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