• 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

Vitamin C

C

CTWC

Adult Guinea Pig
Joined
Jan 21, 2024
Messages
1,292
Reaction score
1,604
Points
725
Location
Staffordshire
Hi so I've been to the vets this morning as one of our guys has lost a patch of hair he lives alone as a neighbour to his friends the vet saw no mites so has advised using Vitamin C supplement but I'm not convinced. What do you all think of a short Vit C course? He has pepper, cucumber and lettuce most days not too keen on coriander though and does have a few nuggets a day. So I'm surprised at the diagnosis. If so what would you advise they suggested it to go in his water initially but he isn't a big drinker and don't want to put him off water so to speak they then said Oxbow Vit C treats but wanted your opinion before I buy it.
 
The chances of a well kept piggy with a good diet having a vit c deficiency is very low - in fact, we don’t see it happen (any scurvy cases we do see tend to be in proper neglect cases or in those who have been long term supplemented and then the supplementation stops suddenly). Form what you have said is his diet, If it were my own I’d be hesitant to supplement.
There are other symptoms of scurvy and an isolated bald patch would not make me jump to the conclusion of vit c deficiency at all.
Generalised scruffiness of the hair, perhaps; but not necessarily an isolated patch.

What I would ask is if the hair has fallen out entirely ie you cannot feel any stubble on the skin; or is there is a stubble and therefore potentially has been chewed (self barbering).
Self barbering potentially indicating pain or discomfort in an area (albeit you haven’t said where the bald patch is on his body); or mechanical abrasion maybe.
Where is the bald patch? Perhaps you could post a picture.
How old is he?

A short course (two weeks) of vit c can be given to help boost the immune system during a period of illness. It won’t hurt him; but if he is getting enough vit c then it also isn’t going to help him

Vitamin c should never be added to drinking water so for a vet to advise that is not good!
It can promote algae growth, can cause them to not drink it. Plus and more importantly, it means you have absolutely no control over dosage whatsoever - if a pig genuinely did have a vit c deficiency then there would be very little chance of it being cured by being in their drinking water.
 
See I said all of that about how would I know how much he had drank of the Vitamin C.
 
It’s the place mange mites tend to show their presence but it isn’t the typical v shape indicating mange mites?
How did the vet confirm it isn’t mites?

Have you seen him biting at the area at all?
How old is he?
Do you feel stubble (if a piggy chews their hair then you feel stubble) or is the skin smooth as the hair has completely fallen out?
 
The skin is soft no stubble and if it's really ght the vet suggested when self babering it feels stubbly.
 
Yes self barbering will leave a stubble.

If there is nothing there then his hair is actually falling out. It would be a case of the further running checks to find out other potential causes
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top