Guinea Pig Home

QuickGlance · 03-17-2007, 10:37 AM

Hello, I'm new to Guineapighome.com
My name is KaeLee and my guinea's name is Maxwell (max for short)
I got him in late August of 2006 as a baby
The people I got him from told me he was a girl and had no clue how old he was...well he is a boy, even I knew that. so I am guessing he is about 8 months old.
In early December of 2006 he got these two spots on his back, they scabbed over. I took him to the vet. The vet informed me he wasnt getting enough Vit-C.
So I upped his intake of Vit-C and leafy greens.
But its only gotten worse. He is constantly scratching at his back, he has begun to loose hair, and is always scratching and rolling around. He has also become very fussy, never wants to be held.
I took him back to the vet 2 weeks ago and they did a fungus test which came back neg.
But I am really worried about him
could he be allergic to his bedding or something in his cage.
Does anyone have any suggestions?

Wheek Minded · 03-17-2007, 11:43 AM

First thing you need to do is dump your vet. You'll need to find a special vet that is cavy savvy. These vets are hard to find. They are exotics vets, who specialize in cavies aka guinea pigs. You can find vet referrals by hitting a couple of websites such as Guinea Lynx :: Finding a Veterinarian (they have a whole section on choosing vets) as well as here: http://www.cavyspirit.com/vets.htm these are my first choices since I've found their information honest and reliable and they aren't run by breeders trying to sell you a guinea pig or by children or teenagers (there are several forums in that category). You can also try asking for referrals for your area in the forums on GL or here or at Guinea Pig Cages, Your Cavy At Home or www.cavymadness.com

IF you can't find a vet close enough who is cavy savvy you can try educating your own vet, or see if you can treat yourself. This is an urgent matter, and can't wait for weeks. It will get worse until your pig is covered in scabs and then dies. Happens all the time. Do not listen to anyone telling you to use shampoos or powders. The ONLY treatment for severe cases of mites is Ivermectin, and if you call a vet to ask how they treat for mites, that is one way to tell if they know what they are doing.

Your vet should have treated him for mites on the first visit. This is standard procedure for guinea pigs, since they take the longest to treat, and are the easiest to treat of all possible diagnosis for those symptoms. Any vet who knows cavies knows this. It's poor medical practice to treat for the least likely diagnosis first.

Are these patches in circles? If not, that is another indication that this is not ringworm aka fungus. Guinea Lynx :: Parasites

Guinea Lynx is a medical site that has a great deal of valuable information provided by cavy savvy veterinary professionals and I would also recommend spending several hours reading over their Care Guide and Medical Information pages. It will make a huge difference for you and can give you an education that you couldn't get anywhere else. The site is managed by cavy rescues and fully supported by us folks here at GPH.

Right now, you need to get this treated immediately and the fastest way is to get a vet to treat for mites with a shot of Ivermectin. At the stage you are at now, it's vital that this happens soon. Each day that goes by is one more day of misery and more days of healing after treatment for your little one.

You can treat for mites at home but if your pig has any scabs then it's past the home treatment and needs a professional who takes his job seriously and will begin a rigourous treatment for mites. Your vet should have known better and it's very upsetting that he sent you home for vit c deficiency! If you read up on the symptoms of scurvy, you'll see that scabby patches of missing hair is NOT a symptom of it!!
Guinea Lynx :: Scurvy -- Vitamin C Deficiency

Grr! I can't believe these people go through 12 years of college still come out so stupid! Anyway, mites are VERY common among guinea pigs, far more common than scurvy or ringworm.

Let me know if you have any problems locating a new vet. I'm sure I could help you locate one. If not, I can help you find out how to fix this right away.

Wheek Minded · 03-17-2007, 11:55 AM

Lastly: Exactly what do you use for bedding in your habitat? There is a slim chance it could also be related to that, however MITES are far more likely. Probably 99% more likely at this point.

Cedar bedding is one.

QuickGlance · 03-17-2007, 12:08 PM

Thank so much for all your info. I am going to search for a new vet right away and my old vet will be recieving a letter from me.

I was using carefresh pet bedding, which is pin and cedar oil free
but I thought he might be allergic to it so I swithed to pine bedding
what would you suggest?

He no longer has the scabbed spots, just spots where he has scratched so much hair is gone.

QuickGlance · 03-17-2007, 12:30 PM

I am having trouble finding a vet. I live in a small town, so it may be that I will need to educate a vet. But I will not being going to our previous vet. There is another vet in town I have heard is good. So this weekend I will be printing info on his condition and fist thing monday morning he will be in there....

I have taken a picture of his back...
<a href="Photo sharing site, free image and video hosting: Photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...xx/maxback.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>

Wheek Minded · 03-17-2007, 12:54 PM

Oops..you'll need to reload that image. I'd love to see it.

Take a look at that GL link I gave and be sure to run through the questions they recommend asking. I feel so bad for your situation and having to deal with a veterinarian who clearly didn't take you or your baby seriously! I'll never understand so many vets don't understand that so many of us take our responsibility of pet ownership seriously and do not see these guys as disposable! I've seen so many stories of people who's vet's tried to drag out treatment to make more money or worse who didn't think that the owner would be willing to "invest" in treatment for such an inexpensive and easily disposed of animal.

Oh well, it's good to see you are doing your best to care for you wee one.

QuickGlance · 03-17-2007, 01:03 PM

Attaching the photo again.

Wheek Minded · 03-17-2007, 05:49 PM

It isn't as bad as I had imagined, but it sure looks painful. Poor baby! Assuming that it's mites, then you'll find that his itching will stop almost immediately after treatment as the mites will die quickly after the medication. It will take a second dose of treatment I believe and possibly a third depending on how tough they are.

Good luck and keep us updated!

Wheek Minded · 03-17-2007, 05:56 PM

Carefresh or Kiln-Dried Pine should be fine. I have heard of horses getting mites from shavings so that is probably the main drawback to wood. Regular pine isn't good because the oils can irriate the sinus and the skin of the animal. If it's too powdery it's bad for lungs or if it's too "chunky" it can also be hard on their feet and encourage foot fungus. Aspen shavings is the most recommended type of shaving. Most folks find that mixing the CF and the shavings makes a great bedding solution too.

Personally, I use polyester fleece but that was because my cage is so huge I could never manage the sheer volume of any other bedding. Plus I live in an apartment and couldn't handle the mess. Using fleece is a lot of maintainence and requires a ton of research before attempting. For me, it's the preferred bedding of choice. I have a pic of it posted on one of the threads today about "walking" a guinea pig.

yourWHEEKismycommand · 03-17-2007, 10:54 PM

wow, right on Wheek-minded! So much good info in your posts. You are so helpful, you helped me out when I was new in December, thank you! I have four now, my mini-herd. loving it.