Why is my guinea pig losing hair, scratching, and biting her tummy?

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach. There are several reasons a guinea pig may lose fur. The primary differentials for hair loss are parasites or fungal infection/ringworm. Vitamin C deficiency or scurvy can also cause hair loss. I recommend a visit with a veterinarian that treats small mammals to help find out why Pumpkin has a bald spot. A bit more info. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/guinea-pigs-problems http://www.guinealynx.info/hairloss.html

Hello, Thanks for sending good pictures! I have a couple of suspicions about what is going on with Reeses' skin. Ringworm, which is a type of skin fungus, is very common in guinea pigs. Testing for this involves taking a hair sample from the area for something called a DTM culture test. This infection can spread very quickly over the entire pig's body and also spread to people. Mites are a type of skin parasite that can also affect guinea pigs and cause hair loss. They cause severe itchiness that can sometimes lead to seizures. This is generally tested for with looking at a scrape of the skin under the microscope. Both of these ailments generally require a course of topical and/or oral medications, along with regular cleaning of his environment during the treatment period to prevent re-infection. I would recommend taking Reeses into a veterinarian that's familiar with guinea pigs and having the area examined to determine the best course of diagnostics and treatment. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I hope this is helpful!

Thank you for your question, and thank you for the photos - they are very helpful. The area in the photo is a normal structure, and it is a nipple on your guinea pig's belly. There should be one on the other side if you part the hair. These will be present on both sexes of guinea pigs (males and females), and there should be two of them. In the photo that you provided, the nipple and surrounding area do not look inflammed or irritated, and the skin appears very comfortable. I saw that you mentioned that your guinea pig had been itching - mites and lice are very common in guinea pigs, and these could be potential sources of the itchiness that you are seeing. If the itching continues, I would recommend seeking out a veterinarian to evaluate for parasites. If they find them, s/he can prescribe an anti-parasitic medication to treat your guinea pigs. Please do not give your guinea pigs any human medications at home, as many of them can be harmful to our furry friends. I hope that helps, and thank you again for including photos!

Hi, Guinea pigs commonly get mites and lice. Other things could be ringworm, vitamin C deficiency, or other infection of the skin. The treatments for these must come from m a veterinarian for proper dosing given Mozzy’s small size. therefore, I’d recommend taking Mozzy to a veterinarian for an exam soon. Good luck.

Hi there! As ringworm is a fungus, they can contract it from other guinea pigs, from humans, or from contaminated objects, such as bedding. Symptoms of ringworm in guinea pigs are usually bald spots around the ears, neck, and face that can spread along the rest of the body. They can also have crusty, flaky lesions in the middle. If you suspect that your guinea pig has ringworm, I strongly suggest taking preventative measures when handling him or her - good handwashing is essential as ringworm can be transmitted to humans. A visit to the vet is also in order - they will likely take a small sample of your GP's hair to culture for the fungus. They may also use a type of black light called a Woods lamp to examine his or her skin as the ringworm fungus usually fluoresces. If your GP does have ringworm, the vet will likely prescribe a topical or oral antifungal, or a combination of the two. There are other skin conditions that can cause bald spots as well, such as mites, that the vet can also check for. Good luck, and I hope that your piggy gets well soon!

This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Guinea pigs often get ringworm, so I would encourage you to have a follow up appointment with your veterinarian and discuss testing and possibly treating for ringworm. In the meantime please practice good hygiene after handling him as human can be infected with ringworm too. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.