guinea pig losing hair

Question
I have to guinea pigs cole and coco I got them from two different stores.i noticed that cole had a bald spot on his head I took him to the vet they treated him for mites then his butt started going bald with white clumps at the bottom of the hair hes black.but coco who lives next to him was fine so I thought mabe it was him just losing hair a month later coco has a small bald spot on her butt with white clumps she is brown and black so im worried about them but if its not mites what is it? Im so scared they are going to the vets asap just dont want to waste money on mites if it not that. Another crazy thing is my sister bought a guinea pig that cam from the same.store as.cole and she to is going bald with clumps and is bleeding patchs is coming to please help we.are very worried

Answer
Hello


If the white clumps are dried skin then it is almost certainly mites, I have seen scores of guinea pigs with that problem and they always seem to attack the bum and head first. If you live in the UK then head down to your nearest petsmart, or other large chain pet store, they tend to have medicinal area.

you want the following things

tea tree oil- which is like a thick creamy stuff
shampoo- for small rodents.
a mite pump spray, they should have a good selection.
last but not least ear drops- if they have it around the head then there is a good chance that they have the buggers in their ears as well.

use them as it says on the sides though with the shampoo i recommend you wash them both at least once a week. the tea tree oil you will want to place on the bald areas every day and always place on after the pump spray has been used, the spray is often alcohol based and you can imagine how keep the treatment up until at least a week after they look better. All of this stuff will probably cost between 20-35 pounds which might seem like a lot but think of it as an investment, mites are one of the most common problems piggies have, chances are they may get them again.