There are 3 main types of Parasites that can cause skin problems for guinea:
Mites
Static Lice
Running Lice
Burrowing Mites / Mange Mites
Trixicarus Caviae is a tiny Mite that can burrow under your guineas's skin and cause intense itching. Look carefully, you may see small bumps just under the skin in the area of infestation. These are the Mites that have burrowed into the skin and will cause your guinea to scratch himself. The hair around the infested area is usually thinning, and may be broken off half way down the hair shaft. Guineas bite and scratch themselves causing open sores that can become infected, so prompt treatment is required.
Severe Mange Mite infestations can kill a guinea, so prompt Veterinary treatment is required
Treatment is with Ivermectin - two applications 10 days apart usually sort the problem out. Sometimes a third dose is required if the infestation is bad. Where there is intense scratching, Ivermectin works within a few hours to relieve this problem, so get your guinea to the Vet for treatment ASAP.
Most Vets now recommend Xeno 50 or Xeno 450 which is a "spot-on" product rather than injections which can be very painful for guineas. Guineas often carry Mites with no symptoms, but when they get stressed (moving to a new home, pregnancy, illness, old age etc) the Mites can start breeding and causing problems.
Ivomec will only work on parasites that are blood suckers (ie Mange Mites and not Lice).
Where Mites are present, there is often a lot of skin debris and scabbing on the skin. To remove this, use the Manuka & Neem Shampoo but always leave at least 48 hours in between using Ivomec and shampooing your guinea.
Guineas often get Fungal and Parasitic problems at the same time. If this is the case, it is a good idea to give your guinea a CocoNeem Melt combined with Manuka & NeemShampoo. Follow the instructions carefully ensuring that you leave 48 hours in between using Ivomec and the Melt / Shampoo.
Static Lice
Static Lice are actually tiny Mites that feed off skin debris and adhere to the outer half of the hair shaft, often around the rump. They often come in with hay - hence they are sometimes known as Hay Mites. Eggs are also laid on the hair shaft and look like small dust particles on a light-coloured pig. These are the least damaging of the Parasites.
Lice 'n' Easy Shampoo will quickly deal with the problem as these are external parasites. Ivomec is not required as Static Lice are not blood suckers.
Running Lice
Like Static Lice, Running Lice, feed off skin debris and can be seen moving about in your guinea's hair, usually at the bottom of the hair on the skin surface. They are about 1mm long and look like tiny worms wriggling around. Their eggs are laid at the base of the hair, near the skin and look like small specks of dust.
Lice 'n' Easy Shampoo will quickly deal with the problem as these are external parasites. Ivomec is not required as Running Lice are not blood suckers.
Fungal Skin Problems
Fungal skin infections in guineas can be far more serious than Parasitic problems 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.
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. These are Imaverol and Mycophyte, but do be aware that they are very harsh on the skin. For systemic Fungal Infections, your guinea may need a course of Itrafungol. Again, see your Vet for treatment.
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 MicroNeem, Manuka & Neem Shampoo and Kwench Lotion.
Other Types Of Skincare Problems
Bilateral Hairloss
This is often seen in older sows on their flanks and may be associated with Ovarian Cysts. Hair can sometimes become a bit thin, or there may be complete hair loss from the area around the Ovaries. Sows can have Ovarian Cysts without showing any symptoms, others develop large cysts which can cause discomfort in the abdominal area. Diagnosis is required from your Vet and treatment using hormone injections (Chorulon) is often very successful. Fluid filled cysts can also be successfully drained by a guinea-competent Vet without an anaesthetic. These options are far less invasive than an Ovio-Hysterectomy which should always be a last resort as it is a very serious operation for a sow.
Pregnancy / Lactation
Sows may experience thinning of the hair or hair loss associated with pregnancy and lactation as hormones can affect the function and growth of hair. This can happen in the later stages of pregnancy and shortly after parturition and can cause symmetric alopecia on the flanks. As long as there is no other underlying problem such as Lice or Mites, the hair will usually grow back in time without requiring any treatment.
Bumblefoot
Bumblefoot (also know as Pododermatitis) is a swelling / ulceration of the foot pad that can be very painful for a guinea. The condition is often bacterial in origin but can also be fungal, and is difficult to treat. Vets often prescribe antibiotics such as Baytril, together with Rimadyl which helps with inflammation / pain relief. It can also be helpful to soak the affected foot in a dilute solution of Iodine each day. These work with varying degrees of success – it seems that there is no one easy answer to this problem and several options need to be tried. As with any skincare product or drug, this ointment does not work in all cases, but the majority of guineas that have tried it have shown an improvement within a week. Check out Polly's Success Story. |  |
Mouth Sores
Guinea pigs can present with crusty sores around their mouth / lip area and up towards the nose. This type of problem is often fungal in origin, so treatment with antibiotics either orally and / or in a cream or gel form may not work. If so, it is worth trying Galen's Garden Green Cream which is very effective in helping scabby mouth and nose areas whether the problem is fungal or bacterial in origin. Please note: you DO NOT need to remove the scabs before applying the Green Cream. This is recommended on some sites, but is painful for the guinea and not nice for the human. The Green Cream will soften the scabs and they will come off in their own time.  Sometimes the sores can be caused by the guinea eating acid fruit such as apple or tomato, so it is always worth removing them from the diet to eliminate a possible cause. |
Barbering
Hair can be chewed off either by the guinea pig itself, or by a cage mate and may be caused by boredom, stress, a behavioural problem, hierachy issues in the group, or lack of hay. Where cage mates chew the hair, it can be from any part of the body. When the guinea is self-barbering, hair will only be missing from places that he can reach, so the culprit should be easy to identify. Ensure that the guineas concerned are given unlimited access to plenty of fresh, green meadow hay to keep them occupied – this will often stop the problem.
Naturally Bald Areas
Guinea pigs have naturally bald patches on a couple of areas of their bodies which new owners may not be aware of, and as a result, be worried about:
- Behind the ears – an area of 1cm to 1.5cms.
- On the inside of their front legs on the “ankle” area.
