Excessive Biting/scratching- Possible Parasite.

[Beans&Toast]

I've noticed for about a week now Beans has green/yellow marks at her bum from her using her mouth to scratch (it's very obvious as she's mostly all white) I wasn't too worried because she wasn't obsessively scratching it was just occasional. But I've noticed today she's really pulling hard at her fur and it's constant, it's mostly near her bum but she's doing it in other parts too. I've had a good look at her skin and there's no redness or broken skin/blood.

I phoned the vet this evening who has managed to fit me in for tomorrow morning to have it seen to, but based on what I told him he said it sounds like either parasites or it could be hormonal.
He couldn't answer too many questions over the phone as he hasn't seen Beans yet, so what does he mean by hormonal?

And lastly, is there anything I can do just now to ease things for Beans until she's seen tomorrow morning? She doesn't seem like she's in pain, but whatever it is must be irritating her because she's constantly scratching now

 

[Adelle]

I'm assuming he means ovarian issues but the fact she is scratching means she is itchy, so more likely to be a skin issue than hormonal. If she was only biting and pulling then it could indicate pain internally, but itchyness is good in a way!

Hopefully she gets a diagnosis tomorrow and you get some treatment x

 

[Beans&Toast]

I'm assuming he means ovarian issues but the fact she is scratching means she is itchy, so more likely to be a skin issue than hormonal. If she was only biting and pulling then it could indicate pain internally, but itchyness is good in a way!

Hopefully she gets a diagnosis tomorrow and you get some treatment x

Thanks! So if she was having ovarian issues she would be biting due to pain? There's 2 spots she's doing it the most, either side of her bum. But she's also using her feet to scratch her sides and biting under her front paws..

Should I take Toast as well to check if she has any mites? Although I haven't seen her scratching at all, well, just the normal amount...

 

[Guinea pig slave]

Is there any thinning of hair in the areas Beans is scratching at ?
Certainly sounds like something is irritating her - ovarian issues normally manifest with hair thinning/loss on the flanks/sides so at a guess would say she may have mites. It wouldn't hurt to take Toast along as well to be on the safe side
Easily treated by your vet with Ivermectin over a 3 week period.
Good luck and keep us posted

 

[Adelle]

Thanks! So if she was having ovarian issues she would be biting due to pain? There's 2 spots she's doing it the most, either side of her bum. But she's also using her feet to scratch her sides and biting under her front paws..

Should I take Toast as well to check if she has any mites? Although I haven't seen her scratching at all, well, just the normal amount...

Well ovarian issues can cause hormonal hair loss which would be just thinning/balding of the hair with no itchiness or skin issues. However, any growths or cysts on the ovaries can cause pain in the abdomen, which can cause a piggy to bite/pull at the hair externally in that area. However that can be said for any internal issue causing pain.

The fact she is itchy points more to a skin complaint and this is probably just mites or early fungal.

Even if it was something else, treating for a skin complaint is usually the first port of call.

Try and not worry :-)

 

[Beans&Toast]

Is there any thinning of hair in the areas Beans is scratching at ?
Certainly sounds like something is irritating her - ovarian issues normally manifest with hair thinning/loss on the flanks/sides so at a guess would say she may have mites. It wouldn't hurt to take Toast along as well to be on the safe side
Easily treated by your vet with Ivermectin over a 3 week period.
Good luck and keep us posted

Thank you. No there's no hair loss, just green/yellow stains. I'm hoping it is just mites. Although I don't know how she would have got them, I'm obsessively clean, their fleece is changed every 2 days and I change their hay 2-3 times a day so it's never dirty

 

[Beans&Toast]

Well ovarian issues can cause hormonal hair loss which would be just thinning/balding of the hair with no itchiness or skin issues. However, any growths or cysts on the ovaries can cause pain in the abdomen, which can cause a piggy to bite/pull at the hair externally in that area. However that can be said for any internal issue causing pain.

The fact she is itchy points more to a skin complaint and this is probably just mites or early fungal.

Even if it was something else, treating for a skin complaint is usually the first port of call.

Try and not worry :-)

Are mites visable to the naked eye, because I can't see anything on her skin at all. Is there a specific way of knowing if it's mites or do they just treat for mites if there's lots of itching?

 

[Guinea pig slave]

I'm paranoid about cleanliness too and have still had piggies with mites so it's nothing to do with your cleaning skills so don't be hard on yourself
I routinely treat mine every 3 months as a prevention.
See what your vet says, Beans may just have sensitive skin - a change of washing powder, hay etc. can cause itching - process of elimination so please don't worry

 

[Wiebke]

Are mites visable to the naked eye, because I can't see anything on her skin at all. Is there a specific way of knowing if it's mites or do they just treat for mites if there's lots of itching?

Mange mites are not visible to the naked eye. Please do not treat on spec and see what your vet is saying. If it is mange mites, then you will need to treat at aleast three rounds with a good quality ivermectin product at the product specific interval.
Mange mites or fungal are the most likely contenders, but sometimes the pain from growing ovarian cysts or arthtirtis etc can lead to self-barbering. it is important that you know what you are up against before you treat. Please do not use low dosed pet shop products.

 

[Beans&Toast]

Funny you mention hay because last week I got a bag of hay from the same place I always do except this time, after I had used it a couple times, I noticed lots of bird feathers in it and had to take it back. Could this possibly be the cause?

I've heard people saying they treat as a preventative measure and others say not to... do you feel it's beneficial?

 

[Beans&Toast]

Mange mites are not visible to the naked eye. Please do not treat on spec and see what your vet is saying. If it is mange mites, then you will need to treat at aleast three rounds with a good quality ivermectin product at the product specific interval.
Mange mites or fungal are the most likely contenders, but sometimes the pain from growing ovarian cysts or arthtirtis etc can lead to self-barbering. it is important that you know what you are up against before you treat. Please do not use low dosed pet shop products.

Thank you. I'd never use any pet shop creams or anything (thanks to the advice on this site I know better) I was considering giving her a bath but I thought it's better to leave her as she is until the vet sees her tomorrow. I'm hoping it's just mites as, although she's using her mouth, she's not actually pulling out hair, just scratching with her teeth if that makes sense..

 

[Swissgreys]

Thank you. I'd never use any pet shop creams or anything (thanks to the advice on this site I know better) I was considering giving her a bath but I thought it's better to leave her as she is until the vet sees her tomorrow. I'm hoping it's just mites as, although she's using her mouth, she's not actually pulling out hair, just scratching with her teeth if that makes sense..

Maybe she is hungry, and is trying to tell you to go outside and get her more fresh grass

But seriously I hope it goes well with the vet tomorrow and the solution is a simple one.
My kids love Beans

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you. I'd never use any pet shop creams or anything (thanks to the advice on this site I know better) I was considering giving her a bath but I thought it's better to leave her as she is until the vet sees her tomorrow. I'm hoping it's just mites as, although she's using her mouth, she's not actually pulling out hair, just scratching with her teeth if that makes sense..

If there is a chance that skin parasites or fungal are involved, it is always better to not bathe or treat topically (on the skin) because that is going to make any diagnosis so much more difficult for your vet. It is like cleaning the crime scene; it can also mean that your vet may be able to treat immediately.

 

[Beans&Toast]

Just back from the vets with Beans.
As usual she showed me up by running up my neck and hiding in my jacket when the vet tried to have a look at her

He had a good look/feel of her, watched her running about on the floor and he's happy it's nothing sinister. He took a skin scraping to check for mites, which he is pretty certain it is, especially as I mentioned I have been bit my something a few times now (I have lots of trees and plants right outside my window).

He's going to phone in an hour or so once he knows which type of parasite it is so he can prescribe the right type of medication, which I've to give to Toast as well.

It's not great, but I'm so glad it's nothing serious and it's treatable

 

[Beans&Toast]

He mentioned the treatment would either be Ivermectin or another one beginning with P, can't remember the name...

Does anyone who's uses these know roughly how much I should expect to pay for a 3-4 week course for 2 pigs?

 

[helen105281]

My Maud does that, the vet always has to fish her out of my hood or down the back of Ross' fleece (that was Simon Maddock who had to do that lol).

Could it be Permethrin?

Mine had injectable Ivermectin a few weeks back and it was about £8 for each injection. My vets seem quite cheap though and am sure they sometimes give us special deals.

 

[Beans&Toast]

Permethrin that's it
Does the injection cost more than the topical one?

Both Toast and Beans both do that at the vets, so embarrassing trying to pull them out from my neck or my jacket, they're like toddlers having a tantrum

 

[Beans&Toast]

Just off the phone to the vet, he's examined the skin scraping and it's skin mites Beans has. Been prescribed Xeno... something?
Should I be washing them? Or just leave them as they are and just use the Ivermectin? Also, is this something that they'd need Loxicome for? Or are mites not painful?

 

[Zerlina]

Can't offer any advice, just to say guinea pigs are gorgeous but I never knew they'd be such hard work! Didn't you have one visit the vets last week as well? Good luck with the treatment; hope it all goes well!

 

[Beans&Toast]

Yeah I've had a lot of issues with my 2, since March I've spent £1200 on vet bills/medication.

They're just such fragile little things aren't they, so many health problems! That's why they fit in well in my house