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Black Or Brown Microscopic Spots On White Fur

Prasiddha

Prasiddha

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
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hi,
Need help. My guinea pig fluffy has microscopic spots on her white fur. Is it some kind of parasite. What could be the treatment. I am in India need help with medicine if it is some kind of parasite. I have attached images of her.

IMG_7688.webp

IMG_7690.webp
 
Prasiddha said:
hi,
Need help. My guinea pig fluffy has microscopic spots on her white fur. Is it some kind of parasite. What could be the treatment. I am in India need help with medicine if it is some kind of parasite. I have attached images of her.

View attachment 85067

View attachment 85068
Click to expand...

Hi! It looks like guinea pigs have got hay/fur mites (chirodiscoides). They are the least harmful of all skin parasites that guinea pigs can get, but can still cause discomfort, especially in an advanced case like yours. The black specs are the eggs that are fixed to thairs, mostly at the bum end when you look underneath the top layer.

If you are in the UK, please see a vet for a proper diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
If you are in India, you will find this link here the most helpful as to effective treatments: Guinea Lynx :: Fur Mites
 
Thank you wiebke. I also feel she is pregnant again. Since she was pregnant previous without our knowledge. On the time of birth she was with the male. She is showing again lot more signs of pregnancy. Could I treat her fur mites when she is pregnant. Are these fur mites contagious to other Guinea pig. Should I keep her separate.
 
Prasiddha said:
Thank you wiebke. I also feel she is pregnant again. Since she was pregnant previous without our knowledge. On the time of birth she was with the male. She is showing again lot more signs of pregnancy. Could I treat her fur mites when she is pregnant. Are these fur mites contagious to other Guinea pig. Should I keep her separate.
Click to expand...

Opinions whether the use of ivermectin/selamectin is harmful during pregnancy or not are divided at the moment. The latest I have seen is that is now considered safe again, but it is not yet from a reputable source.
I am sorry that your girl is pregnant again; because of the extra pressure on the body, the immune system is lowered and pregnant sows are particularly prone to get skin parasites and fungal infections as well as other opportunistic problems and get them very quickly very badly.

What you can do in any case, is to give your girl a close shave to cut out as many eggs as you can and to physically remove them - that is the one big advantage that you have with much less harmful hay mites as opposed to mange mites, which burrow their eggs in the increasingly painful and inflamed skin to the degree that piggies can fit and die. Give her a gentle bath to remove as many mites as possible, too; they are invisible or near invisible to the naked eye. The hair will grow back again quite quickly so you may have to do it twice if there are still a fair number eggs coming back, by the way.

You can treat with ivermectin or selamectin once the babies have shifted to eat mostly on their own about 2 weeks after being born; that is in any case safe.
 
Hi,
I Visited two vets. One was clueless and prescribed a cats medicines for ticks and fleas. I immediately took her to another vet. He browsed and said please give her ivermectin/selamectin topically 0.35ml. My guinea pig weighs 700 GMs. He wasnt sure if I could get either of the medicine in medical shops. I went and searched for the medicine. I could find in shops oral tablets with ivermectin, oral syrups or injection. Also the pharmist said he will try and see if he can get Pfizer revolution (selamectin). The vet diagnosed it to be hay mites only. What do I do? Can I use ivermectin oral syrup or injection topically?
 
Prasiddha said:
Hi,
I Visited two vets. One was clueless and prescribed a cats medicines for ticks and fleas. I immediately took her to another vet. He browsed and said please give her ivermectin/selamectin topically 0.35ml. My guinea pig weighs 700 GMs. He wasnt sure if I could get either of the medicine in medical shops. I went and searched for the medicine. I could find in shops oral tablets with ivermectin, oral syrups or injection. Also the pharmist said he will try and see if he can get Pfizer revolution (selamectin). The vet diagnosed it to be hay mites only. What do I do? Can I use ivermectin oral syrup or injection topically?
Click to expand...

You can use any of these products. Ivermectin can be applied as a spot-on, orally or as an injection. Revolution can also be used (see the link in my first post). I would think that oral ivermectin or revolution is easiest to give for you.

Good that your vet has confirmed the diagnosis!
 
Hey thank @Wiebke i used ivermectin injection topically and I see improvement. Her fur has cleared up in major spots.
 
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