losing weight/fur

Question
Our guinea pig is four years old and recently has been losing weight and fur.  She is very skinny now and has very thin fur, but she seems to be eating and drinking fine.  Any ideas what is wrong??

Answer
Hello Jenny!
I have a few possibilities, but since starting on this site hair loss and weight loss seem very common and very confusing as single are relativly easy to treat but as a pair are a mystery to me.
It could be mange mites but weight loss happens when it becomes severe, and you probably would have noticed. Try this site for further information on mange mites: http://www.guinealynx.info/mites.html
Lice could be another bug possibility. If the case is serious enough than it could cause anorexia, but it is uncommon.
Weight loss and wet face/chin/neck area are signs that most commonly accompany dental problems. Dental problems are very common in guinea pigs. Left untreated, they can eventually result in death from malnutrition. And the hair loss could be tottaly seperate. Try these two links to the direct pages on my favorite GP health site: http://www.guinealynx.info/anorexia.html & http://www.guinealynx.info/hairloss.html

I suggest (when you have the money as this is a common problam, I know personaly) taking the giunea pig to the vet, this could determine her life.
Print out this page if you want just so you can read the main ideas or get the vets opinion, as as I remind people on my persona page, I am not a vet.