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Black specks in fur, barbering and molting?

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Phoebe-PP

Phoebe-PP

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These past few days I've noticed my sow Pickles has been barbering her flanks, but one more than the other and she's molting a fair bit as well which she's never really done before. When I was brushing her yesterday I noticed several black speck things coming out with her fur, upon inspection they don't seem to be any type of organism. They look almost like dandruff flakes, but black - very strange. I'm not 100% sure if the symptoms are all related, but it does seem that way.

Any suggestions would be appreciated!
 
It reminds me of what flea poop looks like on my cat. Never seen it on a pig...hope this helps?
 
Could be mites, the black flecks would be skin debris. Does the hair appear to be broken half way down the hair shaft? When mine have mites I treat with Ivermectin which is best given at the vets by injection and a round of Lyclear creme rinse baths which must be 48 hours apart from the Ivermectin. By mites I mean the type that appear when a pig is run down or stressed, not lice. A photo would be useful.
 
helen105281 said:
Could be mites, the black flecks would be skin debris. Does the hair appear to be broken half way down the hair shaft? When mine have mites I treat with Ivermectin which is best given at the vets by injection and a round of Lyclear creme rinse baths which must be 48 hours apart from the Ivermectin. By mites I mean the type that appear when a pig is run down or stressed, not lice. A photo would be useful.
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Just attempted a photo- the specks are so small it's almost impossible to see! It's difficult to tell whether the hair's broken as she's barbering anyway, there doesn't seem to be any of the usual signs of mites and she's not itchy, or particularly run down. Would it giving her a cycle of GG's lice'n'easy baths have any effect if it were mites? That's the only parasitical treatment I have in atm, may be a job for the vets.
 
If its mites lice n easy not help and you would have to leave it 48 hours before treating for mites. I use ivermectin drops from my vets for mites or you can have it injected at the vets. Both are a 3 week course once a week. Personally I would go to the vets and get her checked, vets take a skin sample and check. You tend to get dry skin with mites, is she itchy at all?
 
Definitely take both her and any friends to the vets. If she's biting her sides then she is most likely itchy. I tend to use Lyclear alongside any mite treatment as a preventative.
 
Okay thank you everyone, I shall book an appointment asap. Would the molting be caused by mites at all? She's never been one to molt but I've never seen so much hair come off a pig before, I'm surprised she isn't completely bald!
 
dry skin and hair loss is a sign of mites, I would definitely get them checked over by your vet like Helen said they all will need treating. Let us know how you get on :)
 
That's good to know, I was worrying that the hair loss was something unrelated (like ovarian cysts... AGAIN!)
 
That's why its best to get a vet to look on the off chance its something else better to be safe then sorry ;)
 
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