• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Fleas

Status
Not open for further replies.

PiggyOinkOink

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Feb 21, 2014
Messages
401
Reaction score
187
Points
340
Location
London, UK
Since my piggy was sick and recuperated from the RSPCA Harmsworth Hospital I have noticed he has been itching noticeably more than usual and also the others in other cages are too. I know they itch but this seems a little more frequent. When I took him for the emergency vet some woman came in with her dog who had scratched hair off from his head and had bloody wounds and she said he had fleas and that's what the cause was and why she came in. I am guessing this would have been a helpful source of infection to all the animals that were in the same area :(

I had sprayed the normal monthly maintenance dose of Xeno 200 (1 spray per 100g) but maybe this is not enough? When a piggy is like 735g, I just spray 7 times as I don't want to risk an overdose, but what is the recommended thing to do with this?

Today I noticed a few tiny flies in the area of one of the cages so I am hoping it's not fly strike or something. Is flystrike something all flies are capable of or only particular ones?

Would the Xeno 200 monthly doses be a good enough preventative to fleas/mites/flystrike?
 
It is usually blow flies, but piggies can get fly strike the same as rabbits. Please check their bums regularly. :(

With the current very humid and warm weather, fungal complaints can also become an issue with guinea pigs, especially older ones and those with a lowered immune system. if the itching is getting worse, it may be useful to have him checked for fungal or discuss with your vet whether you want to do a proper full dose course of ivermectin.
 
Yes I have noticed there are much more flies flying around my flat this year. I imagine it's because of the piggies poo and pee but I try to kill every single one I see. I am going to get an electric fly killer and swat too just to do the most I can. I will keep an eye on their bums as I trimmed them all recently so there is easier access for any pesky flies. I have also been bitten twice this year, once by a spider and then probably a mosquito and it has swollen up which has never happened to me before. The spider bite persisted for about 5-6 weeks and I was getting lots of itching in my elbow region for all this time. Amazing how such small things can have such a reaction.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top