Flaky bald spot on Chinchilla tail?

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Mochise

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Joined
Feb 20, 2017
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A few days ago I noticed a bald spot on my chinchilla's (Taro's) tail. The spot is near her butt and it seems to be flaky on the borders of the spot. No redness or cuts. The base of the bald spot seemed to be covered with a layer of her skin (white color) with a bit of pink as well.
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I waited a few days to see whether or not she was just chewing her fur or it was something else.
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I checked her tail today again, the bald spot has spread a bit (From a dime to a nickel size). It is still flaky on its borders and the bald spot is a bit pink/white. I noticed a few hairs grew in the middle of her bald spot, but the spot did get bigger.

What is the cause? What can I do to help her? How can I prevent it in the future?

Attached are some pictures for reference as well as a link to a video of her tail.

https://streamable.com/3xyvd
 

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It definitely looks like a skin issue, the most common is ringworm, which is a fungal infection not an actual worm. It more commonly occurs on the face but if the tail got wet that would make sense there too. I would get it checked out at the vet, if it is ringworm you'll need to get some anti fungal treatment. Make sure you wash after handing her, ringworm is contagious to other animals and humans too.
 
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