Hello,
I have been reading up on the treatment of mites. There are many suggestions out there on correct dosage of treatments and different types of treatment.
-Tropical treatment.
-Oral treatment
-Sprays and washes
Currently I have used puppy and kitten revolution. I have read that you can also use an Ivermectin cattle injection as an oral or tropical treatment. (With very carefully measured dosages)
If anyone can give me the most successful treatments they have come to use and products preferably available in Australia.
Any prevention tips would be great also
Thanks so much.
Hi! Are you dealing with an acute outbreak or are you looking for preventative measures.
In an acute outbreak, the most effective way of treating any affected guinea pigs (i.e. the guinea pig that is coming down with them first and is developing bald spots etc.) is via injection at the vets rather than topically. Injection means that the full dose goes in the body and cannot be licked off by other piggies.
Companion guinea pigs can be treated topically (not tropically), provided you catch the mites outbreak before the companions go past becoming a bit more itchy; otherwise, injections are the best way before oral and thirdly topical treatment.
Topical treatment means spot-on products on the skin, but not the ones you buy in the shop. Revolution can do the trick; it is not ivermectin, but selamectin. In any case, you need to treat at least three times at the product-specific interval; in severe cases more.
Guinea Lynx has the best overview of good quality treatments worldwide.
Guinea Lynx :: Mange Mites
To make sure that you are really dealing with mange mites and not something else, please see a vet for a diagnosis and DO NOT home treat on spec. You can make things worse and easily cause unnecessary suffering or even death. There are othert hings that can look similar to mange mites in the early stages.
Preventative treatment: we do no longer recommend this. Very worryingly, the first cases of resistence to ivermectin have been reported in the last couple of years because of overuse. Before ivermectin came on the scene, mange mites could only be managed, not cured; it made for a lot of suffering. We do not want to go there again.
Most guinea pigs have got mites eggs in their skin. These are normally kept in check by a working immune system, so preventative treatment is not necessary. Severe cases usually occur in guinea pigs whose immune system is not yet fully developed (shop babies!), lowered by stress, illness, pregnancy or neglect, or any combination thereof.
