bold patches

Question
hi i have a 9 month old piggy who lives in the house he is lively and generally happy running about like a mad thing lol, i have recently noticed he is now quite quiet and not really himself and iv noticed that he has a small but noticeable bold patch on his side i haven't changed any of his food or bedding the only thing thats changed is me getting a kitten but i keep them away from each other so he is safe from her playful ways i haven't taken him to the vets as of yet because i dont want to stress him out if it is just a case of something simple that i can sort out myself or if its me just being petty and a worrier iv checked the kitten 4 fleas to make sure she hasn't brought any in to bite him but shes all clear and i checked him with the same result.
hope you can help
thanks
hayley


Answer
Hi Hayley,

If the bald patch is behind his ear, don't worry! Piggies have bald patches behind both ears and this is completely normal.However, I'm guessing it's not.

By and large the most common cause for scratching and bald patches in piggies is mites, but they do not catch fleas. The ones they usually have look like dust or dandruff, and are pale on dark piggies, and dark on pale piggies. You can treat your piggy at home for mites by giving him a bath in special shampoo. Insecticidal shampoo for small animals (never use one made for dogs or cats) is available from most pet shops, but I would recommend you order Lice and Easy from www.gorgeousguineas.com - a trial size will be enough to do your piggy several times, and it's much gentler on your piggy's skin and nicer smelling than the insecticidal stuff. I think it does a much better job, too!

If you haven't bathed your piggy before, or want some tips, have a look through my past answers. When I first started volunteering for All Experts I wrote detailed instructions on how to use Lice and Easy. Just search for "mites" or "scratching" and you should find them! If it's a bad case, he may need two baths to clear it up.

If you've noticed your piggy scratching excessively, make sure he doesn't feel warmer than usual. If he does, has lost weight, or you notice him fitting, then he could have developed mange. Don't worry - a piggy can live with fitting for a considerable amount of time, but mange is eventually fatal so he will need a course of injections from the vet. Your vet will treat ordinary mites in the same way and injections are very painful for piggies due to their thick skin, so please only agree to the injections if you (and the vet) think he has mange.

It's unlikely, but a bald patch could also be a self-inflicted stress wound. Make sure your kitten doesn't tease your piggy when she thinks you're not looking. And be sure to get your piggy out for lots of cuddles; they're sensitive creatures and he might be jealous of your new pet!

Hope this helps and if you have any other questions, just ask.