So long story short one of my boy guinea pigs was making a moaning noise when scatchinv his back and he would do it a lot. He pulled a little bit of hair out there too. He hated me touching anywhere near it even tho his the most loveliest guinea pig he loves affection normally, he would go for me. Tried mite stuff and it’s still uncomfortable. So took him to the vet. Not gonna lie the vet was useless. He had no clue. He did manage to show me he has very Flaky scabby skin under his fur (my pig won’t let me look without going for me) He checked for ringworm.mites and brushed through his hair with a metal brush. He gave me painkiller metacam and antibiotics incase it’s bacterial and told me to use mite stuff in a weeks time after. He loved the pain killer and I haven’t heard him scratch as much, he still has now and then but his skin is still super scabby and sore. I’m not sure what else I can do. Is there anything I can try to moisturise his skin with. ( his in our bedroom and we’ve got a dehumidifier for the dampness)
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Scabby dry skin
- Thread starter Hannahtoo
- Start date
Siikibam
Forum Donator 2022/23
I’m sorry your boy is uncomfortable. What mite treatment did the vet administer and what antibiotic was he prescribed? How did they check for mites? They can’t be seen so did they take skin scrapings or something else? How is his friend behaving? Any signs of over scratching etc?
Unfortunately mite treatment bought in shops (I’m assuming that’s what you used first) isn’t vet strength so is essentially useless. We don’t recommend home treating. Mainly because you don’t know what is wrong. And secondly because home treating can ‘wipe the crime scene clean’. So when a vet comes to examine the piggy, there is no evidence of whatever it is that caused the issue. Or it may point to something else other than the real issue.
The other thing is that treatment for mites is ‘three courses’ repeated every two weeks. Did the vet book him in to be seen again in two weeks, or anytime before then?
As he is on antibiotics, I would recommend you weigh him once daily (mornings possibly) and keep an eye on his weight. Antibiotics can ruin their appetite and the only way to know is to weigh him. You can also give him a probiotic 1-2 hours before or after his antibiotics dose.
I would perhaps consider getting a second opinion from another vet. Was the one you saw on the list I’ve linked to below? I hope he feels better soon.
PS sorry for so many questions!
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Unfortunately mite treatment bought in shops (I’m assuming that’s what you used first) isn’t vet strength so is essentially useless. We don’t recommend home treating. Mainly because you don’t know what is wrong. And secondly because home treating can ‘wipe the crime scene clean’. So when a vet comes to examine the piggy, there is no evidence of whatever it is that caused the issue. Or it may point to something else other than the real issue.
The other thing is that treatment for mites is ‘three courses’ repeated every two weeks. Did the vet book him in to be seen again in two weeks, or anytime before then?
As he is on antibiotics, I would recommend you weigh him once daily (mornings possibly) and keep an eye on his weight. Antibiotics can ruin their appetite and the only way to know is to weigh him. You can also give him a probiotic 1-2 hours before or after his antibiotics dose.
I would perhaps consider getting a second opinion from another vet. Was the one you saw on the list I’ve linked to below? I hope he feels better soon.
PS sorry for so many questions!
Recommended Guinea Pig Vets
Complete Syringe Feeding Guide
Hi and welcome
Unfortunately, without a well-lit and crisp picture plus an idea of where on the body the problem is located, we cannot even start to guess; just based on your description. Please use the 'Attach files' button under your new post to upload the picture as some formats are not supported on this forum but the attachment works for all pictures.
Could you please tell us the name of the 'mite stuff' you applied and how often? Pet shop products (even the ones labelled 'vet grade') are not designed to cut through an acute attack.
How long have you have you had your guinea pigs and where have you got them from if they are newly bought?
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I used the beaphar anti- parasite spot on and he told me to use that again. He checked for mites with a metal comb? He also checked with a blue light with the lights off but think that’s more for ringworm. His been separated for months from my other pig because of personality clash. He did say a possible 2 week appointment but he kept changing his mind. what’s a probiotic?
No it’s not the list. But the one in my area on the list I’ve been to in the past for past pigs and they kept him in and wouldn’t put him down then charged us over £400
but I think it’s because they’ve not seen a guinea pig pull out fur from his stomach and they were just interested in what’s wrong rather than his pain
I applied it once and then again after he told me and that was 4 weeks after the first lot.
His over a year old and we got him November 2020 from pets at home
I’ll get a picture in a bit
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No it’s not the list. But the one in my area on the list I’ve been to in the past for past pigs and they kept him in and wouldn’t put him down then charged us over £400
but I think it’s because they’ve not seen a guinea pig pull out fur from his stomach and they were just interested in what’s wrong rather than his pain I applied it once and then again after he told me and that was 4 weeks after the first lot.
His over a year old and we got him November 2020 from pets at home
I’ll get a picture in a bit
[HEADING=2] [/HEADING]
The beaphar product is not strong enough to deal with an active case of mites.
Xeno is the most commonly prescribed product to deal with mites and it needs to be given every two weeks for three separate treatments to catch the full life cycle of all the mites (the treatment doesn’t kill the eggs) to cure an outbreak.
A probiotic is recommended to be given when a piggy is on antibiotics as it can help stabilise the gut. Antibiotics can affect the appetite and a probiotic can help combat that. Something like fibreplex, pro-c
Probiotics, Recovery Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links
Xeno is the most commonly prescribed product to deal with mites and it needs to be given every two weeks for three separate treatments to catch the full life cycle of all the mites (the treatment doesn’t kill the eggs) to cure an outbreak.
A probiotic is recommended to be given when a piggy is on antibiotics as it can help stabilise the gut. Antibiotics can affect the appetite and a probiotic can help combat that. Something like fibreplex, pro-c
Probiotics, Recovery Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links