What might cause a guinea pig to lose hair?

We have a guinea pig that is losing hair on its back. What might be causing the hair loss?

What might cause a guinea pig to lose hair?

The easiest solution would be to take it to the vet and ask for an opinion. It could be mites or possibly a fungal condition on the skin. The vet will probably take a quick skin scraping and have a look under the microscope to be sure.

If it is mites, you can ask for a shot of Ivermectin which will help straightaway. The vet will probably ask you to come back for a followup shot in one week to kill any eggs. It's a good idea to get your little piggy to the vet asap as mites can get pretty nasty and it can become very painful for your little pet.

Don't worry, an Ivermectin shot shouldn't cost that much and the good thing about seeing a vet is that he or she will make sure that your piggy gets just the right dosage for it's size.

Also, if you have any other piggies living in the same quarters, there is a good chance they could be infected too even if they aren't showing symptoms yet. They would have to be treated at the same time otherwise there could be a re-infestation and it would just end up costing more money. Mites spread quite easily so remember to wash your hands thoroughly before touching any other pets too. Changing it's bedding daily probably helps as well. Don't worry though, as far as I know (but check with your vet) these nasty things can't live on the human body for very long so you are safe from the suckers.

Best of luck with your situation.

What might cause a guinea pig to lose hair?

Too much salt in its diet.

What might cause a guinea pig to lose hair?

Do you have a dog that could be tearing out the hair when he plays with it? I had a wolverine once that eviscerated a couple of chinchilla's that I was going to give to my niece for her birthday. I came home and couldn't figure out why there was 2 bloody chinchilla's lying in the foyer. Later I figured it out cause the wolverine had lined it's den with the carcass of my sisters cat, so at that point i knew it wasn't the cat that did it.

What might cause a guinea pig to lose hair?

It could be mites, or maybe something in it's cage that it's allergic to.

What might cause a guinea pig to lose hair?

It sounds like fur mites.. To treat him give it a bath, and put it back in a clean cage. For shampoo you can use cat shampoo for ticks and fleas, some people say not to but I've used it alot and all my guinea pigs are fine. Also give him ivermection, you can get it at your local feed store. Give him half a pea size amount, then give him the same amount again in ten days. These should clear it up. Hope that helps and he gets better!!

What might cause a guinea pig to lose hair?

FLEAS. I had one once that did the same thing, took him to the vet and that's what it was. I can't remember for sure, but I think they gave him Frontline for kittens. Check with your local vet.

What might cause a guinea pig to lose hair?

There is a logic answer to the scientific question lol im joking but there is a easy answer, ALL guiena pigs shed hair sometimes! LOL

What might cause a guinea pig to lose hair?

it could be cancer or they are sheding from the heat. i hope it is heat cause i have 4 of my own