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Adopted piggy with flaky skin - could be mites?

  • Thread starter Thread starter missmarshmallow
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missmarshmallow

Brillo (our agouti Abyssinian) has been in definite need of a friend so after a hunt round for an adopted piggy we found a 3 year old tricoloured boar called Hedwig.

I've quarantined him for the moment so Brillo doesn't know he's around yet (he'll be in for a surprise!). One thing he has is flaky skin and i'm not sure if it's mites or just due to his diet. He has been fed on museli so i'm gradually introducing nuggets into his bowl to help boost his nutrition.

He only has afew flakes of dandruff near his rump after his bath on Tuesday. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what it might be? All references to mites I've seen usually include the piggy scratching but he never does that. Could it just be down to his diet?
 
Did he live outdoors before you brought him inside? (Or the other way round) I've had a few adopted pigs with quite poor, flaky, dry skin which improved after they got used to living indoors - not saying outdoor pigs are more prone, but it happened to clear up without treatment once they had settled, having lived outdoors at the rescue. Temperature changes can influence the condition of the skin, e.g. some pigs prone to fungal infections tend to flare up in warm weather.

Did the rescue treat Hedwig for mites at all? If not, it might be worth doing so with Ivermectin - just to be sure he's clear. Most rescues do treat with a course of Ivermectin when the piggies come in anyway.

Fungal is also possible, which would be treated by bathing in an antifungal shampoo.
 
Well yes he did live outside in a hutch, and put on grass on accasional days. I adopted him from a new breeder doing it as a hobby, so not a rescue centre. Not sure if he's been treated before.

Thank you for your thorough advice. I have just got some 'Spot on' treatment with Ivermectin as the main active ingredient so that should do the trick. Shall I keep him separate from Brillo still while he's being treated?
 
You may as well keep them apart for another couple of weeks if they have not been introduced at all yet. Given that Hedwig is still in quarantine, he won't have exposed Brillo to the mites. Easier to get Hedwig sorted and in top form before pairing the boys up!
 
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