ok my guinea pig keeps bitinh the hair off of her left side now when i mean bite i mean she has a bald spot at first i thought maybe she was dirty so i gave her a bath but i dont know what to do is it serious plase help me
2007-01-27 07:42:45 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
That happened to my guinea pig too. I was worried so I took my guinea pig to a vet. They said that it could be some kind of lice or something, but it wasn't. Just in case, the vet gave her a shot. The vet told me if I wanted a surgery on her. I told them not to because it can risk her life. The vet said that the best way was to leave the bald spots alone. My guinea pig still has the bald spots. So no matter what the vet says, DON'T GIVE HER/HIM A SURGERY THAT CAN RISK THEIR LIVES.
But go to the vet and talk to the vet real good about it.
2007-01-27 10:23:56 · answer #1 · answered by tomcc 1 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Your guinea pig is most likely suffering fromMites (MANGE)
A mite similar to the scabies mite of people causes serious infestations in pet guinea pig. Mites are microscopic, spider-like organisms that live within the outer layers of the skin. They usually cause intense scratching and significant hair loss. Some cases without scratching have been reported. Some guinea pigs are so miserable because of the infestation that their constant scratching produces serious wounds. They may run wildly or in circles, and occasionally even have convulsions.
A veterinarian must do a number of scrapings of the skin to confirm the diagnosis. Successful treatment consists of 1-4 injections of a specific drug (ivermectin) 10-44 days apart. Any wood shavings within the enclosure should be replaced by white paper toweling during treatment to help make the patient more comfortable. Some guinea pigs may get irritated and acutally scratch or bite off thier fir. You can take her to a vet near by or go to you nearest pet shop and see if they have anything for mites. Once you have done the treatment be sure to clean the cage out ENTIRELY and clean anything that is inside the cage or makes any contact with the cage.
Hope i could help
PS please take a look at this site for futher help
http://www.guinealynx.com/mites.html
2007-01-27 23:34:55 · answer #2 · answered by catieann 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Surgery does not risk a guinea pig's life, first of all (4 of my 6 have undergone surgery and are perfectly fine). Second, any vet that wants to put a guinea pig into surgery for bald spots is NOT knowledgeable about guinea pigs.
It sounds like your pigs have mites. Take them to the vets, they'll probably treat them with ivermectin or revolution.
2007-01-27 23:35:37 · answer #3 · answered by Lotus Effect 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
either your guinea pig is stressed out, or it has parasites, such as ticks or fleas.
my friend had a guinea pig that died of stress when its mate got taken away, so make take it to the vet to see whats up.
2007-01-27 16:02:21 · answer #4 · answered by YeahImAzn 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Animals bite at their fur when the itch due to parasites or allergies. Mites and fleas sometimes come in the bags of litter.
Switch to something else and see it she quits.
Bored animals will chew themselves. Give her some things to chew on like cardboard and pet toys made out of wood. They love grape vines too.
2007-01-27 15:51:50 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Try taking her to the vet.
2007-01-27 15:48:25 · answer #6 · answered by Mel 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
stressed animals literally pull out their hair...
vet, it shouldnt be too serious.
2007-01-30 07:57:21 · answer #7 · answered by Aled H 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋