So a few weeks ago we noticed Willow was losing some hair on her rump and took her to the vets. We'd recently adopted a cage mate and bonded and suspect we'd perhaps also adopted mites. Fast forward to today and the hair loss whilst isn't progressing as fast we're still seeing further patches. She's been to the vets twice and had injections over three weeks whilst the new pig Wilma has been treated with ivermectin. On the second visit to the vets with Willow the vet recommended ringworm treatment at the same time as belt and braces. I'm currently cleaning the cage every day including hay box and am starting to get more worried that we're missing something. The vet checked ovaries and said they're fine. Do I need to be patient and trust the medicine. What is the likely turnaround from mites I.e. when can I expect some hair regrowth and Willow to stop itching. Any advice would be appreciated
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Serious hair loss help needed
- Thread starter Patpig
- Start date
Hi
It takes at least three rounds of the appropriate strength of ivermectin to get on top of mange mites; sometimes four in an advanced case. Guinea pig skin parasites are species specific.
Please be aware that ringworm is a fungal skin infection and is not parasitic. Ivermectin can only temporarily suppress it but not heal it. The problem with ringworm is getting on top of the highly contagious, species jumping and long lived spores that are shed in their thousands in an acute outbreak to prevent reinfection and passing it on - it does affect humans (generally known as tinea) as well as pretty much all common pets.
More information here. Please be aware that we cannot tell you what you may be dealing with just based on your post.
New piggy problems: URI - ringworm - skin parasites
theguineapigforumhttps://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/ringworm-hygiene-care-and-pictures.115402/
My gut tells me it's mites and not ringworm. Thank you for the advice. I'll be back at the vets post this round of treatment if things don't improve. She is eating and poopingok and running around. I just worry.
Could you upload a picture of the hair loss via the Attach Files button under your post when you write it, please. Sight unseen we can only reflect what you are telling us but have no way of assessing the situation independently.
Merab
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Just offering support.
Its on the rear and spreading forwards. We've been back at the vets today. She took some scrapings and they came back negative for mites. We're testing cortisol levels after weekend she wants to rule out adrenal glad issues. Willie seems OK other than hair loss. Fingers crossed 
Its on the rear and spreading forwards. We've been back at the vets today. She took some scrapings and they came back negative for mites. We're testing cortisol levels after weekend she wants to rule out adrenal glad issues. Willie seems OK other than hair loss. Fingers crossed
Thank you for the update; it doesn't look like mange mite related hair loss, either, and the failure of several rounds of ivermectin to stop it would also stongly point in that direction.
Unfortunately, once you are past the obvious causes, things get a lot more difficult to diagnose and treat accordingly because it is a rather wide unresearched field of fairly rare issues where vets have to work back from other species.
All the best!
Suki&Indie
Junior Guinea Pig
Possibly a silly idea but could the cage mate be barbering her (chewing off the hair)? I had a female piggy who lost huge chunks of hair over a short amount of time - I had everything checked and come back negative. I had a camera in the room (I’m a bit of a helicopter mum!) and one day noticed that the cage mate was munching away at my poor piggies hair!
I put a little bit of lemon juice on the victim-piggy’s hair (not touching her fur as I didn’t want to burn her) the barbering stopped and her hair grew back
I know it’s unlikely but just a thought xx
I put a little bit of lemon juice on the victim-piggy’s hair (not touching her fur as I didn’t want to burn her) the barbering stopped and her hair grew back
I know it’s unlikely but just a thought xx
Dominance barbering right down to the skin usually leaves a tiny irregular stubble and I can't spot any - you may have to feel with your fingers? It is also a rather large area for that and the barbered piggy would normally either protest loudly or would submission scream. Most of it is usually more contained when it is unfriendly and there would often be other dominance behaviour.
Social barbering is not down onto the skin. The affected are is not where you get to for self- barbering.
I have written this article about the various aspects of barbering some years ago: Barbering ( Eating Hair)
I have also taken aspects discussed in this link here into account but haven't found that any of them really answers: Guinea Lynx :: Hair Loss
Nor does it look like hormonal hair loss, which is often initially a thinning of hairs and would be still that aroun the edges.