Miranda Sadar, DVM, DACZM

Biography

Dr. Sadar is a graduate of Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. She completed a one-year internship in zoological, exotics, and wildlife medicine at Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) in Saskatchewan, a two-year fellowship in wildlife medicine at the Wildlife Center of Virginia, and a zoological companion animal residency at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Sadar was an assistant professor at the WCVM prior to moving back to Colorado. She is currently an assistant professor at Colorado State University’s Avian, Exotics, and Zoological Medicine Service. Dr. Sadar is a Diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine.

Questions Answered by Miranda Sadar, DVM, DACZM

my rabbit has this in his fur and some white flakes on his skin. is it mites and should i go to the vet?

Thanks for your question about Wesley, and great job on picking up on these changes on his skin. From the photos, I am seeing some yellow like material near the surface of the skin as well as some white flakes. These could be due to an ectoparasite, such as mites, or it could be environmental. Due to the potential for an external parasite, I would recommend having him evaluated by a veterinarian in your area. This would allow them to take samples from the skin's surface and hairs to look at them under the microscope. Depending on what they find, they may prescribe a medication for parasites, or may provide some husbandry change suggestions. I hope this helps to answer your question, and good luck to you and Wesley!

Mating or almost fighting? One is a male (shadow) one is a female (pixie). They weren’t brought up together, we had pixie first then shadow (We got him yesterday). We I torduced themnto one another and he instantly wanted to mate with her, did the rumble strut and everything but she didn’t seem to like it a lot... or did? She didn’t reciprocate the same sound, but she did get annoyed often (squealed and ran away). They always call for each other when (attaching photos with more details)

Thanks for your questions about your guinea pigs. The behavior you are describing sounds like breeding behavior. You are correct in that there is a lot of overlap between annoyance and breeding sounds. With them being so young, that can contribute to the confusion. They don’t quite know what they are doing either. I saw that you don’t necessarily want babies - the ages that your guinea pigs are now may lead to babies in the next couple of months. They are sexually mature by 4 months. You are correct that sometimes females will have difficult births - this most often happens when they are older than 6 months when they are bred and it is due to their pelvic bones becoming fused and inflexible. I hope that helps to answer your questions, and thanks for using PetCoach.

My bearded dragon which i got 5 days back has something wrong with his one eye (attaching image) Someone told me to rub warm salt water with a q tip on his eye n then rinse with plain water.. i did that.. it got lil better ( attaching image) but now he is unable to open his eye! Im really worried hasn’t eaten anything today, only sitting under his basking spot with his eyes closed. Last pooped today morning

Thank you for reaching out about Charizard, and for including photos - they are very helpful. I wanted to verify that this is the same eye? The reason I ask is that the second photo looks like one is of the right eye and one is of the left eye (unless you inverted the image when posting). Based on the darker appearance of the material and the sagging of the area, it makes me suspicious that there may be an issue with some retained shed skin, or there could be an issue with the eyelids themselves. This should be evaluated by a veterinarian as they will be able to look at the area with some magnification, which may help to determine exactly what the problem is in the area. Due to the decrease in appetite, they can also provide a husbandry evaluation. I would use caution with trying to treat this at home, as due to Charizard's small size, it would be easy to accidentally traumatize the eye. I hope this gives you a place to start, and that Charizard feels better soon!

My guinea pig has two lumps near it's nipples. They don't seem to bother him or hurt him. One is a blueish color

Thank you for reaching out about Piglet - that is a very cute name. I didn't see how old he was? The reason that I ask is that it is common for older guinea pigs, including males, to have problems occur with their nipples. This can include trauma, masses, and crusting. This can be due to hormonal changes, other systemic disease processes, and cancer. I would recommend one of two courses of action - you can continue to monitor the masses for changes (if this occurs, please take Piglet to a veterinarian) or you can take him to a veterinarian for evaluation now, and get additional recommendations based on the exam that s/he performs. I hope that gives you a place to start, and thank you for using PetCoach.

Do guinea pigs need a cave mate even if they are played with a lot by humans?

Thank you for your question about your guinea pig! In general, yes, guinea pigs are very social animals and thrive with a companion. However, there are exceptions to that general rule. To be able to tell if your guinea pig is okay without a companion, there are a few things to do. First is to ensure that your guinea pig is healthy and in a good body weight - this can be done by taking your guinea pig to a veterinarian for a wellness exam. It will provide you with a baseline for health, and then you can continue to monitor your guinea pig at home. Once you have determined that your guinea pig is healthy, then you can evaluate its behavior. If it hides a lot, or doesn't come out to see you or make noise when food is being provided, this may indicate that it needs a companion. Guinea pigs that are comfortable being alone will interact with their humans much like they do with other guinea pigs - lots of excitement! Also monitor the food intake - guinea pigs should eat lots of hay, a bit of pellets and vitamin C supplementation, and a bit of produce. If you are seeing a decrease in appetite, this may be due to a guinea pig being shy or uncomfortable (and can also be a sign of illness!). Lastly, ensure that they are producing lots of fecal pellets - they should be moist, of a decent size, and a huge quantity! I hope this gives you a place to start, and thanks for using PetCoach!