They are adorable and loving animals that are easy to maintain and handle. I can see the skin like a v shape and today, i think i felt something hard. Parasites too can cause skin problems, these include lice and mites that live on the guinea pigs hair. Guinea pigs are considered to be an ideal first pet. How to check your guinea pigs hair guinea pig illnesses. May 01, 2011 my guinea pig is developing a bald spot by his hind leg. Guinea pig hair loss how to identify and treat fungal and mite. Hopefully, you will never have to deal with mange mites. The average lifespan of a hamster is between 2 and 3 years. An abscess can be a sign of other underlying health issues, such as a soft tissue mass, bone degeneration or joint problems. She developed two bald spots on her back near her rear that are semetrical.
May 19, 2008 scratching with a bald patch, particularly in a v shape on the back is a tell tale sign of mites. In guinea pigs, the tufts of hair may be stuck together by a crust of. Have removed him from the hutch and brought him inside, but dont want him separated from the other two males 6 mths old as he is in charge and may lose his authority, then the. Gorgeous guineas has lots of useful info on mites and other skin problems on their website, with photos to help diagnosis. Fungus can cause bald patches, scaly skin, and hair loss. Cure guinea pig and cavies skin disease caused by mites. In another case, a combination of unprepared vet and uncooperative guinea pig resulted in a painful patch of fur loss. Rex guinea pigs comes in a variety of coat colors, including.
Again the signs to look out for are constant scratching and hair loss. Its lost about 20% of its fur and has been scratching until it would bleed. The two common guinea pig fur mites are trixacarus caviae sarcoptic mange. One of the main problems is that guinea pigs come from a dry climate and cannot always cope with the humidity they often experience in captivity. A guinea pig can catch ringworm from another guinea pig or from contaminated objects such as bedding. Jul 22, 2010 the ringworm infection is characterized by bald patches that commonly start at the head. Photo she eats normal, i cant find any flakes on the bald s. He hasnt shown any sign of infection and hes in a cage on his own although i have other piggies it seems fine, its not raised, itchy or growing. A guinea pig can acquire ringworm infection from another guinea pig or from contaminated objects such as bedding. Parasites arent the only cause of dry, itchy skin and hair loss in guinea pigs. Sore noses are one of the most common gerbil health problems.
Jul 14, 2011 bathe all of your guinea pigs even if only one of them shows signs of lice or mites. The twoweek interval allows the eggs to hatch and the lice killed before they lay new eggs. Her companion had died shortly before so i think it was stress. Nov 28, 2019 examine your guinea pigs back for cysts. Even elderly cavies wont lose hair as a result of their old age. In guinea pigs, the tufts of hair may be stuck together by a crust of exudate the skin beneath may exude serum. My guinea pig has small balding patch on her back and its been there for probably two weeks now. How to deal with common problems in guinea pigs pets4homes. Barbering is a behavior where guinea pigs will chew or tear their own or each others hair. I told my 4 year old that we would have to give patch away, to someone who could care for her a little better. He encountered a small mite infestation, where basically these microscopic insects will burrow into the rabbits skin therefore causing him to lose hair.
Skin diseases to look for in guinea pigs morpeth herald. It often occurs in relation to conflicts between adult males or between adults and juveniles. If you take your guinea pig to a vet, the vet will want to do a skin scrape, but 90% of the time it comes up false negative. This is my first piggie, and i wanted to know what was normal with bald spots. One of our guinea pigs has a bald patch on her back. If you choose to keep your guinea pig outside, make sure the hutch is properly shaded. One of the most common and easily curable health issues in guinea pigs is the. A guinea pig s color has nothing to do with its life, except for if it is getting bald patches or patches of color that werent there before. Guinea pigs suffer from a number of skin complaints and it is the general belief among guinea pig owners that skin issues account for most if not all of their trips to the vet. Guinea pigs are sensitive to overheating, so do not expose your pet to extreme heat. Lesions are found on thighs, hips and back, but can extend to the shoulders. Depending on the breed and environment, a rex can live up to 6 years. The familys guinea pig, patch, has been looking worse and worse lately. Did you scroll all this way to get facts about guinea pig patch.
This parasite can cause skin irritations and hair loss in large clumps on the back of the guinea pigs. Hair loss in guinea pigs guinea lynx a medical and care. Harrys bald spot is looking much better, the skin looks pretty healthy. These itchy spots get worse as the guinea pig does everything it can to scratch it repeatedly. There are no hairs on that area at all, and its about the size of a. If treating for parasites doesnt resolve your guinea pig s discomfort, there may be other issues at play. All guinea pigs have bald spots behind their ears, it is completley natural and your piggy will be fine. When she developed this problem before, i just gave her more vitamin c and it cleared up.
The ringworm infection is characterized by bald patches that commonly start at the head. Guinea pig tooth trim with carlito the cuy duration. Guinea pig skin issues ulrike sent me this email, and since i like exotic pets i thought id jump in with my opinion my oldest girl 6yo started to lose fur on her behind, creeping up her back too. The most common guinea pig patch material is cotton. May 24, 2010 one of our guinea pigs has a bald patch on her back. Barbering the activity is not linked to any dietary or cleanliness issues as even a wellfed and healthy guinea pig can have the tendency to barber itself and others.
A very young child may pull out a guinea pig s hair. Nursing females may also lose fur when nursing a litter, but the hair should grow back once the pups are weaned. Mange mites live in a guinea pig s skin and cause them a lot of pain. Jul 10, 2016 guinea pig tooth trim with carlito the cuy duration. Guinea pig hair loss how to identify and treat fungal. When my sisters recently gave me a guinea pig, millie, she had a bald spot on her back but no other bald spots. Guinea pigs can get several types of cysts, with the most common being a sebaceous cyst. Make sure it is eating and defecating, wash your hands before and after handling, freeze your pets bedding and food before use, and keep it away from drafts. Although the mites will clear up and hair will start growing back after the. Feb 05, 2008 she developed two bald spots on her back near her rear that are semetrical. Abysinnian guinea pig called alan, what you need to know and a sebaceous cyst 2020 duration. This bald spot will grow rapidly over the next few days, often with dry, flaky skin. A guinea pigs bald spot could be caused by external parasites, allergies, or illness. A bald patch in the middle of the back that neither spreads nor itches may be the result of an overrich diet.
The most common reason for hair loss is when a guinea pig is infected with parasites. The best way to keep your guinea pig healthy is to keep a close watch on your pet. Asked in guinea pigs are guinea pigs bald when born. These actions will help you prevent the bulk of the most. Can you give guinea pigs a bath top tips and step by. This is normal, especially in boars, but if it looks a bit sore then there might be another underlying problem. Guinea pig hair loss how to identify and treat fungal and. Why does my guinea pig have a bald patch on its back answers. No itching or spots anywhere else poor ginny must of scratched herself while grooming, and the back of her neck was covered in dried blooda large scab where her skin is bald. One of the common causes for hair loss is due to barbering, a behavior by which guinea pigs will chew or tear their own or each others hair off as a result of conflicts between adult males or between adults and young. Guinea pigs have naturally bald patches on two areas of the body that. A guinea pigs color has nothing to do with its life, except for if it is getting bald patches or patches of color that werent there before. Guinea pigs will scratch themselves to try to get relief, and often end up cutting themselves in the process.
Harkness and wagner describe the lesions as oviod, hairless, scaling sore spots with crusts or scabs over raised areas. Many many cases of hairless guinea pigs come to the sanctuary where mites and fungal are a problem. Giving your guinea pig a bath is not usually necessary unless he gets dirty or acquires a skin problem that your vet recommends treating with a medicated shampoo. My guinea pig is developing a bald spot by his hind leg. Jan 26, 2020 causes of guinea pig hair loss the most common reason for hair loss in guinea pigs is usually mites. Hair loss in guinea pigs can happen for a number of different reasons and it is important to consider the other factors affecting it before trying to decide what the cause might be. Itchy guinea pig likely has 1 of 3 ailments animal health. If it isnt itchy, sore or scabby, then the changes are that it.
My guinea pig has been scratching his back a lot every single day. It was like a miracle cure in 24 hours the guinea pig was using his back feet again. She often nibbles at this spot but it doesnt look red or sore although it does have a couple of red spots on the bald area of skin. Mites are microscopic bugs that live and burrow under the skin of guinea pigs. Learn what you can do to help your guinea pig on petcoach.
My rabbit started out with a small bald patch on his back but it got progressively bigger. Bathe all of your guinea pigs even if only one of them shows signs of lice or mites. It may also be exhibited by females that are under stress. He agreed that it looked like mites, but was a bit puzzled that he could not see any took some hairs and flakes and put them under the. Im a new mama to a rescued male guinea not sure of his age. A very young child may pull out a guinea pigs hair. Pregnant females often lose a lot of hair because their hormones are unbalanced and this always grows back, so there is no need to worry if this happens to your. I told my 4 year old that we would have to give patch away, to someone who could care for her a. Richardson reported a case where a guinea pig kept outside was losing hair to a robin to provide nesting material. Now ive put her on a diet shes overweight, started giving her more veggies romaine lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, and broccoli, and upped her dosage of vitamin c i drop it into her water bottle. Sebaceous cysts are typically located on a guinea pigs back and near the rump, but can form in other places as well. Other areas commonly affected are the back and hindlimb areas. Females sometimes show similar bald spots during late pregnancy. Aug 04, 2009 she lives with another guinea pig who doesnt have one.
I can see now the hair grew back too quickly for it to be fungal. Naturally occuring bald spots behind the ear of a guinea pig. My daughter also thinks that hes lost a bit of weight. He has no rash on his skin and the area is not sensative. Skin problems in guinea pigs are often first noticed as patches of hair loss. Itchy guinea pig likely has 1 of 3 ailments animal. Lumps and abscesses in guinea pigs an abscess in a guinea pig can give a wide range of symptoms depending on its location. There are many reasons for hair loss to occur in guinea pigs. There are some short hairs and some flakey yellow skin when you scratch at it. If your older hamster is going bald and your veterinarian cannot find another cause of the baldness, then its possible the hair loss is normal.
The outward symptoms that are characteristic of this behavior are very short, chewed off hairs over an area that appears as a bald patch. If you notice any bald spots or patches of missing hair on your guinea pig, treat it as something serious and investigate as to how it happened. Patches may first appear on the face around the eyes, nose and ears, and from there the infection can spread to the back. You can tell that they are especially excited when a guinea pig performs little hops in the air, also known as popcorning. If it isnt itchy, sore or scabby, then the changes are that it is nothing to worry about. As you can imagine, it is quite painful and irritating. The first thing you notice is a bare patch which then develops sores on it. Here are the most common causes of balding in guinea pigs and treatments. Hair loss in guinea pigs guinea lynx a medical and. Oct 23, 2016 the rex guinea pig is the only guinea pig without guard hairs, giving them a unique woollike feel. Topical spoton preparations are available for use in guinea pigs and other small. There may be multiple sites, on the back and limbs, especially in warm weather. I also recommend treating the environment every four days by removing and replacing the substrate and spraying with a spray containing the same ingredient as the medication used to treat the guinea pig. One of my piggies had mites with no rednesssorenesspimply bits which are also other signs of mites, just a thinning bald patch and a course of ivermectin cleared it up nicely.
An exception is that sometimes guinea pigs may have a bald patch on their behind, caused by the substance they use to mark their territory. When in pain, a guinea pig will often stop eating andor drinking. Mange mites live in a guinea pigs skin and cause them a lot of pain. One of my male guineas 2 yr old has a sore patch on his back and also his hair is shorter in this area. Guinea pigs hair loss can also be caused by guinea pigs. When these patches appear on the face, it is usually around the eyes, nose, and ears. Mange mange is a common parasitic disease that affects the skin of guinea pigs. Answered by a verified veterinarian we use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. One of the main problems is that guinea pigs come from a dry climate and cannot always cope with the humidity they often experience in. The most common reason for hair loss in guinea pigs is usually mites. Bathing your pet guinea pig should always be done at a warm temperature and never more than once a month. The ideal temperature for guinea pigs is 65 to 75 f. My 10 month old guinea pig petal has a bald patch yahoo.
He is keep on biting his back and his i can see his skin. Jul 21, 2010 hair loss due to barbering in guinea pigs. Reduce pelleted food and offer more greenstuff and hay. This is why it is so important to use a guinea pig experienced vet, i often wonder how many guinea pigs have been put to sleep unnecessarily. They can be caused by allergy to bedding especially cedar, over enthusiastic burrowing with the nose, or stress.
Why does my guinea pig have a bald spot on her back. Ive pet her there before and its not itchy and she doesnt scratch there much so i can conclude she does not have mites. If your guinea pig has bald spots, then this could be due to mange mites or a fungal infection, both of which are easily treatable with a special shampoo. Sebaceous cysts contain oil from the skin glands that produce oil sebaceous glands. Ringworm infection is a common infection in guinea pigs is. Why does my guinea pig have a bald patch on its back. She lives with another guinea pig who doesnt have one. They also have little bald patches on the pads on the bottom of their feet and by their wrists. The bald patches generally have crusty, flaky, red patches within them. The last possible cause of guinea pig hair loss on our list is mechanical meaning that it could be selfinflicted, brought on by other guinea pigs, or caused by the environment. As small, vocal, funny and intelligent companions, guinea pigs appear in all. Nov 04, 2014 abysinnian guinea pig called alan, what you need to know and a sebaceous cyst 2020 duration. Behind the ears is a bald patch, which is quite normal. If you notice your guinea pig has some bald spots, you might become alarmed.