Why is my guinea pig losing fur on her butt? What should I do?

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!

Thanks for your question about Atom. I didn't see how old Atom is, but many times with our middle aged to older guinea pigs (2.5-7 yrs old) that are not castrated, they will have excessive production of material from the gland around their rear end. This is called the caudal gland, and it produces scent in male guinea pigs. When this gland material becomes excessive in amount, it can get stuck to the hair and make it fall out. If this sounds like it may be the case with Atom, the treatment is to wash gently with a pet safe shampoo, and you can clean the material off. After that, it would just be waiting for the hair to grow. If this does not sound like what Atom has, there are other reasons for hair loss in guinea pigs. The most common are fungal infections (ringworm), parasites (such as mite and lice), and bacterial infections. These would require a veterinary visit for diagnosis, and to get treatment. The testing for these issues is very straightforward and require a sample of hair and scrapes/samples of the skin. Please do not give Atom any human medications at home, as many of them are harmful for our furry friends. I hope this gives you a place to start, and that Atom feels better soon.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I can see the area of hair loss around the neck/shoulder region on Winston. This can be caused by fungal infections, skin mites, or certain hormonal abnormalities. Fungal infections such as ringworm can be transmitted to people, so I do recommend washing your hands well with soap and water after handling Winston and/or his bedding. You should have Winston seen by a vet as soon as possible to determine what is going on, your vet may take some hair/skin samples to rule out fungal/mite infections and begin the appropriate treatment. You should also separate him from his cagemate to prevent transmission of the infection. I hope this helps!

Hello. Thank you for using PetCoach! This looks like a ringworm lesion to me. http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=18+1800&aid=2494 You can try using a topical anti-fungal medication like Clotrimazole to see if it helps. Apply a thin layer to the lesion twice a day. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Antifungal-1-Clotrimazole-USP-Cream-1-oz-tube/950932820 Remember two important things: 1. It can take weeks to months for ringworm to resolve. If you are not making much progress with the cream after a couple weeks I would take her to the vet. They can give you an oral medication to use that may be more effective. 2. Ringworm can be contagious to people so wash your hands thoroughly after handling her. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hello. Hair loss in an older female guinea pig is often related to cystic ovaries. The abnormal ovary produced hormones that cause the hair to fall out, usually on the trunk, back or belly. Sometimes, hairliss can be from over grooming, parasites, a thyroid condition, or if the Guinge is rubbing on somethin in the cage. Since she doesn’t sound itchy or inflamed, and she’s an older female, i would be suspicious of cystic ovaries. I would recommend taking Guinge to see a veterinarian who can do a physical exam, feel her belly for possibly cystic ovaries, and if needed do an ultrasound to identify and assess the ovaries. If they are indeed cystic, they can either be treated surgically with removal of the ovaries, or with injections of hormones to reduced the cyst size and activity (though these injections need to be given every 4 weeks or so). Hopefully it’s something simple! Good luck!

Thanks for reaching out about Thor. Hair loss can be due to self grooming, but also fungal or bacterial dermatitis, mites, and other metabolic problems. If seems to be bothering Thor or increases in size, a veterinary visit is recommended. Do not apply anything topical as guinea pigs very good at self grooming and will remove it. Good luck.

It is difficult to make an assessment on what this might be with a visual. Skin issues such as these can be due to a number of different causes including parasites (mites, lice or fleas), Ringworm, skin infections, trauma or even some endocrine diseases such as Cushibgs disease. You should take Bojangles to the veterianarian as soon as possible. You could also request a consult with an expert where you can post pictures and ask more questions.