Pets such as guinea pigs are susceptible to various diseases. As a rule, all of them appear as a result of improper maintenance and neglect of the rules of care. Lichen in guinea pigs can be triggered by fungal skin lesions. In order to recognize the disease in time, you need to know the main symptoms. You can treat it at home, but in any case, you should show your pet to the veterinarian.
What is lichen?
Lichen is a disease of the skin that is caused by the active growth of fungal cells. The following symptoms will indicate that guinea pigs have lichen:
- hair loss;
- redness;
- itching
- flaky patches.
The condition of a sick animal noticeably worsens, it constantly itches and is in a troubled state. If you ignore these manifestations and do not provide assistance, lichen will begin to spread actively throughout the body. Moreover, the hosts and rodents with which the animal shares its “living space” will be infected.
There are two types of lichen in guinea pigs:
- trichophytosis;
- microsporia.
Fungal spores can be stored for a long period on the skin of rodents, in the ground, on various objects and not show activity. It is worth noting that the animal may be the carrier of this disease, but it will begin to progress only under the influence of certain factors. Often, an ailment can provoke the content of the animal in inappropriate conditions or a weakened immunity.
Diagnostics
In order to recognize ringworm in guinea pigs, the animal must be shown to specialists. The clinic resorts to the following diagnostic methods:
- Transmission of affected areas with a UV lamp.
- Analysis of fragments of wool that will be examined in detail under a microscope.
- Scraping from bald patches.
If it is not possible to take the pet to the veterinary clinic, you can carry out one manipulation that will let you know if the guinea pig has lichen. It is necessary to circle the affected area with a cotton swab dipped in iodine. The fungus will have a clear outline. However, it is permissible to resort to this method only if there are no wounds on the pet's body.
Treatment methods
It is important to consult a specialist who will tell you how to treat lichen in a guinea pig. Before proceeding with therapy, the patient rodent must be transplanted into a separate cage or container. All objects with which the animal had to contact should be treated with disinfectants.
If the cell is covered with tissue litter, it must be boiled or burned. Wool from the edges of the affected area must be cut off. All manipulations with the animal must be carried out with gloves.
The treatment regimen for lichen in guinea pigs with drugs is only after the diagnosis is confirmed. For the treatment of wounds, a solution of Chlorhexidine is prescribed, after which the areas are lubricated with antifungal ointments. It can be "Clotrimazole", "Thermicon", "Miconazole". If the disease is started, in addition to the ointment, the animal should be given oral preparations. To strengthen immunity, guinea pigs need to be given ascorbic acid.
In severe cases, the antibiotic Griseofulvin is used to combat ringworm. The drug is given once (20 mg per 1 kg of the mass of the animal).
Folk remedies
Treatment of depriving folk remedies in guinea pig also gives good results. A good effect in alternative therapy gives burnt paper. The procedure will be as follows:
- You need to take a clean plate and a white sheet of paper.
- Then you should burn it directly on the plate. A brown precipitate should remain on the surface, with which it is necessary to lubricate the affected areas. For such manipulations, it is advisable to use cotton buds.
No less effective in the fight against deprivation in guinea pigs is a tool such as tar soap. After applying it, the damaged areas must be treated with iodine.
Treatment with baking soda and salt also gives good results. It is necessary to mix them in equal proportions and apply to areas with damage. For the treatment of lichen, a mixture of crushed raisins and vegetable oil is suitable. You need to resort to traditional medicine methods with caution, because such treatment can harm the animal.
Prevention
It is important to consider that lichen is contagious to humans, so you need to be careful with sick animals. All manipulations with them must be carried out exclusively with gloves.
The cage containing the animal and other items must be treated with disinfectants. For wet disinfection, a 3% formaldehyde solution is suitable. In the composition you need to add a little 1% caustic soda. To destroy ringworm spores, you can use a solution of whiteness. The product must be diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10.
Carpets and upholstered furniture should be steamed and also wiped with disinfectants. It is also necessary to regularly clean the premises and introduce fortified feed into the pet's diet, which will strengthen its immunity. If there are other animals in the house, contact with them must be limited.
Who is at risk?
Faced with lichen can be those animals whose immune systems are weakened. It is possible that the disease may develop due to improper maintenance of the pet. I also deprive guinea pigs with cancer, those who have undergone chemotherapy. Often, lichen occurs in animals of advanced age.
What diseases in guinea pigs are similar to lichen
To save the animal and prevent complications, you need to know what lichen looks like in guinea pigs. The fact is that its symptoms can be confused with other diseases. Rodents are prone to ailments that cause partial hair loss, redness and peeling. These are the following lesions:
- Fungus. As a rule, the face begins to bald in the animal. Peeling, loss of hair, itching are observed on the skin. If the disease progresses, the fungus begins to affect the legs, ears and neck.
- Subdermatitis (corns). These problems entail improper pet care. The appearance of tumors and pustules on the wounds may be associated with dirty litter and claws too long in the animal. Fat corns can also appear against the background of obesity and other diseases.
- Loss of hair in guinea pigs can be caused by a sudden allergic reaction or seasonal molting.
Conclusion
If a guinea pig started to have health problems, she became worried, constantly itchy, she must be taken to a veterinary clinic as soon as possible. It is possible to self-medicate only as a last resort, when it is not possible to consult a specialist.