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What do people think this could be?

Were they found to have cysts? And how much is the hair on belly thinning? I’d get it checked out, though not urgently as such. Is it really thin? As for greasy, I’ve no clue…
 
The vet thinks possible cysts, but still to do ultrasound. Fur under the tummy quite thin but the back flake area growing back after Being patchy for a long time, I don't understand why this is? I was wondering if greasy is any thin to do with cysts.
 
Hi everyone.

An update on one of my guinea pigs. The vet done an ultrasound scan and didn't find any ovarian cysts, but I can't understand why not, as she seems to be showing some symptoms of ovarian cysts and we have checked for mites and treated for them we have done fungus culture and they came back clear, so am completely baffled by the situation. She isn't or being barbering she isn't scratching and no one else is showing symptoms of mites etc... So do we think the vet has missed something? IMG_20200830_010643_2.webpIMG_20201014_181743_2.webp
 
Hi everyone.

An update on one of my guinea pigs. The vet done an ultrasound scan and didn't find any ovarian cysts, but I can't understand why not, as she seems to be showing some symptoms of ovarian cysts and we have checked for mites and treated for them we have done fungus culture and they came back clear, so am completely baffled by the situation. She isn't or being barbering she isn't scratching and no one else is showing symptoms of mites etc... So do we think the vet has missed something? IMG_20200830_010643_2.jpgIMG_20201014_181743_2.jpg
 
Hi, I removed your duplicate post as it is easier for people to follow health issues if they are kept in one place.
There certainly looks to be a lot of dandruff-like flaky skin there. I am surprised the vet hasnt tried treating for fungal just to be on the safe side as this looks quite fungal to me- not ringworm, more like human dandruff, but may still be fungal? There are many fungal skin issues more like athlete's foot or thrush or dandruff that progress more slowly so might not grow that well in a fungal lab culture test. Or a bacterial skin infection perhaps? We cannot diagnose from photos and you should always be guided by the vet but I would be tempted to ask the vet to repeat the fungal test and also test for bacterial skin infection, and I think most vets seeing this would opt to treat one or both of these things as a precaution just in case.
Although, the position and shape of the hairloss is more characteristic of mites... so I would wonder if you did a full 3 rounds of Xeno450 prescription mite treatment, or if the mite trwatment you gave was not the full prescription treatment course recommendation?
Either way this needs further investigations from the vet and prescription treatments- over the counter and google recommended short cuts may mask the symptoms for a while or half-treat allowing parasites and pathogens to develop resistance, much better to hit these things with a firm full prescription whack :)
 
I should perhaps also add that even if this was originally mites, it is quite possible to get secondary fungal and/or bacterial infections in the mite irritated skin where piggy has bitten or scratched at it. So, it may by now be a mite-shaped hairloss lesion that has later developed a secondary infection with something else.
Just something to be aware of!
 
PigglePuggle said:
Hi, I removed your duplicate post as it is easier for people to follow health issues if they are kept in one place.
There certainly looks to be a lot of dandruff-like flaky skin there. I am surprised the vet hasnt tried treating for fungal just to be on the safe side as this looks quite fungal to me- not ringworm, more like human dandruff, but may still be fungal? There are many fungal skin issues more like athlete's foot or thrush or dandruff that progress more slowly so might not grow that well in a fungal lab culture test. Or a bacterial skin infection perhaps? We cannot diagnose from photos and you should always be guided by the vet but I would be tempted to ask the vet to repeat the fungal test and also test for bacterial skin infection, and I think most vets seeing this would opt to treat one or both of these things as a precaution just in case.
Although, the position and shape of the hairloss is more characteristic of mites... so I would wonder if you did a full 3 rounds of Xeno450 prescription mite treatment, or if the mite trwatment you gave was not the full prescription treatment course recommendation?
Either way this needs further investigations from the vet and prescription treatments- over the counter and google recommended short cuts may mask the symptoms for a while or half-treat allowing parasites and pathogens to develop resistance, much better to hit these things with a firm full prescription whack :)
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Thank you for your help.

How could you test for bacteria skin infections?
The mite treatment I used was beaphear 2 weeks apart for 3 weeks if that makes sense? The fungal culture was left for 2 weeks and nothing grow. Where and what shampoo could I use for this type of fungus you mentioned?
 
PigglePuggle said:
I should perhaps also add that even if this was originally mites, it is quite possible to get secondary fungal and/or bacterial infections in the mite irritated skin where piggy has bitten or scratched at it. So, it may by now be a mite-shaped hairloss lesion that has later developed a secondary infection with something else.
Just something to be aware of!
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Or right thank you.
 
I have heard of beaphar but not something we usually get prescribed in the UK, so long as it was prescription strength and the vet calculated the dosage correctly it should be effective. There are a range of topical fungal prescription treatments, some are shampoo but only usually used alongside other stronger treatments- personally my vet has prescribed surolan and micazole for fungal skin treatment. Many vets prefer oral antifungal medicines. Over the counter athletes foot creams are pretty useless.
Surolan antifungal ointment is also antibacterial so that may cover more bases... but obviously without being your vet and seeing the piggy and doing a bacterial skin scrape test I couldnt say for sure! A bacterial skin scrape can sometimes be done rapidly in the vets office by using a dye that shows up bacteria under the microscope- or a more accurate test that could also identify the type of bacteria would work like the fungal test but would give results faster, usually 48-72 hours.
 
PigglePuggle said:
I have heard of beaphar but not something we usually get prescribed in the UK, so long as it was prescription strength and the vet calculated the dosage correctly it should be effective. There are a range of topical fungal prescription treatments, some are shampoo but only usually used alongside other stronger treatments- personally my vet has prescribed surolan and micazole for fungal skin treatment. Many vets prefer oral antifungal medicines. Over the counter athletes foot creams are pretty useless.
Surolan antifungal ointment is also antibacterial so that may cover more bases... but obviously without being your vet and seeing the piggy and doing a bacterial skin scrape test I couldnt say for sure! A bacterial skin scrape can sometimes be done rapidly in the vets office by using a dye that shows up bacteria under the microscope- or a more accurate test that could also identify the type of bacteria would work like the fungal test but would give results faster, usually 48-72 hours.
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I forgot to ask, if it's mites or fungus how come my others haven't got the same thing going on?
 
Piggies with a healthy immune system often fight off these things naturally, but if a piggy is a bit run down or stressed or just naturally more prone to infections they can have symptoms. Always worth deep cleaning your cage with F10 disinfectant and hot washing any fleece bedding just to make sure there is no residual infection source in the cage- it is possible without rigorous cage hygiene that the same piggy may become reinfected once treatment ends.
 
To my knowledge, the Beaphar anti parasite spot on is aimed more at prevention (which isnt recommended anyway) rather than curing an active case. As the Beaphar anti parasite spot on can be bought in pet shops, it is low dosed because pet shops cant sell prescription strength products (just something to be mindful of)
 
Piggies&buns said:
To my knowledge, the Beaphar anti parasite spot on is aimed more at prevention (which isnt recommended anyway) rather than curing an active case. As the Beaphar anti parasite spot on can be bought in pet shops, it is low dosed because pet shops cant sell prescription strength products (just something to be mindful of)
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Yes I wondered that too @Piggies&buns but I cant see the OPs location and I think its what US vets usually offer? Though some US vets also prescribe selamectin so that could be an option if @PIGGIES FOREVER is in the USA. Maybe you could update your location to help us better to help you?
 
VickiA said:
The OP is UK based @PigglePuggle
Beaphar contains Ivermectin but not to a sufficient strength to deal with a case of well established mange mites.
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In that case I do wonder why the vet didnt prescribe Xeno, as most of our UK vets do routinely- it is after all in the NOAH veterinary medicines compendium that all UK vets refer to... maybe the OP can update her location so we can suggest a more piggy savvy local vet :)
 
Hi all.

Sorry I didn't respond sooner. I do go to an exotics vet, I don't mind if anyone else knows of any other vets that maybe is better etc... Yes I am in the uk. The vet did mention the ivermectin that you said about, but we thought that the other ivermectin would be o.k. and work as I did have 8 pigs, I have just lost one, we thought it would be cheaper to use the one I already had because I was told to treat them all. I have some questions about fungus shampoo and creams what would be better? And what one would I need to go for in shampoo or cream? How much and how long do you have to bath them for? And the cream, how long and many times a day? If using a shampoo how long do you leave it on for ? Do you have to bath all of them? Do you need to use F10 for the cage? etc..

I have never had to deal with fungus before if it is a fungus, it's scary so I am sorry for all the questions.
 
I really don’t feel comfortable advising you about treating your piggies for a fungal infection at this stage. You need a formal diagnosis and vet treatment for the correct problem. Trying to get online opinions on self treating at home will likely prolong the problem and could even make it worse.

Either it’s mites - in which case you need a proper strength dose of ivermectin and not the cheap OTC Beaphar stuff, or it’s fungal. You need a proper diagnosis from the vet to determine which it is.

IF it’s a fungal infection then trying creams and shampoos (ie the cheap option) is a false economy as fully detailed in our ringworm guide.

Please take your affected piggy to a vet for formal diagnosis and prescription of the correct treatment at the correct dose.
 
Is shampooing different then from guinea pig to guinea pig? And depending on type of fungus and how bad? The same as mites, I guess then?
 
Shampooing isnt the effective thing to do, same as using Beaphar type products for any piggy - they aren't medications so aren't strong enough to actually deal with the problem. You end up with the problems coming back and getting worse because they are never properly treated in the first place, so you end up spending even more. Please do have them seen by a vet for proper diagnosis and correct strength prescribed treatments.
 
Piggies&buns said:
Shampooing isnt the effective thing to do, same as using Beaphar type products for any piggy - they aren't medications so aren't strong enough to actually deal with the problem. You end up with the problems coming back and getting worse because they are never properly treated in the first place, so you end up spending even more. Please do have them seen by a vet for proper diagnosis and correct strength prescribed treatments.
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:agr: Completely.
 
VickiA said:
:agr: Completely.
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I do understand that it's better to get a vet to look at the piggy for treatment, I am just trying to research what can be done and if it's possible to treat at home or if it is a vet visit in order.
 
PIGGIES FOREVER said:
I do understand that it's better to get a vet to look at the piggy for treatment, I am just trying to research what can be done and if it's possible to treat at home or if it is a vet visit in order.
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A vet visit is most definitely needed - no home treatment will be good enough and we, as a forum, do not support or recommend any home treatments. Its far too easy to do more harm than good when trying to use cheap products instead of getting a proper vet diagnosis and prescribed treatments.
 
O.k great. Thanks. I just heard other people treating guinea pigs and was thinking it is probably pretty much standard treatment for fungus and just wanted to know what other people would recommend.
 
PIGGIES FOREVER said:
O.k great. Thanks. I just heard other people treating guinea pigs and was thinking it is probably pretty much standard treatment for fungus and just wanted to know what other people would recommend.
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There are different types of fungal infections so it would not be a good idea to use other people's experiences as guidance when you dont have a definitive diagnosis.
We cannot recommend any treatments in accordance with UK law - only a vet can do so
 
A vet visit and prescription treatment ate definitely required, and I have already suggested some prescription meds that the vet may prescribe for both fungal and mites. If you check the forum terms and conditions that you agreed to, you will see that we dont advise home treating and all forum members must seek veterinary help when needed
Your piggy's skin is in a bad way and needs prompt and appropriate veterinary care. Any treatments suggested here are for prescription meds that you may wish to discuss with the prescribing vet, to further your understanding on engaging with a veterinary consultation.
You certainly should not be hearing about anyone home treating with over the counter meds here on the forum, except in countries where there is limited access to veterinary care perhaps, which if you are UK based is certainly not the case- vet care here is usually very affordable and within easy travelling distance.
Please consult your vet or one of the recommended vets from our list, then after receiving a correct diagnosis and prescription treatment you wish to discuss this with us further, we'd be happy to engage.
Though I am a bit confused as you claim to have had vet tests for fungal infection? And a vet prescription for beaphar though UK vets dont prescribe this? What exactly did the vet test for amd prescribe? Sorry if I missed something but things are a little unclear for me in this regard...
 
The vet did test for fungus two times and came back clear and found some mites on a slide and told me I can use the mite treatment I have at home as I had to treat 8 pigs to get rid of the mites, my other pigs wasn't showing signs of mites it's was just treat the lot to make sure they can't come back.

I found this information and read things about fungus and thought it was pretty much standard treatment and that you may not have to go to a vet if I found out basic information about the treatments.
 
I'm going to copy and paste two important parts of the forum terms and rules which all members tick to acknowledge that they have both read, and agree to, when they sign up to the forum.

"DO:

f) Make sure that in posts relating to animals that may be ill or suffering it is made clear that it is the responsibility of the owner to seek veterinary advice. At no point should any member discourage a visit to the vet if the animal may be suffering.

DON’T:

m) Do not advocate medical 'self treatment'of any animal, any persons found doing this may have their account banned or deleted. By UK law only a qualified vet can diagnose, prescribe and treat an animal and only after a physical examination of the animal."

Please stop asking for home treatment options now. Not only does it put you in violation of the rules but it's also asking other members to breach the rules which just isn't fair on them either.
 
Lady Kelly said:
I'm going to copy and paste two important parts of the forum terms and rules which all members tick to acknowledge that they have both read, and agree to, when they sign up to the forum.

"DO:

f) Make sure that in posts relating to animals that may be ill or suffering it is made clear that it is the responsibility of the owner to seek veterinary advice. At no point should any member discourage a visit to the vet if the animal may be suffering.

DON’T:

m) Do not advocate medical 'self treatment'of any animal, any persons found doing this may have their account banned or deleted. By UK law only a qualified vet can diagnose, prescribe and treat an animal and only after a physical examination of the animal."

Please stop asking for home treatment options now. Not only does it put you in violation of the rules but it's also asking other members to breach the rules which just isn't fair on them either.
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Yes I do understand this, I was just trying to explain that's all, why I asked in the first place and how come I was asking, I didn't think it was a big deal and cause upset.
 
Well you thought wrong. Seeing a piggy who needs appropriate vet treatment but isn't getting it, for whatever reason, is very upsetting to other piggy owners. As I'm sure it would be for you if you saw another member making this kind of post.

I don't think there is anything further anyone can add. Your vet may be an exotics vet but if they recommended beaphar then they are certainly not a cavy savvy vet, or maybe just not a good vet at all. When a piggy has irritated skin it's not a good idea to keep using various products without a vet taking a look because it's either going to make things worse or temporarily improve things so that vet diagnosis is harder (to quote Wiebke, it's like wiping down a crime scene - it's all still there just harder to see).
 
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