Funny smell on guinea pigs fur

Question
Hi Andy,

Last night I noticed a funny, mold-like smell on one side of my Texel guinea pig's face/neck (I had snuggled with her earlier that day and didn't notice any smell at that time). I cleaned the area with an unscented baby wipe, but it still smelled. This morning the smell seemed no better or worse, so I sprayed my piggie with a 50/50 mix of Listerine and water (an old 4H trick) in the event that the smell may be due to an otherwise asymptomatic fungal infection. I also swabbed her mouth with a q-tip (which she thought was a chew toy, LOL), and the q-tip didn't smell at all when I pulled it from her mouth, so I don't think it's a dental issue. She is 4 months old and was treated with ivermectin twice by the breeder as a precaution before I got her, so I don't think she has mites. Because she is a longhair, I clean her cage daily, so it isn't a hygiene issue. Also, she is an only pig and has not been exposed to anything via other piggies.

Her skin and fur look fine and she is otherwise behaving normally: Eating, playing, pooping, napping. Her eyes, nose and urine are clear. She's not scratching. She is just moldy-stinky on one side of her face and neck!

I have had her for almost three months, spend almost all my time with her (know her very well) and this mold smell is not one of her normal smells.  

My vet is on vacation and I am a bit worried. Any ideas you have regarding what this smell might be are greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Kelly

Answer
Hi Kelly

You have considered all the possibilities I would normally suggest, I have spent quite some time doing extra research on the internet for you and found nothing helpful.

I can only think there is something that has gotton on your piggy that is difficult to remove.

Andy