Hi guys
We went to a rescue today to find Ron a new buddy. He loved them all so I picked the biggest, squeakiest one for him ❤ the lady at the rescue said to bring all my pigs back in 6 weeks and she will put drops on their back and neck to worm them. I've tried searching the site and can't find any info. Do people normally do this? I've never heard of it before.
Thank you
Hi!
Well kept indoors/shed/hutch guinea pigs that come under cover in winter do not need worming.
In fact, we have seen less than a handful cases where worms have been suspected and only a couple of cases where worms have been actually confirmed in over a decade on this forum with well over 10,000 piggies passing through. That should give you a bit of an idea why we have stopped recommending regular worming in conjunction with an increasing number of people keeping guinea pigs as indoors pets where they are generally less likely to pick up problems and you have more interaction and fun with them.
Not putting your piggies out on a damp, cold lawn will also go a long way to prevent problems.
On a good diet and care like we recommend on this forum, digestive problems are also not as common as they used be. Worming (for other reasons than worms) should be suggested by a vet only if conventional treatment has not worked.
Please also be aware that healthy guinea pigs are perfectly able to keep any mange mite eggs in their skin under the control of a fully working immune system. Long term low ivermectin dosages cannot necessarily prevent an acute outbreak in a piggy with a lowered immune system but can lead in the longer term to developing resistance to it. Since ivermectin and selamectin are the only active substances that kill mites, having reports of developing resistance is very worrying.
It is better to hit them hard with a good quality full-on ivermectin course once your vet has confirmed a mites outbreak; then you can be sure that it actually works.
What to check and look out for in new guinea pigs (vet checks, sexing, parasites&illness)
Both practices are frankly rather outdated breeder practices that have not proven to be necessary in good pet keeping care; that is why you won't find much information on places like our forum.
However, it speaks for the rescue that they offer ongoing health checks; it means that they are serious about the health of their adopted piggies.
We can guarantee good practice at every stage of the process only for our carefully vetted recommended good standard rescues where we look at all stages of the rehoming process and time in rescue, but not for any other rescues.
Like with breeders, anybody can call themselves a rescue in the English speaking world without licence and control, and the results can be accordingly with any shade in between the two ends or intermingling of the breeding/rescuing side, unfortunately. It can be rather a minefield to navigate.
Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues
PS: You may find our new owners guides collection very helpful; we are tackling all the areas we get the most questions and worries about; providing information to learn what is normal and not and how to monitor health/spot illness early on as well as important housing, diet, care and enrichment information etc. which we try to keep as up to date as possible. The guides are as practical and precise as we can make them.
Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides
the lady at the rescue said to bring all my pigs back in 6 weeks and she will put drops on their back and neck to worm them. I've tried searching the site and can't find any info. Do people normally do this? I've never heard of it before. 
