Vitiligo or aging?

[Carlos28]

Hey guys. Carlos here, so one of my girls is called cleide and she’s a black Guinea pig with almost 4 years! Gotta say that she has never been sick and this is just impressive to a Guinea pig we cannot say that about my other girl Dolores thoe cause she have lots of stuff and she loves to fight and become healthy again! So my question today is, does anyone here have experienced something like feet losing color? Or nails losing color in aged piggy’s ? Or maybe vitiligo? Cause my girl cleide had always a white back leg and trough this year her fingers become to be pinky (her fingers and feet were all black) and now some of the other back feet nails are becoming white too. She has a health check for every 6 months and last month I took her into my vet and she says that she thinks it’s normal while ageing but as I said on my last post here in Brazil we do not have much experience with exotic animals so I’m trying my best to get my girls to live as many years as they can with happiness and healthy. Can anyone help me in this one? Thanks a lot! I Love this place that I can speak with all of you guys who knows piggy so much! Sending pics of cleide legs so you guys can notice what I’m saying. Sorry if I’m not holding her properly. It was just for the video but a care for them too much! You can see on my Instagram that they’re are loved (it’s @pigordinhas)

 

[sport_billy]

I think that is more than likely old age. Piggies do change a little colour as they become golden oldies. The same as our skin changes
@Wiebke thoughts?

 

[Wiebke]

Hey guys. Carlos here, so one of my girls is called cleide and she’s a black Guinea pig with almost 4 years! Gotta say that she has never been sick and this is just impressive to a Guinea pig we cannot say that about my other girl Dolores thoe cause she have lots of stuff and she loves to fight and become healthy again! So my question today is, does anyone here have experienced something like feet losing color? Or nails losing color in aged piggy’s ? Or maybe vitiligo? Cause my girl cleide had always a white back leg and trough this year her fingers become to be pinky (her fingers and feet were all black) and now some of the other back feet nails are becoming white too. She has a health check for every 6 months and last month I took her into my vet and she says that she thinks it’s normal while ageing but as I said on my last post here in Brazil we do not have much experience with exotic animals so I’m trying my best to get my girls to live as many years as they can with happiness and healthy. Can anyone help me in this one? Thanks a lot! I Love this place that I can speak with all of you guys who knows piggy so much! Sending pics of cleide legs so you guys can notice what I’m saying. Sorry if I’m not holding her properly. It was just for the video but a care for them too much! You can see on my Instagram that they’re are loved (it’s @pigordinhas)

Hi and welcome

Guinea pigs can have colour changes as they age; although it is more often a darkening of patches or new dark skin patches appearing than white/light patches on dark piggies.
Here is our gallery thread about coat changes in guinea pigs: Coat colour changes - Add your own

I have never come across vitiligo (loss of pigment in the skin) specifically mentioned in connection with guinea pigs - certainly not in the 15 years and tens of thousands of posts in this section alone - but that doesn't mean that it could not happen occasionally with a certain genetic disposition. There is still so much we don't know about guinea pigs, who are very badly under-researched as a pet species.

In any case, there is nothing you can do about it. The foot is looking healthy as it is, so I would not worry.

 

[Eriathwen]

I noticed the other day my all black girl Tilted Tilly has developed new white patches as well, one on the bald patch behind her ear, and some on her lips, oddly enough! I've put it down to age or possibly scars from unnoticed injuries but can't be sure, I'd like to think I would have seen injuries this big!
I have been wondering whether her hair would have turned white if they were on parts with hair, but I cant find any on the rest of her body.

 

[JJW&Pigs]

I noticed the other day my all black girl Tilted Tilly has developed new white patches as well, one on the bald patch behind her ear, and some on her lips, oddly enough! I've put it down to age or possibly scars from unnoticed injuries but can't be sure, I'd like to think I would have seen injuries this big!
I have been wondering whether her hair would have turned white if they were on parts with hair, but I cant find any on the rest of her body.

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Interesting. I’ve never heard of vitiligo in guinea pigs. Guinea pigs do change color as they get older but not much, but I haven’t seen a guinea pig turn from black to white. It’s probably unlikely, but, is it possible you’ve just never noticed?

 

[Eriathwen]

Interesting. I’ve never heard of vitiligo in guinea pigs. Guinea pigs do change color as they get older but not much, but I haven’t seen a guinea pig turn from black to white. It’s probably unlikely, but, is it possible you’ve just never noticed?

I certainly wouldn't rule it out, but as one of my special needs girls she gets scrutinised head to toe on an at least weekly basis and I've had her for 2-3 years now so I would like to think I'd have seen it but it's totally possible I missed it or just never paid any attention to it.

 

[piggieminder]

Red a golden coloured piggie who always had light brown lips has at the age of 4.5 years developed a half pink lower lip lip!