[Gpdd] Health: Louie

[Jennifer Langer]

Jenna and Louie, 
The bald patches behind the ears are normal. I wouldn't worry too much about the difference in skin color unless there has been some sudden change. Based on my Piggies, that color difference seems to be normal. 

What kind of bedding does Louie live on? Aromatic beddings, such as pine and cedar, can definitely cause skin irritaion and respiratory distress in some Piggies. We are currently using a mix of aspen shavings and carefresh. I prefer to exclusively use carefresh (it's lower in dust, aroma, and very absorbant), but aspen is cheaper. Mixing the two allows me the best of both worlds. Occasionally I have read of some Piggies even having problems with aspen so just be aware of any changes. 

We had an itchiness problem with one of our Piggies. Our first vet kept giving us ivermectin, assuming it was mites. After treating our poor itchy George for months for these invisible mites, we tried a new vet. He did a skin scraping and guessed that George had too much yeast in his skin. After a skin biopsy confirmed this, he suggested giving George a malaseb bath (once weekly for a month or until all the itching stopped and then once monthly). I'm just sorry we waited so long to get another opinion. Some scratching is normal for guinea pigs, but if you're concerned it would probably be best to take Louie in to a good exotic vet. At least that way you would know you had consulted a professional. Good luck.  

Jennifer and Adam, and PB, Bob Bob, and Boar-is 

"To find a beautiful thing, look with an open mind and heart."
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