Dark Bits In Fur?

[Gem789]

Hi all.
I noticed today when I got baby pig out she was malting a lot but also had dark specks in her fur.Could this be dirt?
I've tried taking a couple of pictures to show you.

 

[Adelle]

Hi!

Hair shedding is normal. It's impossible to say if the black specks are just dirt or wether it is from a parasite or fungus.

Give her a brush to get rid of the lose hair and blow on her coat to blow away any possible hay dust.

Any signs of scratching, biting at her skin over the weekend or any sores on her skin, best have her checked by a vet next week.

Al the best x

 

[Wiebke]

Have her checked for fur/hay mites for confirmation (regular hours will do perfectly, as fur mites are the least bothersome of the skin parasites that guinea pigs can get). Hopefully, they are just skin flakes.

There seems to be a bit of an issue this year with shop bought hay.
Usually hay mite egg cases stuck to hairs at the back end (which is what you are seeing, not the mites) are bit larger and come typically with untreated farmer's hay in autumn, but we've had enquiries all year now with similar pictures from people using imported pet shop hay.
These smaller ones here are more noticeable in lighter fur and more difficult to shift than the usual, so you and your vet may consider a dual approach with ivermectin and lice baths if he thinks that it is fur mites. Please be aware that you need to wait 48 hours after each topical application before you can treat the skin again.

 

[Mackers]

We've had hay mites already this year. Classic symptoms with the egg cases stuck to the skin and a lot of scratching. I couldn't actually see the lice themselves - just the egg cases. Two baths, one week apart in Flea or Die shampoo did the trick (as well as washing everything in their cage at at least 60 degrees and disinfecting the remainder of the cage.