Scabby Lips

[Dawn - Admin]

Feeding too much fruit can cause piggies lips to get scabby, it is the acid in them.

If you are feeding lots of apples, pears or oranges and your piggy develops scabs on their lips stop straight away and try feeding more veggies like celery, carrots and parsley instead.

Fruit also contains sugar so can be fattening too. Small amounts every so often as a treat are better

[karenrgpr]

Beetroot and tomatoes are culprits of this too (it really depends on your piggy's sensitivity I think). Carrots are full of sugar as is sweetcorn and should also be fed in small amounts, in my opinion.

Guinea pigs were designed for chewing all day- lots of fibre and empty calorie foods. I don't think they've evolved enough to cope with the rich foods we feed. Just my thoughts...

[kimspigs]

Fonsi gets this problem alot, he isn't really fed acidic food alot either mainly carrot, cabbage, bits of sweetcorn form time to time and grapes. He gets the scab all over his month, so when he gets it we have to cut must fruit and veg out and feed lots more hay and dry food.

Fonsi seems prone to this whatever we feed him, I don't know what to do realy?

[Dawn - Admin]

It could be the grapes that are doing it Kim they are an occassional treat food only as they are very high in sugar content

Dawn

[kimspigs]

Thanks Dawn, no more grapes for fonsi in that case.

Thanks for your help

Kim

[heatherjhenshaw]

Also Kim some pigs are just prone to it, regardless of what they eat, make sure you keep some gential violet or Aloe Vera in your medicine box and just rub some on the affected area

Love Heather

[kimspigs]

Thanks Heather, he does seem prone to this actually no matter what i feed him. I was told to use Vaseline on his lips to prevent food and debris sticking but that hasn't worked. Never thought of Aloe Vera. I have seen wipes in pet shops that are Aloe Vera, would these be ok do you think or is cream better?

[heatherjhenshaw]

kimspigs said:

Thanks Heather, he does seem prone to this actually no matter what i feed him. I was told to use Vaseline on his lips to prevent food and debris sticking but that hasn't worked. Never thought of Aloe Vera. I have seen wipes in pet shops that are Aloe Vera, would these be ok do you think or is cream better?

I use the pure juice, I get mine from Holland & Barrett, or a from my Aloe vera plant lol, fresh is best. If you just swab it on with a cotton bud its amazing stuff. Creams tend to have things added so I would avoid them unless you cant get anything else. There is a pure Aloe gel but it tends to be very expensive, and the juice is more adaptable, you can use it for any number of ailments

[Dawn - Admin]

heatherjhenshaw said:

Also Kim some pigs are just prone to it, regardless of what they eat, make sure you keep some gential violet or Aloe Vera in your medicine box and just rub some on the affected area

Love Heather

Heather do you mean gentian violet as I can't seem to find any gential violet?

Dawn

[heatherjhenshaw]

eek sorry typo, yes I meant gentian violet

[Dawn - Admin]

Right thanks Heather, I think I will get some in to put in my piggy medicine box I have seen some on Ebay.

Dawn

[kimspigs]

Thanks Heather, he does seem prone to this actually no matter what i feed him. I was told to use Vaseline on his lips to prevent food and debris sticking but that hasn't worked. Never thought of Aloe Vera. I have seen wipes in pet shops that are Aloe Vera, would these be ok do you think or is cream better?

I use the pure juice, I get mine from Holland & Barrett, or a from my Aloe vera plant lol, fresh is best. If you just swab it on with a cotton bud its amazing stuff. Creams tend to have things added so I would avoid them unless you cant get anything else. There is a pure Aloe gel but it tends to be very expensive, and the juice is more adaptable, you can use it for any number of ailments

Thanks Heather. I will have a look in my local Holland and Barrett tomorrow as scabby lips don't look very nice. Do you think it is painful for the piggy?

[heatherjhenshaw]

I think painful is the wrong word, I think more 'uncomfortable' would be the word I use, they dont seem to let it bother them, until you start trying to paint them with something, then they squeal blue murder like you are trying to posion them lol

I just have to say ' its for your own good'

Heather

[heatherjhenshaw]

admin said:

Right thanks Heather, I think I will get some in to put in my piggy medicine box I have seen some on Ebay.

Dawn

I should tell you beware cos it stains, and I mean STAINS, anything, kitchen tops, hands, clothes, and it doesnt wash off lol, one of our kitchen sides where I keep all the piggie stuff is dotted with purple patches, and it was a big mistake to paint a piggy with it the day before my older brothers wedding hehehehehe

[Dawn - Admin]

Oh oh hehe thanks Heather I will remember that

Dawn

[kimspigs]

I think painful is the wrong word, I think more 'uncomfortable' would be the word I use, they dont seem to let it bother them, until you start trying to paint them with something, then they squeal blue murder like you are trying to posion them lol

I just have to say ' its for your own good'

Heather

Thanks heather you have been a great help. The vets I took him to didn't seem to know much about this and had to look in a book to find out more info. When i try to help Fonsi he does seem to wiggly more than squeal bless em, doesn't like it at all.

[kimspigs]

Thanks so much for your help

[heatherjhenshaw]

While I think about it it used to say in certain books, including one by the great Guinea Pig Guru Peter Guerney, that you had to removed any scabs before painting on any treatment , whilst I greatly respected the man and would normally rather stand on my head than contradict him I have treated it no problem without removing the scabs.

If it was necessary I would do it, cruel to be kind and all that, rather like you must squeeze pus out of an absess, not nice for anyone, but personally I have found there is no need, the scabs fall of within a few days anyway in my experience

[piggylover6164]

My name is Chelsea and i have 2 male piggies, only one of them(youngest) has a scabby top lip and the scab fell of today and its a bit red but doesn't seem to be annoying him, he is pretty fidgety due to how young he is but i dont know what to do!! first lot of piggies before as well.

[Kayleigh]

Oct 8, 2012 10:27:18 GMT @piggylover6164 said:

My name is Chelsea and i have 2 male piggies, only one of them(youngest) has a scabby top lip and the scab fell of today and its a bit red but doesn't seem to be annoying him, he is pretty fidgety due to how young he is but i dont know what to do!! first lot of piggies before as well.

Are you sure its not a wound from his friend biting him? This occurs sometimes. Do the two get along ok? (youve posted in a very old thread also, you will get more replies if you create a new thread)

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