Help with Melvin

daj

Post   » Fri Oct 12, 2018 7:35 pm


Something seems not right with Melvin. I have 3 hairless males. They've been scratching quite a bit, and I suspected mites. Melvin has also been occasionally making a sound like a rhythmic, repetitive whimper or whoot, whoot whoot. It's not respiratory; it seems somewhat willful, like a vocalization of worry or stress??? It's not all the time, mostly in the morning and at night. He can do it while eating too.

I noticed a few little blisters or pimples on his back. But the vet said he looks good. He's a bit chubby at 2.10 lbs. and about 1 yr. old, I think. We came to the conclusion it was the bedding I've been using. I use Care Fresh, the chunky sort. I get it from Chewy. My first auto ship was what I'm used to, but the second 3 bags have noticeably higher wood content. (I never ever noticed it at all before.) It's really gritty and leaves a dusty residue on the hands. The vet said he looks more like it's mild abrasions, and the blister or pimples would be from random bacteria. She said Neosporin should take care of it. (Not really...she also said it's def. not fungal.) Or perhaps the scratching is due to dry air now that I am using space heaters for them, pretty much round the clock. (I do use olive oil on them. I didn't find coconut oil to be very effective at keeping them moisturized,)

Now I've noticed a small lump on his under side. It seems to be a mass under the skin. I tried to upload images, but I'm not getting something right. My questions are: Could they have mites? I don't see any other signs any other signs of them, and the itching is far from constant. Hair loss is out as an indicator, since they're skinny pigs. Should I just cool it for now and watch for other indications? How do I add images of Melvin's skin and his lump? Is it normal for skinny pigs to get build up of dead skin on the back? Melvin has quite a bit, but Henry has none. Henry's skin looks amazing. Thanks for any help!

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Lynx
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Post   » Fri Oct 12, 2018 10:31 pm


Perhaps you could experiment with fleece to see if the respiratory issues improve? Lumps would not be caused by mites.
www.guinealynx.info/lumps.html

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Lynx
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Post   » Sat Oct 13, 2018 10:54 am


Here are the pictures you sent me. Perhaps a plugged sebaceous gland? A vet could likely identify this for you.









bpatters
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Post   » Sat Oct 13, 2018 11:09 am


Looks to me like that's what it could be. I'd try some pretty warm compresses on it if I could get him to sit still for them.

And yes, a lot of skinny pigs have to be oiled to keep their skin supple.

daj

Post   » Sat Oct 13, 2018 12:15 pm


Thanks for the replies. A plugged sebaceous gland would be a relief compared to something more serious. If anyone has input on the top picture, I would appreciate any advice. Does this look like harmless accumulation of dead skin? It seems to me it can be mostly worked away by massaging with oil. He seems to be the only one prone to this though. He had ring worm a while back, but got over it with 3 weeks on Itrafungol. The vet that saw him thought what I assume to be dead skin was ring worm too (in addition to the characteristic bull's eye), but I don't think he was very experienced with exotics. The vet that saw him about the itching and pimples didn't express any concern over the dark build up.

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Lynx
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Post   » Sat Oct 13, 2018 2:17 pm


Ah, the dark buildup. Glad you pointed that out. Apply a very generous amount of cold pressed coconut oil, let it sit for an hour, and see if it make it possible to wipe or gently scrub it away.

Also, you might email PinkRufus, who has several skinny pigs and has more experience with skin issues, and ask her to look at this topic. She has a post in the Records forum:
https://www.guinealynx.info/records/view ... 3&p=98#p98

daj

Post   » Tue Oct 30, 2018 9:55 pm


Thanks for this info. It was a very informative read. Melvin seems to be doing better now. I saw that blocked sebaceous glands in humans can be treated with retinol. I dabbed a bit on his lump for a few days, and it cleared up, whether on it's own or helped by the retinol I don't know. I am just glad he is back to normal. I appreciate all the help.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Tue Oct 30, 2018 11:14 pm


How interesting that the retinol helped (though it makes perfect sense, if it is a blocked sebaceous gland).

daj

Post   » Fri Aug 30, 2019 1:51 pm


Lately I notice that Melvin has a bit of a wheeze when he exhales, and he snorts every now and again. Today he snorted out some snot. Maybe he's done this before, but today he did it while I was bathing him, so I noticed it. Does it sound like possible allergy. I never hear him sneeze, so I would think it's probably not an infection.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Fri Aug 30, 2019 1:53 pm


No, if he's snorting out stuff, it may well be an infection. I wouldn't assume allergy, especially since he's wheezing. A vet visit is in order.

daj

Post   » Fri Aug 30, 2019 5:47 pm


What sort of test might need to be done? Can urine show respiratory infection?

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Fri Aug 30, 2019 6:03 pm


They won't do a test. They'll listen to his breathing with a stethoscope and see whether his lungs are congested. If they sound like they might be, they may do an x-ray.

And no, a urine test can't tell anything about a respiratory infection.

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