Back. So their hair loss is definitely well-documented which means that when it does happen there are usually ways to correct it. Guinea pigs can go through hair loss if they have mites that they’ve been scratching or biting at for a while. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. If the abscess is in the jaw, you will … My Guinea pig has hair loss above his nose n looks like scabs . There are many things that can trigger sneezing in a guinea pig. If the hair loss is through fights with another guinea pig, separate the animals. Can Guinea Pigs Eat Cucumber? Trim your guinea pig’s nails. You can see the lice by looking at a piece of your pet’s hair under a magnifying glass. Young guinea pigs have hair that thins out when they wean as their hair changes from infant fur to adult fur Mange Mange is caused by the Trixacarus caviae mite. Sometimes you will need to take him to a vet and get a thorough exam to find the cause. Lower-quality or certain cuts of hay will tend to have more dust on … Young guinea pigs (called pups) frequently experience hair loss during the weaning stage, which is when they’re a week old or less and are still suckling their mother for nourishment. This in flip will support your vet while you name in to discus your animal. There are also cases where there has been no symptoms of alopecia or hair loss and appears only as broken hairs or just a red scaling on the skin. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. The second most common reason for guinea pigs losing hair is a fungal infection. A guinea pig suffering from a respiratory problem may experience sneezing, lethargy, discharge from the nose and/or eyes, loss of appetite and difficulty breathing. Call your vet and feature each Pigs checked out. In guinea pigs, the tufts of hair may be stuck together by a crust of exudate (the skin beneath may exude serum). Fungal skin disease on the flank of a guinea pig. Guinea pigs will sometimes chew off their own hair. The quarantine insures that the new guinea pig does not introduce any illness or parasites to the resident guinea pig(s). Olena, who is my white abby guinea pig, has some hair loss on her muzzle between her eyes. Meds Medical Ref Rescues Publications Home Medical Reference Hair Loss Hair Loss in Guinea Pigs. While you might be tempted to treat your guinea pig at home by giving them more Vitamin C, you should also talk to your vet. Many owners abandon their guinea pigs just because they get tired of the parasites. Wean baby guinea pigs early, usually around two weeks old. Guinea Pig Breed Guide: How Well Do You Know the Baldwin? Learn about this issue and what you can do to help your Guinea pig on PetCoach. I'm going to get a picture on here as soon as possible, but my phone isn't wanting to send pictures through email right now so I'll just get the initial question on here then I'll get the image later. Totally normal. Guinea pigs should only be given a small amount of a good quality dried food (approximately one flat egg cup per guinea pig per day) and it is best to stick to pellets, not muesli-type brands as this type encourages selective feeding. Yes. Guinea pig losing weight and hair. Baby guinea pigs will occasionally loose the hair from their noses … You need to remember that these infections can be contagious, and you should separate your guinea pig from any other household pets. You know that your pet has scurvy if you see loss of hair, lethargy, loss of appetitive, diarrhea and eye and nose discharge. The most common reason for hair loss in guinea pigs is usually mites. You must log in or register to reply here. you can use canerstan 1% from the pharmacy 2-3 times day on the affected areas and on the ears,you can also buy nizoral shampoo from there too which can be used to bath the guinea in once a week but dont get water in the nose,keep using the cream for about 2 wks after the scab and balding has gone.. Sometimes guinea pigs only lose their hair partially, while other times, they lose a complete patch of their hair. In guinea pigs, the tufts of hair may be stuck together by a crust of exudate (the skin beneath may exude … Abscesses can also form in the mouth or jaw of a guinea pig. How do you treat it? When pulling loose hairs from a guinea pig with fungal, the dandruff-like skin will be visible at the end of the hairs where they were attached to the skin. Nonetheless, you will probably notice more hair loss in the spring and fall, when the coat is renewed. Guinea pigs do not like loud noises. Regular inspection of the guinea pig’s hair, skin, ears, nose, mouth, feet and body, together with an awareness of what is normal scratching, will help identify skin problems sooner rather than later. Weight loss accompanied by hair loss is usually a sign of mites in guinea pigs if your guinea pigs are suffering from mites, you might need to look out for other symptoms as well. Owner should treat mites as soon as possible.) Identify abscesses in your guinea pig’s mouth and jaw. A few days later another clump was missing but this time it left a bloody spot. ... Look for any kind of discharge around your guinea pig’s eyes and nose. Guinea pigs do not lose hair with old age. It never seemed to bother her and I figured that it was just … The gentle Guinea Pig is an American Guinea Pig. Bilateral hair loss. This behaviour is a sign of stress or boredom and can be alleviated by providing toys and alternatives to chew on. This often means in the cage, on the floor, or on your lap. I got my guinea pig a little over a year ago and I must admit that I'm not that observant, a few months after I had her I was giving her a hair cut and I noticed that she was missing her hair on her left side behind her front leg, the space was about three inches across and roughly in the shape of a circle. Bumblefoot. Guinea pigs … The hair loss is caused by hormones out of wack, so these guinea pigs might act like they are in heat 24/7, rather than the normal day or two every two weeks. By knowing what is most commonly seen, you can be better prepared to monitor for signs and symptoms that your guinea pig may be getting sick. 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. It becomes itchy and as a result may get irritated as the guinea pig will try to scratch it off. By … Guinea pig’s hair loss can also be caused by … guinea pigs. If the hair around the neck and head are intact, you can assume that the guinea pig may have bitten his own hair… Guinea Pig Hair Loss Action Plan. Usually, when a guinea pig loses hair over night, it's because it's been scratched off. A case of fungal skin disease on the ear of a guinea pig. This is sometimes called barbering. Abyssinian Guinea Pig has the messy hair seem. Guinea pigs can get ill of course but it very rarely happens without warning signs and we mean A LOT of warning signs. We went away for the weekend and when we came back one guinea pig had lost most of her hair. Any hair loss in an older guinea pig should be investigated. In a long haired guinea pig this will probably first present by the coat looking rather less lovely than usual. Longhaired guinea pigs shed a lot of hair … Note the hair loss and crusty skin, but less excoriation than is typically seen with mange mites. When pulling loose hairs from a guinea pig with fungal, the dandruff-like skin will be visible at the end of the hairs where they were attached to the skin. Bald Spots Behind Ears After reading about these issues, many people will look at their guinea pig, to make sure it has no bald spots, to find that it does. 4. Is there anything … Barbering is when a guinea pig “barbers” or chews his own hair or that of his guinea pig companions. Reproductive and Urinary Problems Sexual maturity occurs early in guinea pigs, with females being able to breed at 4-6 weeks and males at 9-10 weeks of age. Hair loss in guinea pigs occurs at various times in the guinea pig’s life cycle. Lumps; Scabs; Dry flaky skin; Scratches; Sores; Rough or … Check all over your guinea pig for any signs of hair loss, red or scabby sores, ringworm, mites, lice and flystrike. What are those behaviours? Even if they are healthy, it may still lead to having patches of hair loss in their bodies, which is called “barbering.” Nonetheless, there are still other reasons that can cause your guinea pig to experience hair loss. Adopt them from the shelters or organizations that have rescued them. Hormonal hair loss. External parasites like fleas and mites can cause itchiness, hair loss, and other issues in guinea pigs. Occasionally, another guinea pig will nibble hair off one of its cage mates. You can see the lice by looking at a piece of your pet's hair under a magnifying glass. Harkness and Wagner describe the lesions as "oviod, hairless, scaling "sore spots" with crusts or scabs over raised areas." Emergency. Figure 4. Continuous Weight loss in guinea pigs can be fatal for their life. My guinea pig is losing his fur all around his nose - I noticed he had a scratch but suddenly overnight he has lost - Answered by a verified Pet Specialist . All guinea pigs shed their fur throughout the year. Many many cases of hairless guinea pigs come to the sanctuary where mites and fungal are a problem. I'm about to cry! Hair loss can be a symptom of parasites, distress, injury, abscesses, or a number of other illnesses. Taking him to the vet soon, but would like to know what i’m in for, or if i even need to. By continuing to use this site you consent to the use of cookies on your device as described in our cookie policy unless you have disabled … Ask your vet to look at your cavy if you see hair loss in other places. Many many cases of hairless guinea pigs come to the sanctuary where mites and fungal are a problem. Everything You Need to Know! Fungal skin disease around the eye of a guinea pig. If you have a sick guinea pig, you should be able to tell through your numerous interactions throughout the day. I thought I was helping out and then this happened and I don't … The best way to ensure your guinea pigs health is to do a quick health check at least once a week. Your guinea pig may look fine on one day, then have a large abscess the next day. Hair loss in guinea pigs can have several causes. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Mites. I didn't notice it before, because she is very skittish. 1. You might be able to find the cause of your guinea pig’s hair loss just by looking at him or his environment. Treatment is usually with topical medication. All pigs have them. While this may be typical, do talk with your vet about this, as nutritional supplementation may help. Your guinea pig may have hair loss around the infected eye, redness called conjunctivitis, discharge, swelling, and even hold the infected eye shut. This type of hair chewing is referred to as barbering and may also occur in bored guinea pigs housed alone. A guinea pig suffering from a respiratory problem may experience sneezing, lethargy, discharge from the nose and/or eyes, loss of appetite and difficulty breathing. Guinea pigs can lose their hair for a number of reasons, and so it’s not something that should simply be ignored or attributed to old age. What can she do to temporarily relieve it? Fourthly, hair loss can be caused by hair biting, either by the guinea pig affected or by one of his/her companions. And those bald spots behind the ears? 4 / 8. Secondly, your guinea pig’s pups may appear to lose hair as they develop. Guinea pigs usually have bald spots inside the front legs (see photo at right), perhaps as a result of grooming, with the hair being continuously rubbed off by cleaning their faces and eventually failing to regrow. If your guinea pig has hair loss and is itching or scratching a lot, it may have lice or mites. How would I tell if the hair loss on my guinea pigs nose is from ringworm or a fungus. 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