My guinea pig has recently starting losing some of his hair on both sides of his tummy. He also has little scratches and his skin looks dried out. We have a cat so did he hurt him? Should he be checked out by a vet?
Losing hair
Posted on 2008/02/19 by Joan Corse
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Harry Potter
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Torunn says:
Hi there
This does sound like mites, which is the most common skin problem in guinea pigs. The mites can not spread to you or your cat. They are too small to be seen, and they dig under the skin cells. This causes the skin to die, little scabs are often present, the hair falls out and is usually very itchy.
You definitely need to bring him to the vet for treatment, there is no over-the-counter medication for this (at least not in the UK). It is usually an easy disease to treat, but if left untreated it will get a lot worse.
Another possibility for hair loss in guineas could be allergies or stress.
Good luck!
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