Fungal Skin Problems

Fungal skin infections in guineas can be far more serious than Parasitic proboblems if they are not caught early, and treated quickly.  As with most things in life, prevention is better than cure, and regular shampooing every 4 - 6 weeks can help to prevent skin problems from happening in the first place.  

Fungal skin infections usually start off with "a bit of dandruff" on your guinea's skin.  If the hair is gently tugged, it will come out easily and will have dry, flaky skin on the end.  This is the stage at which to catch the problem and use the CocoNeem Melt combined with Manuka & Neem Shampoo before it gets any worse.  

If guineas are not treated promptly, check out this article from Thistle Cavies Rescue and see how bad it can get.

Fungal skin infections can soon become systemic (this is when Fungal spores are absorbed into the body) if not caught early.  Here's what can happen:

Your guinea inhales the fungal spores when he is scratching himself to try and relieve the itching.  The fungal spores can be inhaled into the lungs, and can cause Mycotic Pneumonia, which can be fatal.

Your guinea ingests the Fungal spores on his skin when he is biting himself to try and relieve the itching.  Your guinea's mouth may then become infected with oral thrush.  This can be very painful and cause your guinea to go off his food.  As a result, dental problems may occur.  

Ingested Fungal Spores can also colonise the lining of the Gastro-Intestinal Tract.  This can prevent proper absorption of nutrients from your guinea's food.  If your guinea is not eating because he has Oral Thrush, the gut becomes empty and can collapse unless you start syringe feeding him.  If he is not syringe fed and the gut has collapsed, it will probably not be pushed apart again when food is reintroduced because of the sticky, fungal lining.  The end result can be a fatal gastric torsion, caused by a food blockage.

The Central Nervous System can also be infected by fungal spores, and your guinea may have a fit when you touch the infected nerve endings.  All the muscles in the body are affected by the fit and contract randomly.  This can include the heart muscle, and if your guinea has repeated fits, the result may eventually be a heart attack and death.  

So, catch that "bit of dandruff" early and treat it promptly before you end up with what could be a potentially fatal situation.

If your guinea has a very stubborn Fungal Infection, there are Anti-Fungal dips available (from your Vet or the CCT).  These are Imaverol and Mycophyte.  For systemic Fungal Infections, your guinea may need a course of Intrafungol (again, see your Vet or the CCT).

Ringworm is also a Fungal Infection that guineas can get, and appears as a circular pattern of hair loss. This is not often seen in guineas, but can be helped by using the Manuka Lotion.