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sick guinea pig

cinnamon7

cinnamon7

Junior Guinea Pig
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i got a guinea pig from pets4homes, i think he’s been neglected. He came with long nails, dirty fur, greasy fur and sores on his skin. he also has diarrhoea. how can i help him to make his poops back to normal and any tips on to help heal the scabs
 
Poor thing. Well done for taking for taking him in.

Please have him seen by a vet rather than doing anything yourself. You don’t want to bathe him or anything like that as it may make it harder for a vet to make any diagnoses of any potential skin issues. For example his skin sores may be as a result of mange mites so he could need the correct prescription treatment.

If he has full liquid diarrhoea then it is considered an emergency and he would need to see a vet now due to the risk of dehydration.
If it is just soft but formed poops then ensuring he has a good amount of hay and a probiotic may be enough but given he sounds to be neglected I’d personally feel happier after a vet check.
 
Piggies&buns said:
Poor thing. Well done for taking for taking him in.

Please have him seen by a vet rather than doing anything yourself. You don’t want to bathe him or anything like that as it may make it harder for a vet to make any diagnoses of any potential skin issues. For example his skin sores may be as a result of mange mites so he could need the correct prescription treatment.

If he has full liquid diarrhoea then it is considered an emergency and he would need to see a vet now due to the risk of dehydration.
If it is just soft but formed poops then ensuring he has a good amount of hay and a probiotic may be enough but given he sounds to be neglected I’d personally feel happier after a vet check.
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yes i will defo be calling the vet
 
Hi

Please have him vet checked as soon as possible. The sores could be either mange mites (and in this case, he would need a full course high strength ivermectin at the right dosage) but he could also have ringworm or other fungal, which needs different treatment. If you just dab something on his back, you are going to make a diagnosis much more difficult, which can result in your boy having to wait longer for the treatment he needs.

The diarrhoea can be caused by malnutrition (especially too little or no hay) or by parasites. If he has runny diarrhoea, then he needs to see a vet very promptly.
If his issues are caused by malnutrition/low hay diet, then it would be good to also have his mouth checked; especially the difficult to reach back teeth, which are ground down by the silica in the hay/grass fibre. A good hay based diet will hopefully take care of the worst of it.
He also should have his boar bits checked. He may need a bath but please confer with your vet. If he has advanced mange mites, a normal bath could trigger seizures. We cannot comment sight unseen and hands off, nor are we qualified to replace a vet trip.

It's better to get him started right than failing him a second time with low dosed cheap pet shop treatment - and then still needing the vet trip for the proper stuff after all your other expense.

New Guinea Pig Problems: Sexing & Pregnancy; URI, Ringworm & Parasites; Vet Checks & Customer Rights
Boar Care: Bits, Bums & Baths
Digestive Disorders: Not Eating - Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement)
 
bex247 said:
the sores are from the other guinea pigs fighting him, and i have an appointment booked tomorrow morning so i will get him checked and hopefully get some medication or something
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Great! Once you know exactly what you are up against, then we can help you much better with practical tips. :tu:
 
does anyone know what those light dots around his nose could be?
 

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It not possible for us to tell from a photo.

However, do they come off when you run your fingers through the fur or do they feel stuck?
If they don’t come off then he may have mites. Hay mite egg casings stick to the hair shaft. It’s usually around the back end but in some cases it can be all over.

I'm will merge this post back to your other thread assuming this is the new piggy?
 
Glad you have taken in this poor boy. He sounds like he will need a lot of love and care. Good luck at the vets tomorrow.
 
Piggies&buns said:
It not possible for us to tell from a photo.

However, do they come off when you run your fingers through the fur or do they feel stuck?
If they don’t come off then he may have mites. Hay mite egg casings stick to the hair shaft. It’s usually around the back end but in some cases it can be all over.

I'm will merge this post back to your other thread assuming this is the new piggy?
Click to expand...
oh no he just had a seizure, after he was really itching himself hard it happend. i’m sure he has a parasite mites
 
Definitely mention this to the vet tomorrow! Parasites can cause seizure type episodes unfortunately 😞
My Rainbow Bridge piggy Eric was in a right state when I got him, he had some sort of parasites which, when treated he had a reaction to the treatment and lost lots of his hair!
He didn't have seizures as such but he would twitch and twist and squeal when being touched on his body.
He never really loved being touched on his body, but as time went on he got better and better and would allow you to stroke his body gently and comb him ❤️
 
i will forsure mention it, and sorry this happend to your guinea pig 😕 also can mites transfer to other guinea pigs because i have 5 and the last thing i want is for them to get it aswell
 
I do believe they can, yes. It would be worth asking your vet for treatment to take home for all your piggies to give just in case - you will probably need their weights to ensure the vet can give you the right dose.
Eric was a sensitive soul bless him, but he really became a comfortable, happy piggy after a while of being with us, finding out that humans are actually nice and what it is like to be loved - I can imagine it will be the same for your piggy!
Best of luck for tomorrow! 🤞❤️
 
Poor thing.

Mange mites can cause seizures (mange mites don’t cause the black egg casings stuck to the skin - mange mites burrow into the skin which could be one of the reasons for the sores you are seeing on him).
Yes they can transfer to other piggies.
He should be quarantined in a separate room for two weeks before you try to bond him with any other piggy. (Given he is a he and probably not neutered, what are your plans for him having a friend?)

Ps - threads merged together
 
i got Xeno for my guinea pig suffering with mites from the vet. how often do i use it? and is 9 drops okay
 
Did the vet not tell you?

It is dosed by weight so we can’t tell you whether 9 drops is enough for your piggy’s weight.
Xeno also comes in two strengths so it also depends on what strength you have been given.

Three doses are needed with two weeks between each dose (so six weeks to fully treat).
 
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