My guinea pig has a bald spot on his rear. What does it mean?

Question

Hello I have a question I just got a guinea pig 3 weeks ago and he’s been doing fine and today I notice he has a bald spot near his butt and I don’t know what it means if there is any way can you please help. Pet's info: Small Animal | Guinea Pig | Male | unneutered | 2 months and 30 days old

Penelope Graben, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello, Thanks for sending good pictures! I have a couple of suspicions about what is going on with Reeses' skin. Ringworm, which is a type of skin fungus, is very common in guinea pigs. Testing for this involves taking a hair sample from the area for something called a DTM culture test. This infection can spread very quickly over the entire pig's body and also spread to people. Mites are a type of skin parasite that can also affect guinea pigs and cause hair loss. They cause severe itchiness that can sometimes lead to seizures. This is generally tested for with looking at a scrape of the skin under the microscope. Both of these ailments generally require a course of topical and/or oral medications, along with regular cleaning of his environment during the treatment period to prevent re-infection. I would recommend taking Reeses into a veterinarian that's familiar with guinea pigs and having the area examined to determine the best course of diagnostics and treatment. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I hope this is helpful!

My guinea pig has a bald spot on his rear. What does it mean?

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