12 week old guinea pigs treatment

[tiddlepie]

Hello
I have just noticed a tiny round light brown crawling insect on my GP's tummy. I managed to catch it - its got lots of legs around its body!?
Does anyone know what it could be and what do you suggest i treat my GP's with?
My guinea pigs were not routinely treated with anything by the breeder who i bought them from. I have noticed they scratch but not excessively.
Any advice warmly welcomed. Many thanks x

 

[Wiebke]

Here is a link to parasites - best have a look whether it is one of them. My suspicion is lice or fur mites.

http://www.guinealynx.info/parasites.html

 

[Suzygpr]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Sounds to me like a tick - yuck! Most piggy parasites are tiny or microscopic and can be treated with either a spot on (Xeno 50 I think for that age or Xeno 450 for larger pigs) or you can shampoo them with an insecticidal shampoo for small animals.

Ticks can be picked up from grass that another animal has walked through (hedgehog etc) or the tick may have crawled it's way into the cage - so it will need treating too.

At 12 weeks they should be inside or at least in a shed overnight.

Suzy

 

[tiddlepie]

oooh thank you and yes, i just google imaged ticks and it does look similar! eeeek

When the grass is dry i put our GP's in a large outside run which they love and just move it about the garden every few days. Interestingly, we also have at least 1 hedgehog in the garden, so this is quite a likely possibility. (I thought ticks were bigger tho?)
Should young guinea pigs not go outside?

At night they live in their 2 storey hutch with a cover inside a wooden shed.

As advised, i will shampoo and dose with xeno 50. Do * know of any recommended, reasonably priced websites for shampoo/xeno?

Thank you so much- i'm learning every day!

 

[Suzygpr]

You can Shampoo once a week for three weeks and then every 6-8 weeks to ensure they stay clear of parasites or use a spot on - the course of treatment will be explained on the packet. They are both available to buy from good pet stores.

By all means put your piggies out in the garden when the weather is good enough! Heehee! But as they are so young their body mass is not large enough to cope very well with night time temps. A well insulated hutch and shed will probably be fine - all mine come in the house throughout the entire winter, no matter how many I have (it's been up to 60) as I feel happier knowing they are warm enough.

Please feel free to ask all the questions you want on the forum - it's the best way to learn, using others' knowledge and experience to make your piggies' lives the best they can be.

Suzy x