Nibbles Medical Thread
Yes, she's on Shilington. Two tablets a day. I crush them in a dish with the back of a spoon then use a wooden popsicle stick to mix it in with either a little banana or apple sauce. I let Nibbles eat it out of the dish or off the stick. Works pretty easy and so far she's been willing to eat it every time.
Nibbles is a little over a year old now. Over the last couple months I've noticed her scratching more. Nothing like mites but more than I'd say was "normal". Her nipples have grown and get crusty. I've cleaned them with water but see coconut oil is better and I'll try that. One nipple she doesn't mind me cleaning, the other only tolerates it for a short time. There is no hair loss. Her weight, appetite, and behavior are all unchanged. She does have dry skin, I see dandruff when I brush her, but I can't add to the humidity here, we are so high already.
Most of what I've read here says the nipples indicate ovarian cysts though I thought she'd be a bit young for that. This isn't an emergency situation since she's fine otherwise so should I take a wait and watch approach for now?
Most of what I've read here says the nipples indicate ovarian cysts though I thought she'd be a bit young for that. This isn't an emergency situation since she's fine otherwise so should I take a wait and watch approach for now?
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Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
Yes, watching is a good idea.
I would also consider giving her a couple Nizoral shampoos to see if it helps with the dandruff - which can be fungal (dandruff can be caused by a yeast infection - aka fungal infection).
And if you start seeing more scratching, I would still consider mites a possibility, as they are so common. If you have never treated for mites, it can be a good move.
www.guinealynx.info/fungus.html
www.guinealynx.info/mites.html
I would also consider giving her a couple Nizoral shampoos to see if it helps with the dandruff - which can be fungal (dandruff can be caused by a yeast infection - aka fungal infection).
And if you start seeing more scratching, I would still consider mites a possibility, as they are so common. If you have never treated for mites, it can be a good move.
www.guinealynx.info/fungus.html
www.guinealynx.info/mites.html
We treated them for mites when they got them. I still have some Revolution so if she keeps going I can use that and see if it helps.
Hmm, I never considered that the dandruff could be fungal. I'm still just going to watch for a while. She does get bathed periodically as she urinates on herself from time to time so I may think about the shampoo the next time we do that if she doesn't start scratching more.
Hmm, I never considered that the dandruff could be fungal. I'm still just going to watch for a while. She does get bathed periodically as she urinates on herself from time to time so I may think about the shampoo the next time we do that if she doesn't start scratching more.
We treated Nibbles for the dandruff, bathing her once a week for four weeks with Nizoral. That was November. Then we stopped and she seemed to be itching far less in December and January. Now we are in February and she's itching a lot. I held her over a dark surface and brushed her hair and she shed hair and dandruff like snow. We bathed her last night.
My questions is how often, or more accurately, how long do we do this. Human directions say use everyday for only 4 weeks. Then move to once every 1-2 weeks. So if we go once a week for 4 weeks, then stop, should be start back up preemptively? Or wait until she scratches again? I know this stuff is strong and I don't want to overdue it or cause harm. But the dandruff is bad and has to be addressed.
My questions is how often, or more accurately, how long do we do this. Human directions say use everyday for only 4 weeks. Then move to once every 1-2 weeks. So if we go once a week for 4 weeks, then stop, should be start back up preemptively? Or wait until she scratches again? I know this stuff is strong and I don't want to overdue it or cause harm. But the dandruff is bad and has to be addressed.
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Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
While she was being treated in November were you also seeing an easing of itching?
If you were having success treating once a week for four weeks, that is a lot less than the human recommendation of daily for four weeks. I am guessing the daily use in humans really knocks out the dandruff/yeast infection and then it is maintained at a lesser rate. It may be treating only once a week only knocks things down and does not knock it out. But the once a week still seems much more reasonable than daily. The human scalp produces many oils. I don't think guinea pig skin is that oily.
What are your own ideas?
If you were having success treating once a week for four weeks, that is a lot less than the human recommendation of daily for four weeks. I am guessing the daily use in humans really knocks out the dandruff/yeast infection and then it is maintained at a lesser rate. It may be treating only once a week only knocks things down and does not knock it out. But the once a week still seems much more reasonable than daily. The human scalp produces many oils. I don't think guinea pig skin is that oily.
What are your own ideas?
<While she was being treated in November were you also seeing an easing of itching?>
Yes. It seemed to go down each week then she looked normal after treatment 4 so I stopped.
It's my husband that is more worried as I can't show him any studies, that's just how his mind rolls, but I was thinking somewhat like you in that we didn't do enough to knock it out. However, we may never be able to knock it out. It's something I'll bring up with the vet at her annual in August. But till then I was thinking of being a little more aggressive with it, maybe twice a week for two or three weeks, then once a week for another 4 weeks. The dandruff is worse this time so I think it might warrant a little more treatment. Does that sound out of line?
Yes. It seemed to go down each week then she looked normal after treatment 4 so I stopped.
It's my husband that is more worried as I can't show him any studies, that's just how his mind rolls, but I was thinking somewhat like you in that we didn't do enough to knock it out. However, we may never be able to knock it out. It's something I'll bring up with the vet at her annual in August. But till then I was thinking of being a little more aggressive with it, maybe twice a week for two or three weeks, then once a week for another 4 weeks. The dandruff is worse this time so I think it might warrant a little more treatment. Does that sound out of line?
I took Nibbles to the vet in August for her yearly exam and the vet put her on Revolution for a few months with no baths to make sure mites weren't an issue. To me the results were inconclusive and the vet agreed at the follow up today. She gave me a moisturizing shampoo with an anti itch agent, the name I don't know it's at home, and suggested we bathe her with it once a week. The vet is thinking more dry skin than dandruff or fungal issue. So that's where we are on that issue.
Also during that August appointment, her bladder wall was thickened. So the vet put her on Meloxicam once a day for three months. Today her bladder was back to normal. So glad to see one issue we could get a solution around. I do wonder though if this will come back though.
She continues to be my high maintenance guinea. In fact last night I came home and she was bleeding from the nose. I didn't know guinea could produce that much blood! We got it stopped and she'd been perfectly normal. Vet couldn't find anything. Found what I think was the culprit, if not each other, and took care of it. But boy that was a shock to see.
Also during that August appointment, her bladder wall was thickened. So the vet put her on Meloxicam once a day for three months. Today her bladder was back to normal. So glad to see one issue we could get a solution around. I do wonder though if this will come back though.
She continues to be my high maintenance guinea. In fact last night I came home and she was bleeding from the nose. I didn't know guinea could produce that much blood! We got it stopped and she'd been perfectly normal. Vet couldn't find anything. Found what I think was the culprit, if not each other, and took care of it. But boy that was a shock to see.
That's good to know Sef. It was dripping everywhere as I ran around with her trying to find tissues (they are everywhere until you need them). What I think it was is a zip tie on the back side of the ramp. We thought we took them all off. We had them on there until the adhesive had set binding the ramp pieces. Apparently one was partially covered so we missed it. Over time it became exposed and missed by us as it was on the backside the ramp. I don't know that is the culprit, unbelievably there is no blood in the cage, but it was at the right height for the injury. I pulled the cage apart but couldn't find anything else. So it was that or she nicked herself of Callie got her somehow.
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