Ringworm in Guinea Pigs: Pictures

One of the most common health issues with pet guinea pigs is ringworm. Despite the name, ringworm is actually not a worm but a fungal infection. While it usually doesn’t kill a guinea pig, it can be extremely irritating and uncomfortable for them.

While the key to ringworm is prevention, the second most important step is detecting it early. Ringworm can spread like wildfire throughout your cage, especially if you have multiple guinea pigs. For this reason, it is always important to check your guinea pig’s skin daily.

Next, it is very important to recognize what ringworm in guinea pigs looks like.

What does ringworm in guinea pigs look like?

While it doesn’t occur 100% of the time, most ringworm infection begin in your guinea pig’s facial area. It will likely be near their mouth or next to their eye.

One of the key traits of a ringworm infection is the round shape of the rash. In the early stages of ringworm, the infected area will start to lose hair. The skin will then dry up, and the spot will probably become very itchy.

If your guinea pig starts scratching the spot, it will only make the problem worse. It will inflame the skin, which can cause a secondary infection. Additionally, it can make the ringworm spread even faster to other parts of their body or to other guinea pigs.

For this reason, it is important to isolate a guinea pig immediately when you spot a ringworm infection. It is also advisable to cover up the infection with a sock or sleeve so the guinea pig can’t scratch the area. Sometimes, ringworm can look similar to mites. If you are not sure which one your guinea pig has, you should check out my article on Does My Guinea Pig Have Ringworm or Mites?

Ringworm in guinea pigs pictures

Now you should see some visual examples of what ringworm actually looks like. Below are some pictures of ringworm in guinea pigs.

This is what the initial stage of ringworm looks like. As you can see, a circular rash has formed on the guinea pig’s face. This has caused the hair in the area to fall out.

This is a picture of a guinea pig with ringworm in the later stages of infection. AS you can see, the skin in the infected area has become dry and scaly. There are even signs of dried blood. A guinea pig that has ringworm in this stage should be taken to a vet immediately. Ringworm is the main reason why a guinea pig loses hair around its eye.

While the majority of ringworm infections start in the facial region, it can travel to other parts of the body. This is a picture of ringworm on a guinea pig’s back.

How is ringworm treated?

The treatment for ringworm is dependent on the severity of the infection. If the infection is small and only in one or two spots, it might be able to be treated with an antifungal topical cream. More serious cases require an oral antifungal medicine that will likely need to be prescribe by a vet.