baby guinea pigs itching

[HannahS]

I have recently adopted five baby guinea pigs 2 boys 3 girls, they have been separated and all are doing well I have noticed some of them, two in particular seem to be itching a lot I have put beaphar anti parasite treatment on them all just incase its mites I am just totally paranoid its ringworm. I can't find any scabs or flakes on any of them, I am just wondering if it could be because they are young and they were kept in a very very small box for the first 6 weeks of their life. Any thoughts/advice would be great.
Many thanks xx

 

[Siikibam]

Please don’t home treat. The meds you get from pet shops aren’t strong enough, and treating something you don’t know is also not a good idea.

Take them all to the vet for a check and they can tell you what they may have.

Just a few things as I think you’re new to piggies. You will have to put all three females on pregnancy watch. As they were together until six weeks, I think there’s a real chance they may all be pregnant. Boars can reproduce from 3 weeks and sows have their first season around 4 weeks. I’ll link some threads below for you to read up on (potential) pregnancy, settling in piggies (where did you get them from?) and other general guides. I would put them on the pregnancy diet just in case.

Another important thing is cage size. Boars need more space than sows, so please make sure their cage is at least 150x60cm. With the three sows, theirs needs to be at least the same size as for two boars. Also make sure that the boars can’t escape and get into the sows’ cage. You’d be surprised how determined they can be when they catch the scent of sow pheromones.

https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/pregnancy-and-nursing-diet.109377/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/illustrated-sexing-guide-for-all-ages.156297/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/pregnancy-guide.109375/
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?

 

[Piggies&buns]

With everything @Siikibam has said. Please don’t use such home treatments - you don’t know if you are treating the right thing and off the shelf treatments just aren’t good enough - they all need to be vet checked and treated with prescription medications.

I also agree that all the females may well have got pregnant if they’ve been with boys for this long.

Also, while boars who have always been around the smell of sows have much less of a response to sow pheromones, it is still good to bear in mind that as they become teenagers and hormones start raging, they may still have a strong response. Keeping boars and sows in the same room can, sometimes, be problematic - boars can, not only make attempts to get into the girls cage (some have been known to climb cage bars so keeping boys cages lidded can often be a wise move), but can also fight with each other simply over the smell of the girls. As I say, the response is generally less if they’ve always been exposed to girly smells, but it’s not a guarantee and you need to bear that in mind.

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)

 

[HannahS]

Hi all,
Everything seems good! I am not new to guinea pigs I had 5 already my oldest being 8, I just live in fear of ringworm because of horror stories I used beaphar because I saw little hay mites on their back ends and have previously used it on my two girls with much success, they don't seem to be as aggressively itching today so I think its worked x they are in c c cages with loads of room so space isn't an issue, I am worried about pregnancy as that is something I have never dealt with but I've read up and adjusted their diets just in case. I had a guinea pig who had a phantom pregnancy once and the vet said its nearly impossible to tell if a guinea pig is pregnant until you can actually feel the little babies inside mummy is that still the case? And these babies are the result of my friends child having a mis sexed pair of piggies that has now been sorted xx

 

[Piggies&buns]

Yes it is the case - without waiting until the last few weeks you won’t be able to tell anything. A vet may scan but again, it’ll need to be a bit later on

 

[artcasper]

Best of luck! They will keep you busy that's for sure.

 

[VickiA]

Hay mites aren’t particularly parasitic. The evidence you see is not the mite itself but the casing they leave behind. Bathing in gorgeous guineas lice n Easy shampoo Lice 'n' Easy Shampoo: 150ml and combing with a nit comb to remove the casings works for hay mites.

However you really should get the, vet checked to be sure what you are dealing with as if Its mange mites or fungal You will need proper treatment from the vets.