My guinea pig has black specks & yellow crust after lice. What is it?

It could just be dirt or dander, but lice are also common in guinea pigs. If you have any concerns that they could be lice then I would encourage you to have her seen by your veterinarian as soon as possible. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Since both are microscopic, you will need your vet to do a skin scrape and tape impression, then they can look at it under the microscope and tell you which one is found. Lice can look like white flakes on the skin, but then again this can also be dandruff, so it is important to always look at this under the microscope. You will need to schedule an appt for Nova to get this diagnosed and treated. Best wishes.

Thanks for using PetCoach. There are several possibilities for Pietje's crusty eyes. The first is to make sure that he has adequate Vitamin C supplement. This needs to be in the form of fresh fruits and veggies as well as fresh food, and Vit C supplement (not in the water). A bit more on feeding https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/guinea-pigs-feeding The other differentials include mites or ringworm. A vet visit can help diagnose either of these conditions. The vet may recommend a fungal culture or skin scraping to make a diagnosis. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/guinea-pigs-problems I hope this helps.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I recommend taking Looey in to a vet that see GPs when it is safe to do so. They can get lice or ringworm or it may be some other skin disorder. If you would like to post again with some pictures this may help us guide you a little more.

Poor Betty this looks sore! I would say this is due to an infection of some sort. It could be bacterial even coming up from the resp tract but the flouroquinilone should have helped. Otherwise it may be a parasite or fungus such as ringworm. I would get a skin scrape checked and have a hair brushing sent off for ringworm. I know you have tried antifungal cream, sometimes canestan works but at times they need stringer treatment from the vet. You could also try an antiparasite treatment such as xeno.

My best guess is that this could be ringworm however it is impossible to tell just by looking at a photo. I suggest you get this spray and apply it 2-3 times daily on the affected area. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-plus-antimicrobial-wound-and-skin-hydrogel-for-pets ) If after a week to 10 days it still is not resolving then you need to take her to a vet for an exam. Wash your hands thoroughly after touching her as ringworm, if it is that, is contagious to people.

In my experience the huge majority of skin issues in guinea pigs falls into two categories: mites and fungal. It's uncommon to see flaking skin and hair loss without it being one of these disorders. Ringworm would be a concern and is very common in guinea pigs. Instead of being a worm, it's actually a skin fungus, and doesn't always have the classic "ring" shape. The only way to diagnose ringworm in guinea pigs is doing a fungal culture where you collect hairs and put them on a culture medium. It can take 10-14 days to get a result, though most positives show up within the first week. If you don't want to do the testing then what you can do is treat those scabs with an over the counter anti fungal cream like clotrimazole. It is basically jock itch cream. Apply a thin layer 2 times a day. It won't hurt anything if it is not ringworm but if it is ringworm, it will help. If you are going to shampoo him I would use a medicated shampoo like this one: https://www.1800petmeds.com/Malaseb+Shampoo-prod10667.html Lather it on, let it sit for 5-10 minutes and then rinse. The contact time of the shampoo is very important! This shampoo has an antifungal agent in it as well as an antimicrobial agent. If you try the ringworm cream and shampoo and it doesn't help at all within 7-10 days then I would recommend you get a second opinion from another vet and find a vet that specializes in treating exotic pets as he may have skin mites. Skin mites in these pets will always cause itching, sometimes severe enough to lead to seizures. If he is itchy then skin mites are very likely. Skin mites need to be treated with Ivermectin injections spaced 10-14 days apart and need to be done by a vet. Usually 2-3 injections are needed to clear the mites. If your vet doesn't specialize in treating exotic mammals/pocket pets then I would suggest you find one that does. I found this vet in your area based on your zip code: http://www.acsevh.com/ I hope this helps. Best wishes!