Guinea Pigs...Mites or ringworm? (help!!)?

Question

So i noticed one of my piggies has a bald spot above his leg about the size of a 10pence peice and has crusty blood round the outsides with tiny spots in the middle,
one of his ears has really dry skin with crusty blood on the rim of ear.What do you think it could be?any advice etc much appreciated
The other piggy seems fine although she has a lot of dark fur so is hard to tell...
The pet store said to take them in,if its ringworm they'll treat it BUT its mites I'll have to go to vets & fork out(HOW MUCH WILL THIS COST & WHAT DOES IT ENTAIL?)

p.s its supposed to say IF its mites I'll have to fork out...im not saying it is mites I dont know it could be either which is why im asking what you think.

Im skint so what do you call not expensive? £10?£20?

Answer 1

I don't think I've ever heard of a guinea pig getting ringworm. This sounds like mites. All of my guinea pigs have had it at one time or the another. The hair loss is typical of mites and the blood spots in the center of the ring sounds like bite marks. The other blood is probably being drawn from the scratching your pig is doing.

The easiest home treatment for mites(if this is a available in the U.K.) is ivermectin. First thoroughly clean your guinea pigs cage. A 5% bleach solution is a vet approved method. Then treat your guinea pigs topically with ivermectin at recommended doses (0.5mg/kg). Place 1/3 of the dose behind each ear and 1/3 in the rump area.

Also another home method that I swear works is dabbing just a bit of Lysol right on the pigs neck between the ears. The guinea pigs can't groom themselves there and won't ingest it. I've used it on 3 occasions and has always worked.

If you can't find ivermectin or don't want to attempt home treatment then a vet trip is required. I don't know how to convert into pounds but vet treatment is usually 10-15 American dollars per pig. I hope I helped.

Answer 2

None of my guineas have ever had ringworm, its always mites. The symptoms are usually hair loss & slightly irritated looking skin. Sometimes if you look closely, you can see the mites.

You can get mite treatment in pet shops, e.g. shampoos, sprays, but if you don't know what it is, I would recommend you see a vet. Also, if its ringworm, then I believe it can affect humans. Plus, the pet shop treatments aren't that great.

It will cost you up to £25 at the vets, which will usually include an anti-parasitic injection & some oral or topical treatment to administer at home. They will probably ask to see the guinea again, a week or so later. I don't always take mine back, as I can tell whether further prescription is necessary, but I would advise you to do as the vet recommends, just to be on the safe side. Some vets don't charge for this checkup.

Finally, don't be tempted to leave it to see whether it gets better on its own, as you could end up with a bald, itchy guinea pig. And once they're bald, sometimes the fur doesn't grow back.

Good luck!!

Answer 3

It might cost quite a lot of money, but you should take it to the vets. I used stuff from the pet store and it turned out it was actually just a skin infection, the guinea pig sadly died from a reaction to the medication. DON'T listen to anything they try to tell you at a pet shop, they have not vetinary experience. Take it to the vet instead.

Shouldnt cost too much, Guineas are pretty small, maybe £25-20. Hope this helpsxx

Answer 4

Fast Ringworm Cure?

Answer 5

Don't be taking advice from people at a pet store, they're salespeople not medical professionals.

Go to a vet. Guinea pigs do not cost much to treat, it will just be a small animal consult fee and the cost of the medication. You need a vet to tell you which it is, and to provide you with the correct treatment

Chalice

Answer 6

When my guinea-pigs had that we thought they'd been fighting and so we separated them, but it was mites in the end. I don't remember it being too expensive and i think that they were given injections at the vets....although this was a couple of years ago and my newer guinea-pigs haven't had it (thankfully)

Answer 7

Yes you must spray the cage if the mites are on the guinea pig the will be Living on the cage well i also suggest moving you cage 2 a far away patch of grass. When I spray my Guinea pigs i spray them 4 times on the tummy,back,bottom and top of the head (With you hand over their eyes nose and mouth) Good Luck :)

For the best answers, search on this site https://smarturl.im/aDCT4

Answer 8

Do you have ringworm?Ringworm is very contagious so if you handle your guinea pigs regularly you would have it too. Take them to the vet and they will be able to give you a diagnosis.

Answer 9

Hello,
Millions of people all over the world are affected by hair loss, and it's not only the males that suffer this condition as even females are affected by this problem. What's sad is that many of the individuals affected by such a condition end up just accepting what is happening to their hair due to lack of information or options.

If you are looking for natural hair regrowth methods this is a good guide you can read http://hairagain.toptips.org

Answer 10

Sounds like the same thing that happened to mine when i was a kid. If it is, it's mites. If my memory serves me correctly the vet gave us a shampoo and some cream to treat it. Was a good while ago so i can't help you with how much it cost i'm afraid, sorry. Good luck.