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