guinea pig dandruff and itching

Question
A few months ago I got an older male guinea pig, chester, he'd been at the pet store while and needed a good home. I noticed right away that his grease spot had been allowed to get very dirty and that he had dandruff, I gave him a good bath and have kept up with regular grooming. However, lately I think the dandruff has been making him very itchy and tonight he itched so hard that he torn a piece of his skin up above his ear and cut into the inside of his leg. I've cleaned them, but what I'm wondering is what I can do to releave his itching and provent further damage to himself. Do you know of a guinea pig dandruff shampoo or can I use a human dandruff shampoo?

Or do you have any other suggestions as to how to releave his itching and treat the cuts he has already given himself. I am just so concerned for his health.

Thank you - Etana  

Answer
Etana --

Well, I would guess that there is probably a root cause for the dandruff.  Dry skin.  For now, what you need to do is treat the cuts with neosporin (yes, the human kind) to help him heal without any infection.  Until he is healed, you can attempt to treat around the wounds.  Pure vitamin E is the easiest way to do that.  Here, I buy it in liqui-cap form, split it, and rub it gently into his skin.  I would use about one pill per day.

Hope this is helpful.  If you have any more questions, please feel free to contact me.  Good luck!

Lorena