She is lossing hair on her belly but no where else my mom thinks it is from the heat or she is sheding. Do guniea pigs shed? or can it be from the bedding is she eleargic to the bedding it is pine is that fine? help me fast im worried!!!!!
2007-05-31 15:00:00 · 10 answers · asked by joe_jonas_lover_01 2 in Pets ➔ Rodents
i dont think it is mites because she does not have scabs or nothing like that but it is smooth and not bumpy so im going to change her bedding and if that dont help im going to take her to the vet and i feed her guinea pig food pellets mixed with hamster food cause she like hamster food so should i cange her food and what types of veggies can i give her ( green beans, etc....)
2007-05-31 15:34:21 · update #1
Allergies are very rare. It is most likely mites. The guinea pig that I adopted had the same problem. He lost all the hair on his belly and sides. Mites can't be seen by the naked eye or on skin scrapings. They can be dormant for long periods of time and pop up for no reason. Your vet can treat her with ivermectin or you can do it yourself. Check out http://guinealynx.info/mites.html for all the info you need. Please treat her. Mites can cause serious problems and are painful for the guinea pig.
Addition: Mites will not neccessarily cause scabs or ANY other symptoms. It is a very common occurance in guinea pigs that can become serious if untreated. Read up on how to treat her and do it. Even if it turns out not to mites, the ivermectin won't hurt her any way. Only good can come of it.
NO hamster food! Guinea pigs need certain nutrients and things that are only in guinea pig food. Hamster food is not good for her at all. If she isn't eating , you need to handfeed her and be sure she isn't dehydrated. Guinea Lynx (the website below) has a page on handfeeding if you need it.
Vitamin C shouldn't be put in their water bottle, it weakens in water and you can't accurately monitor how much they are getting. You can get Vit. C drops or regular(human) chewable tablets. My boys love the tablets, it's their fav. treat!
Veggies can include: red or green leaf lettuce (not iceburg), parsley, endive, romaine lettuce, bell pepper, cilantro, tomato and a baby carrot every day or so.
2007-05-31 15:18:57 · answer #1 · answered by MemphisGal 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am not sure about the losing hair part.....but yes guinea pigs do shed. You can only use pine bedding if it is kiln-dried. Though maybe try switching her to a different type of bedding like Aspen or Carefresh. I have heard that you can try shredded newspaper as a substitute bedding for awhile to see if the guinea pig improves the current state its in and if the piggie was actually reacting to the bedding. Hope this has helped and I am wishing your guinea pig well!
2007-05-31 15:09:16 · answer #2 · answered by Sheena 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't feed her hamster food--it's not necessary. A good guinea pig pellet is fine. Timothy hay (not alfalfa) is a must every day. Don't forget to add about 100mg of vitamin C liquid to the water bottle every day. Lack of Vit. C is one of the major causes of illness in G.P.'s. Aspen bedding is the safest. Make sure you go to a vet with a lot of knowledge of guinea pigs and let him/her decide if the hairloss is normal or not and treat accordingly.
2007-05-31 16:20:39 · answer #3 · answered by KimbeeJ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the bedding you are using is fine. it could be an allergic reaction but it's unlikely. i had a similar issue with my little girl about a year ago. my vet said she was losing her hair due to her age. she was 6 at the time. how old is your piggie? she may just need a readjustment of her diet. what are you feeding her? as for your worry, i don't think you are in any immediate danger of losing your little friend. keep an eye on her, make sure she gets fresh carrots and perhaps some spinach leaves....my little girl loved them. as long as she is her normal self there is nothing to worry too much about. and yes...guines pigs do shed a little bit. but losing hair completely isn't normal. as i said it could simply be her diet, shich can cause it. i will not lie to you, there are also some medical conditions that will cause hair loss as well. kidney problems will cause hair loss in guinea pigs as well. so it may benefit you to take her to the vet as well and get her checked out. an easy way to tell if it's a kidney issue is to GENTLY squeeze her sides, right in frony of her back legs. if she squeals alot it could be a kidney problem. also, if she isn't peeing as much it could be a kidney problem as well. obviously your vet would know for sure.
i would start simply though, with diet and test her kidneys by squeezing gently.
i hope this helps a little bit and good luck!!
2007-05-31 15:10:24 · answer #4 · answered by Geoffrey B 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Signs of illness include that bald patches need to be checked by a vet . Oh yeah pine is not good guinea pig bedding, if she eats it accidently she could get sick. i would get that bedding that is approved by petshop owners or vets. Hope your sow is better soon!!!!!!!!
2007-05-31 15:08:01 · answer #5 · answered by jilly051097 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Chang the bedding some Guinea pig can be allergic to some materials ask your local pet store for better material if it did not go away see your vet
2007-05-31 15:06:19 · answer #6 · answered by saied r 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Giunea pigs are are very prone to skip conditions, which lead to hair loss. Go to Cavypop.com, it's talks quite a bit about them.
2007-05-31 15:06:03 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the bedding can cause this.
guinea pigs do shed but not in large amounts as you tell
2007-05-31 15:04:49 · answer #8 · answered by ♥♥♥♥Jordan♥♥♥♥ 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes. Of path they are able to. If it will get bloodless (underneath 50 levels F), they are able to get ill (a bloodless). If he is "itchy", it possibly an hypersensitive reaction. Call up a vet to have them take a seem.
2016-09-05 18:24:42 · answer #9 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would call the vet first and ask him/her what they think.
2007-05-31 15:05:27 · answer #10 · answered by h0rseluvr4life 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋