If your guinea pig is suddenly losing patches of fur or scratching like crazy, it might be more than just a bad hair day—so in this video I’m walking you through ringworm in guinea pigs. Even though the name sounds scary, ringworm isn’t a worm at all. It’s a fungal infection (most commonly from a fungus called “tricopitin metagraphy”), and it’s highly contagious—yes, it can spread to other pets and even to humans. I go over what ringworm can look like on guinea pigs: bald patches (especially around the face, nose, and ears), red crusty or flaky skin, scabbing or thickened areas, and lots of scratching or rubbing. Sometimes you’ll even notice behavior changes like irritability or low energy. Because it can look like mites, lice, or allergies, I really recommend getting a proper diagnosis from an exotic vet—things like a skin scraping, fungal culture, or a Wood’s lamp can help. Then I cover treatment and prevention. Ringworm is treatable with vet-recommended antifungal creams or shampoos (and sometimes oral meds for severe cases), plus strict quarantine and daily cleaning/disinfecting of cages, fleece, hideys, and toys. Prevention is huge too: quarantine new pigs 2–3 weeks, avoid overcrowding and stress, keep the enclosure dry, and don’t share supplies between sick and healthy pigs—quick action helped my boy Wrangler, and it can help yours too.