Mange Mites

Most frequently found in the middle of the back and forming an inverted "V-shape".

Notice the amount of small bloody scabs caused by the Mites under the skin and the guinea pig scratching itself to try and get relief. Also notice how the hair shafts are broken off half way down. MITES CAN KILL, so please get your guinea treated PROMPTLY if they have Mites.

Running Lice

Lice are very common in guinea pigs, especially in the summer months. Easily washed away with our Lice 'n' Easy Shampoo.

Two rounds of shampoos one week apart are required. The first round removes the live Lice and Nits, the second round removes any Lice that have hatched since the first round.

Mouth sores

Sores around the nose and mouth are very common in guineas. They can be Fungal or Bacterial in origin, so if your Vet prescribes antibiotic cream and the problem doesn't get better, it is probably Fungal in origin.

F&M Ointment (formerly Happy Soles) or Galen's Garden Green Cream can help regardless of whether the problem is Fungal or Bacterial. You DO NOT need to remove the scabs before applying the cream.

Please note: Green Cream is now only available from Galen's Garden.

Fungal ear

Notice the white bloom on the ears indicating a Fungal problem.

Small areas like this can be helped with twice daily applications of Kwench Lotion or Super Souffle Cream.

Fungal face

Fungal problems on the face are very common in Mini-Pigs and can be helped with twice daily applications of Kwench Lotion or Super Souffle Cream.

CocoNeem Melt & Manuka & Neem Shampoo should not be used on Mini-Pigs under 12 wheeks of age.

Fungal backside

Fungal problems around the rear end are quite common . If it is just a small area, the Kwench Lotion or Super Souffle Cream will work well.

For larger areas, use our CocoNeem Melt and shampoo it off with Manuka & Neem Shampoo.

Fungal skin infection

Larger areas of Fungal skin can be helped by using our CocoNeem Melt and shampooed off with Manuka & Neem Shampoo.

Notice that the guinea pig is being kept on shavings which are not recommended as a suitable bedding.

Ringworm

Ringworm gets its name from its appearance, and has nothing to do with "worms"! It is a fungal skin infection with the characteristic circular leisions growing outwards from the centre that look like they were caused by tiny worms under the skin. Outer edges are often red, inflamed and may be itchy. Ringworm is easily trasmitted from animals to humans, humans to animals, and animals to animals, so hand hygiene is really important if you or any of your animals have, or are in contact with it.

It looks nasty, but can easily be helped with MicroNeem, Kwench Lotion and Manuka & Neem Shampoo. Any towels / clothing etc that come into contact with a guinea that has Ringworm must be washed at 60C, otherwise the spores will not be killed off.

Bumblefoot

Bumblefoot can be a difficult problem to solve, but our F&M Ointment (formerly Happy Soles) has proved to be very effective and helped many guineas.

Crusty Nipples

Crusty nipples may be caused by a fungal infection, problems with feeding pups, and can sometimes an indication that there may be a hormonal problem due to Ovarian Cysts. Help is at hand with either Perfect Paws Ointment or Super Souffle Cream. Apply 2-3 times a day and the crusting will soon disappear. If the underlying cause is Ovarian Cysts, these need to be treated (see link above for more information) otherwise the crusts are unlikely to disapppear completely until this has been addresses.

Burned back

A guinea with a burn on its back. After bathing, a hairdryer that was too hot was held too close to the guinea's skin and sadly it ended up with a badly burned back :(