is it normal for a 7 month old guinea pig to loose hair?
Answers:
Lose hair like how? Shedding will be natural. Losing lots of hair, like having bald spots and such.I'd see a vet.
no. It probably has a disease. Take it to a vet immediately!
It seems to me that your guinea pig is being very well taken care of, so I'm ruling out the possibility that the hair loss is caused by any sort of nutritional deficiency. Other than that, the usual cause of hair loss in guinea pigs is one of a few things: lice, ticks, or ringworm.
If the guinea pig lives outside, the likelihood of contracting these is much greater. However, I have had indoor pigs get them. It is OK for you to handle the guinea pig, just be gentle with him. Look through the hair for small white eggs and small brown parasites - this is a sign of lice. Ticks will look very similar but are more likely to hop around. You may also find little clots, similar to when ticks burrow under the skin of humans. Finally, the last option I can think of is ringworm. In order to treat this, you will need to buy a specially formulated cream at the pet store.
Do NOT attempt to pull out the hair further, and try to keep your pig from scratching at it and pulling it out. This may prevent the hair from ever growing back. Since I cannot physically see the guinea pig, I recommend a good veterinarian to have a look at him. He can diagnose and prescribe a solution much better than I can.
Good luck!!
Look on your other question that is exactly the same. I answered you there.
Losing hair is bad unless it is a baldwin ( breed). You should contact a vet on the list at www.guinealynx.com. There are several causes like parasites, another guinea pig biting the hair out, and more. If your guinea pig is scratching and his/her fur is very dandruffy, there is a chance of parasites living inside of the fur of your guinea pig. Your vet will know the condition of your cavy.
If you feed him/her a lot of vegetables with vitamin C, hay, good0 quality guinea pig pellets, and other nutritious stuff every single day, chances are it isn't nutrition. You would have to provide the brand of pellet you feed him/her. Guinea pig pellets shouldn't have anything mixed in with it like seeds, dried fruits/veggies, or anything else. You have to make sure your guinea pig has 24/7 access to timothy hay. Alfalfa hay is alright for guinea pigs 6 months and under, but not for 7-month-olds due to high levels of calcium. Calcium doesn't cause hairloss, but I thought it'd be good to give that bit of information.
You should also check out GuineaLynx for hairloss information. They also have a lot of care information that you should read. They are the best guinea pig site I've ever visited. Joining their forums would be great, too. Make sure to schedule a vet visit.
If you're talking about just shedding, that is normal in small amounts. If it happens in large amounts, you may have a problem. If there are bald spots, be sure to see a vet. Even if it's just shedding, you should check out GuineaLynx because they have a lot of good care advice.
Good luck with your piggie,
Landhermie
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