentrate; if necessary use an cage cleaner spray bottle or just slug it everywhere (and I mean everywhere into the tiniest crack!) If you can get hold of a secondhand free-ads "hospital" cage, this makes it easier to clean and disinfect until the end of treatment, if that is an option for you. Don't use any wood, just plastic hideys for the time being.
If your children have handled the piggies recently, I would recommend washing them down with an anti-fungal shampoo or shower gel to try and prevent an outbreak. The guide should contain a link to ringworm in humans. the same goes for other pets that could have been handled without hand washing by your children straight after being in contact with the piggies.
Spores can have come in the coat of one the piggies without them being affected or they could have been carried into the house by your other pets or children... Not all guinea pigs can necessarily develop ringworm, but they can carry spores around; I was caught out that way once. Hence my recommendation to bathe all guinea pigs at the beginning and at the end in order to prevent re-infection and transmission. Ringworm spores have quite a long life time and they are in the environment.
Please don't feel bad or guilty - it is one of these things that happen.
My vets use F10 for all their cage cleaning, disinfecting etc. I think if it's good enough for them it's good enough for me and mine.
flowerfairy
Senior Guinea Pig
Useful thread. Think I'll get some F10 as well.
Hope you soon get this under control. Best of luck at the vet's tomorrow.
Hope you soon get this under control. Best of luck at the vet's tomorrow.
I would also get the F10! One of mine had it and i had to bin all the new wooden stuff.. plastic hay trays and cardboard boxes from then on as cheaper to bin ! I am sure once the vet has checked your piggies over and confirmed it, it won't take long to clear up. X
F10 do an amazing range of useful products. I always have a tube of F10 ointment to hand in my piggy first aid kit to use in case of any little cuts or sores while waiting to see the vet.
Merrypigs Sanctuary
Adult Guinea Pig
Yesss, I think that's definitely ringworm
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