New babies poorly already only 8 weeks old

[4furbabies]

Hi hope someone can help me and give advise. I'm new to Guinea pigs but picked up 4 8 week old little boys 3 days ago. They are gorgeous and slowly coming out of there shells and developing personalitys . However....they all have sore looking patches in various places. One had a brown type area with no hair on his bum. Doesn't appear to cause him pain and he is eating very well as always the first to food bowl when I fill it up and happily to eat out of hands. Two have what appears to be ringworm black raised scab areas but again will eat out of hand so appear to be feeling OK. the last poor little fella has a red wound on his neck won't take food from us so I'm unsure if he's eating much. I've emptied cage and throughly cleaned it and changed hay incase the hay is irritating them. I messaged the breeder but she thinks it hay mites and said to treat them with derbac ( human lice treatment) also suggested putting some diluted tea tree oil on there sore patches so firstly I'm wondering if that's what others would advise ( as must say finding patches on them two days after getting them has left me wondering if she has there best interests at heart) I will take them to vets if it's advised but obviously after just buying them and the cage run food etc 3 days ago money is tight till next week. I'm so worried about them and want them well again. Please can ppl advise me the best way to deal with this n make them better again. My children are keen to play with them but whilst I'm suspecting ringworm I've kept them away from there new pets

[Bean]

Hi there, and welcome to Wheekers, although I'm sorry you're joining us with worries about the health of your boys. New pigs are often quite nervy anyway, so it wouldn't be surprising for them not to be approaching you at this stage.

I have to say, if I was unsure whether it could be mites or a fungal infection, I'd definitely be getting them to the vets. If it is fungal, the treatment will be totally different, and you don't want to delay it by treating for mites and waiting to see an improvement. Pigs are great at masking pain, but those patches will be sore.

Have a look at the Guinea Lynx pages on parasites and fungus to find out more about how they present and the treatments (I haven't read the pages properly so don't know what's advised, but tea tree oil can be very harsh on skin, even when it's heavily diluted).

The breeder doesn't sound too surprised about all the wounds and bald patches which isn't a good sign. Obviously they had those wounds before they came to you, so someone responsible would be shocked and wanting to rectify that and make sure the boys were okay, not leaving you to treat them (without even having confirmed what it is) or to foot the bill.

Maybe she knows they had mites/a fungal infection already - that's a strong possibility. See if those links give you any more of an idea (the whole website is a good source of info) and although we don't have a medical forum here at Wheekers, they have one there so perhaps if you posted some pictures, someone would be able to give you a bit more of a clue on what it is and how to tackle the breeder about her responsibilities (although you'd be hard pressed to find a positive word said about breeders on that site, so brace yourself!).

Good luck and please keep us posted. I really hope you get to the bottom of it.

[jolovespiggies]

I am so sorry to hear this hunni, I hope all is well soon.

Hugs
JO xx

[3piggles]

Hello and welcome I'm sorry you're starting off with problems, and agree with Bean's assessment of the breeder. Sadly, breeders want to make money, not produce great specimens. I also totally agree with getting the boys to a vet ASAP, and taking the vet's findings back to the breeder for compensation.

Things to know about boy(boars). Guinea pig puberty is between the ages of 2-3 months and 12-14 months. During that time, they are running on hormones, testing their boar skills and fighting for territory to prove themselves. Most of the time one or more pigs is nipping or biting other pigs, but it can get much worse than that. The vet may diagnose some of the spots as bite marks or signs of attacks by other pigs. If any of the marks are injury marks, be prepared to separate the boys, if you see them attacking each other.

Boys generally need a lot of space. I had two boys in a 4'x8' cage, and it wasn't big enough. I had to other boys in that cage, and it worked fine. I had boys in smaller cages, and that worked fine. Every case it different, so just be aware, and be prepared. If they start fighting, they will not stop. Separating them then putting them back together, like a time out, doesn't work.

I have had some wonderful boys, and I hope your boys turn out to be wonderful, too. Good luck with the vet visit, and with getting their wounds healed.

[jolovespiggies]

How are they love?

Hugs
JO xx

[4furbabies]

Thanks for all the helpful advice I ended up getting a vet appointment on Fri afternoon. He diagnosed ringworm in one and a skin irratation on the others.picked up a prescription to rub in on all of the sores every 3 days. And obviously a good cage clean twice a day. 3 days on I must admit the initial sore patches that I took them for have started to look alot better....however they now have random patches with no hair on...will run the course of anti bs to see if they start to look better and if not I'll go back. I am wondering if the pack leader may be bullying the other 3.... He's always first to the food area the most lively one and the other 3 seem to spend there time together huddled in the bedroom.ive now started putting food in 3 places in the cage so it gives everyone chance to feed n not just bonzo ( the greedy one!) I've observed them n I haven't seen any foul play but yet am wondering if that may be the case.

[jolovespiggies]

It sounds as if you are getting there slowly but surely hunni, thank you for keeping us updated. Poor little loves, I hope they are better soon.

Hugs
Jo xx

[3piggles]

I totally agree with finishing the anti bs, and a return visit is always good, since the vet has no idea how well the anti bs worked. It could take several rounds of anti bs, or it could take a change to another drug.

As for the feeding/bullying, try making multiple feeding stations in different places in the cage. Make sure the feeding stations are far enough apart that the bully can't control more than one feeding station at a time. Pellets and water at each station. Put the hay in the middle of the cage so it's equally available to all the pigs.

If the bully starts going after the others for bypassing him, he needs to be removed from the herd. He should be put in a separate cage away from the other pigs, across the room or in another room, so he doesn't relate to them. Once he's 12-14 months old, you can try reintroducing him to the others. You can also get him neutered, and get him a lady friend, which is generally the best option with aggressive males.

Good luck with the cage arrangements. I hope you can work out something that satisfies everyone.

Here are some links to check. If any of the conditions look like what your pigs have, you should discuss it with the vet:
i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/papergurrl/P1010907.jpg Mites often become active when a pig is stressed, either by a move to a new home, by a bully, etc. It is treated with Ivermectin. No skin scraping is needed, and it really hurts the pig. Have the vet give either oral or topical Ivermectin, as the shots are extremely painful, and each pig needs a round of three shots, so it also gets extremely expensive.

Ringworm is a nasty one, and highly contagious, so not only do all pigs need to be treated at the same time, but you should wear gloves and clothing to protect you, and remove the clothing and gloves between treatments. www.guinealynx.info/fungus.html

Good luck <3

[4furbabies]

We were prescribed imaverol a liquid solution to dilute and then to rub on patches every 3 days. Today was the second application I have done and whilst I was treating them they got some one on one time with some tasty veg so I know they have had something today at least. Im loving how there characters are shining through and how they all prefere different veg! Is there a way of adding pictures on to my thread or am I allowed to as maybe you guys could see what you think? Although I appreciate it's only opinions n not a vet check up I'm just feeling out of my depth.

[bazookagoof]

May 29, 2017 17:15:02 GMT 4furbabies said:

Is there a way of adding pictures on to my thread?

You just need a site to host your pictures first (like Photobucket.com for example), then follow these instructions:



Hope that helps!

[Bean]

Glad you've taken them to the vet and that their sore patches are getting treated. It sounds like a lot of work for you but it'll be worth it to see them well.

I've no experience of fungal problems myself, but if you could use a second opinion, I'd really recommend you posting at Guinea Lynx as they have so many members who have had experience with medical stuff and will be able to advise you on whether you've got what the need or if something else might help. We still want you to stay here and keep us updated! But we don't have a medical forum and are a much quieter board too, so are less likely to have a few members with experiences of whatever medical problem someone has.

How big is your cage? Four boys together will need a lot of space to have a chance of getting along as it's not how they naturally group themselves. Especially with them all approaching adolescence together as those hormones can make dominance behaviour a lot worse. I'd agree on having multiple feeding stations and hideys so there's less chance for conflict to arise, but four boys will need a very large space to get along! Taking all that into consideration in terms of wounds is definitely wise, although it does sound like there is something else going on too.

Did you contact the breeder to let her know what the vet said?

Good luck with all the treatment, hope the boys are being good patients!

[3piggles]

Imaverol is a liquis fungicide used to treat ringworm, so it makes sense that the vet would prescribe it. I hope it does the trick, as from what I've heard, ringworm is not fun

I also love their individual personalities. Mine give the greatest faces when I give them a treat they don't want. Sort of a "Really, Mom?" look, and it's great! While having ill piggies is never good, the bonding between them and you will last long after their skin is all healed.

[4furbabies]

Google has been my saving grace this last week as has this site! I've had them 8 days now but feels like longer! I'm going to run the course of anti bs then have found a local Guinea pig rescue place and the lady has kindly offered to come and have a look for me. Even if they look better I'm still going to get her opioion n then vets if needed again. The cage we have is fab my pre teen son made it. It's two storeys High and two room wide. So they technically have 8 separate rooms and they have a 6 by 6 outside run too. Lots of different hidey places tubes etc separate feeding stations toys etc. They will have snuggle pods once they are better as I don't have the time to wash out fleece every day at the moment so plastic hide outs easier for me to keep on top of n clean quicker.any firm favs for your Guinea pigs? I've tried kurly kale, romaine lettuce, mixed salad leafs, peppers, cucumber, carrot, broccoli, parsley ( didn't like) courgette ( hated) water cress, sugar snaps ( didn't like either) small cube of apple or melon or tomatoes when I'm treating them as a occasional specail treat when I'm being mean n bathing lotion on them.

[bazookagoof]

May 30, 2017 21:46:45 GMT 4furbabies said:

any firm favs for your Guinea pigs?

Of my current two, one adores Romaine lettuce and the other worships the Almighty Carrot. They both eat everything eventually, but those two choices are what they will grab first when I give them their snacks.

I usually give them cherry tomatoes and cucumber slices as well. Occasionally my wife will give them bok choy or cauliflower, but this is rare. They also sometimes get a small pepper to break up the monotony. I try not to give them fruit, but on the occasion that I do they will either get a green grape or a small slice of watermelon.

[Bean]

You're certainly having a baptism of fire with your boys! The housing sounds great, lucky you having a son who could make it for you. Sounds like it would be easy to section off a bit if you needed to keep one separate for any reason too.

Good work using bribery to counter the treatment too - keep yourself in good favour with them! Hope the visit with the guinea lady goes well and that she can reassure you that everything's in hand.

My lot eat just about everything! Broccoli and cucumber are the ones they'll pick up with their teeth and run off with to make sure they don't have to share! Courgette isn't too popular here either (I'd assumed you were American but am now thinking you might be British!), but it gets eaten eventually. We had some piggy holiday makers here recently and they didn't even touch the courgette or the cherry tomatoes - they had much more discerning palates than my gannets!

[jolovespiggies]

I am piggyless at the moment but it is wonderful seeing what they all like and giving them treats. Tomato and Parsley have always been a favourite but they have turned their noses up when I have bought them something like watermelon or mango - little divas lol!

Hugs
Jo xx

[3piggles]

That cage sounds fabulous! I really hope you can post some pictures of it, and of your boys. Can't wait to meet them

Ooh, so glad you have a rescue lady to give you some info. It's always good to have a second opinion. Vets can be good, but it depends on the amount of guinea pig experience they have as to how good they are. Even the best don't know everything, and sometimes have to eliminate possibilities one by one.

It really sounds as if you have a great set up for the boys, and a lot of support. Those are some lucky guinea guys

I gave up on the fleece and pads, too. I use a pine pellet horse bedding I get at Tractor Supply Company: www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/equine-fresh-pine-pellet-stall-bedding-40-lb?cm_vc=-10005

Pellets=$6, fiberglass window screen = $7, field hay bale = $7, total $20 for bedding that only needs changing 2-3 times a year. Basically open the bag and soak the pellets with a hose. Let them dry, then spread them in the cage about 1" deep. They pack down really hard and really quickly.I put the fiberglass window screen over it to keep the pellets free of poos, and cover it all with a layer of field hay. You can still use Timothy hay, and they'll love it.

My cage isn't as big as yours,I think my cage is about 8'x16" and has lofts at each end that don't use the pellet bedding. 1 bag of pellets, wet and allowed to dry, will do one year of bedding changes for me. The fiberglass screen can be run through the washer of blasted with a garden hose, and reused.

[jolovespiggies]

I forgot to say 4furbabies hun, welcome to our happy family.

Hugs
Jo xx

[4furbabies]

I think we are getting over the worse at last although poor buddy will be popping back to the vets as I really ain't sure what his bald patch is to do with Google images and pictures haven't helped. It doesn't seem to be getting any better n seems sore if it touched. Has any one succefully kept 4 boys together? When at local pet shop today I was talking about them ( I think I talk more about the piggies than I do my children these days! ) and she was disgusted that I have 4 together and advised to pair them and spilt them before they fall out big time this can be done with a big of tweaking with their cage however naively I wanted all 4 to live happily together as surely they may be OK? I am monitoring them as understand they will all hit the puberty age at same time. Also if I have to how would I choose which two to go together as they all seem rather mixed although at times they do seem to sleep in a trio n a single but that's not every day. Also I'm sorry if this is a USA site I didn't realise and I am in the UK. Can i stay please!

[4furbabies]

(I'd assumed you were American but am now thinking you might be British!),

I am British...is it OK to stay on this chat site I hadnt realised it was American based as just frantically searched for advice when they became poorly and this seemed most easy to use site I found