• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Something's Wrong With my Guinea's Ear

B

ButterscotchPudding08

New Born Pup
Joined
Apr 10, 2023
Messages
9
Reaction score
7
Points
70
Location
Western Australia
Hi there,
We just got two new baby guinea pigs, we've had them before, and one ear on one of them is sort of crusty, and the skin flakes off. I'm really worried this is some skin infection or mite as I've never seen anything like this. I cleaned it off and then it looked nearly the same a day later. Could you help me?
Thanks
 
They really need to be seen by a vet for a proper diagnosis. The vet will be able to take a skin scraping to check for mites or fungal. Do not try to treat using off-the shelf product prior to seeing the vet, as it may hinder diagnosis.
If either mites or fungal is found to be present, both pigs will need to be treated regardless of whether there is evidence on the second pig.

In case of fungal, it would be a good idea to start cleaning procedures now:
Ringworm Hygiene and Care Guide
 
I agree with Princess Dustmop. You need to have your piggies seen by a vet for diagnosis and any necessary treatment.
It might be ringworm - we can’t diagnose anything - but given how contagious it is, please do read the guides below and start to exercise stringent hygiene while you wait for your vet appointment.

Please don’t use any off the shelf products. As has been mentioned, they can mask symptoms and make diagnosis harder but also they don’t tend to be effective and can prolong any outbreak.

New Guinea Pig Problems: Sexing & Pregnancy; URI, Ringworm & Parasites; Vet Checks & Customer Rights
Ringworm: Hygiene, Care And Pictures
 
You'll need a vet check to know for sure, but flaky skin may be a fungal infection like ringworm. Make sure to wash your hands really well after handling. It may end up being necessary to treat both pigs with an antifungal med, as they've both been together. But only a vet can diagnose for sure. Best of luck and hope it clears up quickly!
 
Hi,
I'm so sorry I'm late to reply. We used a guinea-pig safe anti-fungal cream and it's all cleared up. Turns out both the pigs we bought from a breeder were pregnant, (Even though we payed good money) and we have five beautiful pups. One of them we believe is blind but otherwise is doing fine and are all putting on healthy weight.
Thanks
 
I'm glad to hear that the ear cleared up.

It sounds like they likely weren't separated from the boys quickly enough ... might have had a precocious or misgendered brother. Glad the pups are doing well.

Guinea pigs can actually live pretty normal lives with little to no sight. One of our girls was blind or close to it, and the only real differences in her behaviour were:
  1. she'd be confused when her cagemate would flip or move objects in their cage
  2. she needed another piggy to follow during floor time, or she'd just sit still and eventually wheek for help
  3. she was a bit more timid in general but still a happy little beggar

The brown and white teddy below was mostly or completely blind; the black and white rex came to her rescue after she called for help. (Both piggies had dark eyes; the red eye is just an artifact of the photography.)
3FA2937A-22AD-457B-85D7-16BBD54237FC.webpF093EFA0-0148-46E9-B82D-5F0723074670.webp81C85797-A1C4-4438-8301-ED3CB37D7B77.webp
 
ButterscotchPudding08 said:
Hi,
I'm so sorry I'm late to reply. We used a guinea-pig safe anti-fungal cream and it's all cleared up. Turns out both the pigs we bought from a breeder were pregnant, (Even though we payed good money) and we have five beautiful pups. One of them we believe is blind but otherwise is doing fine and are all putting on healthy weight.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Glad the mums pups are doing okay. Make sure you sex all the pups correctly. Any boys must be removed from the girls at three weeks old OR when they reach 250g.

Take lots of pictures. We love to see baby piggies if you’d like to share.

Illustrated Sexing Guide
 
Thankyou we are aware of the importance of early separation. The little piggies are a few days old and we got some wombaroo milk powder because there isn't quite enough milk to go around. One of the pups has taken to sitting in the food bowl when Mum is eating. <3
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1024.webp
    IMG_1024.webp
    81.2 KB · Views: 8
  • IMG_0984.webp
    IMG_0984.webp
    54.8 KB · Views: 8
  • IMG_1010.webp
    IMG_1010.webp
    31.4 KB · Views: 8
Thankyou I am aware of the importance of early separation. The five little piggies are doing great, we decided to get some wombaroo milk powder because mum doesn't quite have enough to go around. One of the pups has taken to climbing and sitting in the food bowl while Mum eats. <3
 
Hi again,
I'm very worried about one of the pups, I've been researching for awhile and I'm not sure what's wrong. She almost sounds snotty and it also sounds like hiccups. It happens every second and I'm not sure if she has pneumonia or something went down the wrong way. I am so worried. :no:😥😢
 
ButterscotchPudding08 said:
Hi again,
I'm very worried about one of the pups, I've been researching for awhile and I'm not sure what's wrong. She almost sounds snotty and it also sounds like hiccups. It happens every second and I'm not sure if she has pneumonia or something went down the wrong way. I am so worried. :no:😥😢
Click to expand...
It sounds like she really needs to see a vet.
It might be something gone down the wrong way but this should clear quickly and if she is snotty she might have a respiratory infection.

The good news is that if it's caught early and treated properly she has an excellent chance of making a full recovery.
 
Unfortunately no vets are open at this time near us where I live and it is difficult to find an exotic animal vet. is there anything I can do at home to help, like rub her chest to stimulate a reaction and she could cough any tiny bits of liquid out?
 
Does she sound snotty like she has a “blocked nose” or is she producing discharge.

You can also try listening to her chest, if you get to a quiet area and place your ear against where her lungs are, you can try and listen to see if you can hear fluid.
It sort of sounds like sloshing about. This helped me diagnose one of my earlier piggies with pneumonia(with a vet check aswell).
This won’t change anything but may help you understand better what is going on.

Rubbing her chest wouldn’t likely do much, if it sounds totally nasal you can try placing a bowl of boiling water near their cage to try and help her sinuses.
Keeping her warm, not hot (especially in this weather), may make her a bit more comfortable.

None of this will replace a vet visit, I understand it’s hard but it will give her the better chance the quicker you can get her seen.

Hope it’s nothing too serious x
 
Poor baby, please get your baby to a vet as soon as possible first thing tomorrow if not tonight.
Best of luck, fingers crossed for you both 🤞❤️
 
When we got up this morning, we were miraculously surprised. No more noises and jumping and running around like all the other babies. So lucky this happened no problems with breathing and chest sounds clear and good.
Thanks
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top