hi am really worried bout my guineas as they are sufferimg with fungal skin.....dont know what i should use to line their cage! i have been using wood shavings but am worried this isnt helping their skin...pls advise x
what should i use to line the cage when my guinea has fungal skin?
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SpinningNickel
Junior Guinea Pig
Well I have no experience with fungals, first and foremost. I'm assuming they've been to a vet and are receiving treatment for this?
I'd be inclined to suggest something extra-dry and absorbent and dust-free, like vet bed or fleece, and making sure they have the least-dusty hay possible. Again, no particular experience with fungal outbreaks, but my instinct would certainly be that you'd want to eliminate as many skin irritants as possible. I'm sure someone will be along with better, more specific advice though.
I'd be inclined to suggest something extra-dry and absorbent and dust-free, like vet bed or fleece, and making sure they have the least-dusty hay possible. Again, no particular experience with fungal outbreaks, but my instinct would certainly be that you'd want to eliminate as many skin irritants as possible. I'm sure someone will be along with better, more specific advice though.
hi yes i took them both to calder vets on wed night....where vet sait se will treat them for mites first.... they have a follow up appointent this weds for another spot on treatment...but one of the guineas skin is worsening and has circular lesions which leads me t think its ringworm
is there anything else i can do to help them at home as it looks so sore.
plus i bough just medium hay.....should i use timothy hay ?
is there anything else i can do to help them at home as it looks so sore.
plus i bough just medium hay.....should i use timothy hay ?
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The most important things are when suspecting fungal:
- deep clean your whole cage and all furniture with an antifungal disinfectant like F10 regularly (can be easily ordered over the internet). Wash all washable bits at a minimum of 60C. If necessary, get a cheap (several timed prewashed/totally softener-free) fleece and underlay cotton towel and throw them away after the end of the treatment. Make sure that you thoroughly deep clean everything and ideally throw away what you cannot deep clean/hot wash.
Ringworm is highly infective to all mammals, so please use utmost hygiene when handling ringworm piggies. If necessary, use disposable gloves, a special old pullover or apron (which you also need to wash regularly!) and F10m handgel. it takes about 10-14 days to come up, so you need to add a 2 weeks remission phase at the end of the treatment to make sure that there is no return/reinfection.
Change hay (doen't matter which) and any bedding regularly, and throw the water bottle away at the end of the treatment.
Obviously get the right products. I have found imaverol dip most useful for dealing with ringworm (applied every three days for at least three times, more in more advanced cases). Some anti-ringworm cream like canesten 2% (contains a mild steroid for sore patches) or daktarin gold. Please only treat after confirmation that it is fungal.
- Here are some links that can help you with the identification:
Fungal or mites? http://gorgeousguineas.com/indentification.html
http://gorgeousguineas.com/photogallery.html
http://www.guinealynx.info/fungus.html
- deep clean your whole cage and all furniture with an antifungal disinfectant like F10 regularly (can be easily ordered over the internet). Wash all washable bits at a minimum of 60C. If necessary, get a cheap (several timed prewashed/totally softener-free) fleece and underlay cotton towel and throw them away after the end of the treatment. Make sure that you thoroughly deep clean everything and ideally throw away what you cannot deep clean/hot wash.
Ringworm is highly infective to all mammals, so please use utmost hygiene when handling ringworm piggies. If necessary, use disposable gloves, a special old pullover or apron (which you also need to wash regularly!) and F10m handgel. it takes about 10-14 days to come up, so you need to add a 2 weeks remission phase at the end of the treatment to make sure that there is no return/reinfection.
Change hay (doen't matter which) and any bedding regularly, and throw the water bottle away at the end of the treatment.
Obviously get the right products. I have found imaverol dip most useful for dealing with ringworm (applied every three days for at least three times, more in more advanced cases). Some anti-ringworm cream like canesten 2% (contains a mild steroid for sore patches) or daktarin gold. Please only treat after confirmation that it is fungal.
- Here are some links that can help you with the identification:
Fungal or mites? http://gorgeousguineas.com/indentification.html
http://gorgeousguineas.com/photogallery.html
http://www.guinealynx.info/fungus.html
raking them back to vets tonight. i have removed all sawdust and cleaned cage thoroughly
and have layed 2 cotton towels in their cage that have been washed without softener.
really hope i can get them well soon! ....is there a good success rate if curing ringworm and having healthy guineas again?
and have layed 2 cotton towels in their cage that have been washed without softener.
really hope i can get them well soon! ....is there a good success rate if curing ringworm and having healthy guineas again?
Yes; it is excellent!
I had ringworm amongst my 16 piggies at the beginning of the year - the logistics were a nightmare (especially all the washing at hot temperatures, including the towels bathing all piggies), but I managed to contain the spread to just two of them.
As you have had it for a while, separating is not necessary; rather treat all piggies living together with a fungal dip for three times.
The important thing with ringworm is to make sure that all affected hairs come out - ringworm can come back otherwise (imaverol is excellent for that purpose); the affected area with any kind of fungal is usually bigger than the visible area. At first, it will look like it is getting a lot worse because of that, but then it should clear up pretty quickly and they should be over the immediate acute phase within a week or 10 days.
I had ringworm amongst my 16 piggies at the beginning of the year - the logistics were a nightmare (especially all the washing at hot temperatures, including the towels bathing all piggies), but I managed to contain the spread to just two of them.
As you have had it for a while, separating is not necessary; rather treat all piggies living together with a fungal dip for three times.
The important thing with ringworm is to make sure that all affected hairs come out - ringworm can come back otherwise (imaverol is excellent for that purpose); the affected area with any kind of fungal is usually bigger than the visible area. At first, it will look like it is getting a lot worse because of that, but then it should clear up pretty quickly and they should be over the immediate acute phase within a week or 10 days.
that sounds promising their sores do look a little worse as more hair is coming out ...they have been back to vets and I'm applying topical canestan for antifungal as per vets instructions.....my poor babies look so sore and I'm still very worried....they are eating and drinking well though so thats good. they are only 9 weeks old
should i still bathe them once a week in nizoral?
should i still bathe them once a week in nizoral?
may i ask what is a fungal dip and how do it ? they are only 9 weeks old x
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