Hard lump under chin, soft poop as well?

[Gracemackenz]

I'm holding one of my new pigs (her name is penny), and I noticed something weird about her fur/skin around her butt. The fur kind of comes out in chunks, and it looks really dry or something on the base of the fur. I don't know what it could be, I'll add pictures once I figure out how to.. I forgot how to add pictures, sorry

I don't know if it could of been from what happened to her before she lived with a foster family (I don't know her back story), or mites maybe?

[Gracemackenz]

Sorry for the double post again, but we are arranging an appointment to see if penny has mites. If she does, we are going to treat nickel as well (our other new pig).

I read the link about mites, and it says that misdiagnosis is common. I was wondering if that's the case and if I wanted to get ivermectin or another medication to get rid of the mites, does it require a prescription? Or can I just buy it at the pet store?

[bpatters]

Don't let a vet do a skin scraping for mites. It's very painful for the pig, misses the mites half the time, and the end result is the same -- treat the pig for mites. Treat all your pigs, in fact. But why do you even think they have mites?

The loss of fur is as likely to be a fungus as it is to be mites, especially if the hair is coming out in chunks.

See www.guinealynx.info/.html for the shampoos you can use to treat fungus. You can order the ivermectin from Amazon -- this is what you want:

Here are the directions for treating with that ivermectin: www.guinealynx.info/topical_ivermectin_pour-on.html

[Lynx]

Both mites and fungus are very common. A guinea pig may have both problems.

[Gracemackenz]

I've just been reading up on the signs of mites, and penny has all of them. Excessive itching, dandruff looking skin, loss of hair... I'd rather it be a fungal infection, but I won't know until we go to the vet.

[Talishan]

Honestly -- if it were me I'd treat for mites myself, first; then treat for fungal, myself, first, before going to a vet.

Normally we will encourage vet visits here for any question or issue that may be serious. Mites and fungal problems, though, are so common, and the materials needed for treatment so readily available, that I'd treat myself first and save your vet fund money, the stress on the pig, and the stress on you.

Treat for mites first. If after a full course of mite treatment the issues haven't fully resolved, then treat for fungal.

[bpatters]

Ditto Talishan.

[Gracemackenz]

So we're at the vet right now.. nickel has a little abscess and penny has something to do with the scent glands? Thank gosh it's not mites or anything too serious. The vet said what penny has is very easy to take care of. They're doing a tape test on penny, I think that's better than a skin scraping.

[Erinspigs]

Very good to hear you are getting to the bottom of it all. Not to be a worry wart but with guinea pigs even the most mundane and seemingly benign ailment can cause bigger problems. so keep a close eye, and as Lynx always reminds us, do weigh and monitor them often.

You seem to be going about caring for them correctly and I hope they heal quickly. Without reading back I’m not sure if anyone has posted about abscesses which can be tricky. They tend to heal in a counterintuitive way. Instead of me mucking it up, here's a link that might help

https://www.guinealynx.info/abscess.html

[Gracemackenz]

My youngest piggy has an abscess, that's what this whole chat thing started off with. I am going to be flushing Nickels abscess as well as giving her bactrim, just to be safe!

[Lynx]

A tape test is not likely to show up mites but at least it is not as painful as a skin scraping.

Generally, a vet will go by signs vs. relying on skin scrapings to diagnose mites.

www.guinealynx.info/.html

[Gracemackenz]

She did a test for mites, and she was mite free. I don't know what she did exactly, but I'm still looking out for more symptoms of mites to make sure.