Guinea Pig Skin

Question

This is what it looks   Rory my Abyssinian guinea pig is 2 on June 15th, he has always been very healthy but recently i have noticed that under his chin, its all red and he has some fur loss, the skin there is dry and a little bit flaky, i thought it could be mites but i haven't seen him scratching more than usual and he also lives with Harry who is my other Abyssinian guinea pig and Harry has no red marks or fur loss. Rory is eating fine and drinking and being his usual self but i am really not sure what this could be. Anyway, i took him to the vets and the vet said that it could be an infection due to the hay that i give him and that there could be something in the hay, the vet gave Rory anti-biotic injection and one to stop him from itching, she also gave both guinea pigs treatment for parasites, however, the skin hasn't got batter, and just now i noticed that he has the same swollen skin and flaky skin by his back leg (at the top of his leg). He is again still himself but i am worried about him. Any help or suggestions would be really appreciated. Thanks

Answer
First of all let me thank you very much for the picture. It's so much easier to get an idea of what it might be.

It does not look like mites. The signs of the most common cavy mites are seen on the top of the back where we will see a "V" shaped break in the fur caused by the animal chewing himself. Mites migrate to the back because the pig cannot reach them to dislodge them. The area seen in the picture looks like it could be a fungal infection of some sort. The other possiblity is mange, but I'm not really leaning toward that choice.

The area under the chin appears red and sore as though the pig is scratching at it.
Ask your vet to do a scraping of the skin to for a more clear diagnosis. She should be able to examine it under her microscope for signs of demodectic or sarcoptic mites. They are seen only under a microscope and not by the naked eye and is the case with all types of mites. Of course your vet may have already done this and that's what the shot was for. But it's not getting better so something else needs to be done.

You might try something like Bag Balm on it to see if it will respond simply because it's moisturizing the area. Please look at the previous question about "guinea pig foot". There is a picture of the can so you can see what it looks like. It's a greasy consistency and smells medicated. It's excellent for chapped skin and I've used it successfully for areas where a pig is losing hair but shows no sign of inflammation.This could be a simple dermatitis which is an inflammation of the skin. But before you do anything on your own I would seek the vet's advice. You've already brought the pig to her so she probably has a good idea what it is, or more importantly what it isn't.

Cortisone cream 1% is often effective on dermatitis but doesn't work on just everything. If you aren't able to get Bag Balm you might try something as simple as (believe it or not) household shortening like Crisco. It's excellent for moisturizing skin. Don't use any kind of cream or lotion as most of them contain perfume of some kind and that may irritate the skin even more.

I'm going to ask Sam, our other expert, if he will jump in and give his input. I know he's dealt with mange and may have a better answer than I. If the vet is sure this isn't mange, which is caused by specific mites, then you may even try an over the counter ointment like A&D ointment. Again, it's greasy and good for lubricating dry skin.

I truthfully don't see this as a parasite issue, but more of a dermatitis. That's easier to deal with and is safer to deal with for the pig. But please do get assurance from your vet first. In the meantime I'm going to ask Sam for his input as well.