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Flea's...?

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leix

leix

Junior Guinea Pig
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Okay so after doing bit research i thought smudge may have flea's.
After doing thread search on here, comments on thread said they cant get flea's?
Yet almost every site ive gone onto has said it is possible, confused.

Anyways, my piggy hair is very greasy, in thick lumps, hard to move. Is covered in dark/black dirty bits, loss of fur and odd red mark.

Ive given her best i can of a bath, got rid of alot of hair, alot of these dirty looking dandruff pieces still not all gone.

I just went my vets yesterday with another piggy as got runny nose/sneezing alot, i cant afford pay out another trip so soon.

Any treatments i could try?

Thank you.
 
You need to see a vet. Please dont have a pet if you cannot pay for one. If you cant afford it maybe try the PDSA? I'm sorry to moan, please dont take it personally.

Sounds more like a skin condition? Piggies dont get fleas. You could try Ivermectin (one type is called Xeno). You can usually get this online, someone should be able to let me know. I cant help much more. Have you got a picture at all?

Once again, sorry to moan.

x.
 
Abi_nurse said:
You need to see a vet. Please dont have a pet if you cannot pay for one. If you cant afford it maybe try the PDSA? I'm sorry to moan, please dont take it personally.

Sounds more like a skin condition? Piggies dont get fleas. You could try Ivermectin (one type is called Xeno). You can usually get this online, someone should be able to let me know. I cant help much more. Have you got a picture at all?

Once again, sorry to moan.

x.
Click to expand...


Sadly, with way everything is in UK at the moment, money is tight.

I am trying to figure something out.

So this information is incorrect?
"Fleas

Ctenocephalides felis (the cat flea) is the most common flea affecting guinea pigs. They usually become infested when another pet in the house brings in the fleas from outside. As in other animals, fleas cause guinea pigs to scratch. Fleas may also cause hair loss (alopecia), crusty lesions on the skin, and even anemia, if the fleas are in high number.

A flea comb can be helpful in finding fleas. Comb the guinea pig and then look for fleas or dark brown granules. These granules are called "flea dirt," which is actually the feces of the flea, and is primarily digested blood. Along with the eggs, the female flea deposits a large amount of feces, which will serve as food for the larvae when they hatch. The flea dirt will dissolve into a red color when moistened."

No i havent got a photo i can try tomorrow, the area that is effected in line up the back.

Thanks for the reply.
 
I'm sorry - I appreciate you have come on here and asked the question out of concern for your animals. However, you also have to understand that this forum concerns itself purely with the welfare of the guinea pig concerned...and NOT it;s owner. So if you feel my reply is a little harsh then I apologise in advance.


1) guinea pigs do not suffer from fleas in the same way as cats and dogs....they may get the "odd flea" from a household that also has cats and dogs bur it doesn't linger

2) it sounds like your piggie has a skin problem - but from your description we can;t say what it is and your piggie needs to see a vet (and maybe have tests) to find out if it is fungal, baceterial or mites/lice as the treatments vary.

3) If you went to the vet yesterday why did you not take this piggie along? Perhaps you weren;t aware, but I always take extra piggies to the vet on a booked appointment as it means I pay a reduced consultancy fee - if at all - for the second pig! (OK it;s cheeky I know - but at least my piggies get seen by the vet without further delay..and my vet understands that I wouldn;t bring an extra pig unless it was important)

4) You have come onto the forum asking for a "quick fix". This forum does not do "quick fixes". If you cannot afford another vets bill can I please suggest that you consider approaching a rescue to hand over your piggie in order for it to receive the proper treatment. As the responsible owner you are legally liable to ensure your pet receives proper vet treatment. From the description you have given, your piggie needs to see a vet NOW and lack of funds" is NOT an excuse acceptable in a court of law. Your piggie needs a proper vet now so please do NOT try and accept hypothetical diagnoses and treatments from people on this forum or any other. If you can tell us whereabouts in the country you are we can recommend some suitable rescues to approach.

x


P.S. I'm sorry to be so harsh - but yesterday I witnessed three rats suffering terribly from skin conditions being handed back in to a pet shop 6 months after they had been adopted......because the owners couldn;t afford vet treatment and had tried to medicate the animals with tea tree creamand didn;t understand that their pets needed a vet. I'm sure they thought they were doing their best.....but to be quite frank, their best was NOT good enough and the animals were suffering terribly.

Your piggie neds a vet..if you can;t afford it, then you need to seriously question whether your pggie's interests would be best served handing it/them over to someone else who can afford proper medical treatment.
 
Out of over 800 rescued pigs that have arrived at here only one pig had one flea, and it was just a single flea - it lived in a house with many cats. As cat fleas are species specific I seriously doubt your pig has fleas, much more likely are mites or lice. You can treat with Xeno 50 or Xeno 450 depending on the weight of your pig. A shampoo in Johnson's insectidal shampoo every week for 3 weeks is another very effective treatment.

Self diagnosing skin conditions is not something for the inexperienced as the wrong treatment can cause more suffering. If you do not qualify for PDSA treatment (council tax benefit is the main criteria from memory) then please get in touch with your local rescue to see if they will check for you. Preferably a vet trip and appropriate treatment is advisable but treatment sooner rather than later is needed.

HTH

Suzy

ETA posted at the same time Pebble, many valid points as usual x
 
Last edited:
Pebble i totally and utterly agree. When i took my Stig to the Vet for his respiratory infection i wasn't caring how much it cost. He isn't my pet he and his buddy Winston are the newest member of our family.
We had to take him to the out of hours vet which cost all in over £96. Would i have left him? Not at all. I would never entertain that idea

Leix, i don't mean to have a go either but everyone here is a Piggie lover. They are number one. You have to think if you had a family member who was suffering you wouldn't leave them. PDSA give them a try.
Money is tight right now i don't think anyone would disagree there. But if you cannot afford them then please consider giving them to someone who can.

Debbie x
 
I'm rather speechless...

I didnt take this piggy as i have 2 girls and 2 boys.

It was boy who needed to go, so i took his pal.
 
I feel for you Leix :( Bad things always happen together, eh? I know it must be an expensive time for you, but you do need to do the best thing for this piggy, and that means getting a vet to check her over. Maybe you could scrape some funds together? Or as others have suggested, contact the PDSA?
 
I know it can be hard to have the money, that must be hard when you know they're sick :(

You could go to the vet and ask them can you buy the Xeno spot on. As in just walk in without your pet and just ask for the spot on. Then it won't cost too much, just a few pounds I'd think, and you don't have to pay a consultation fee, etc. Try that and see if it works, that would work on external parasites.

But it might be some other kind of skin problem. Check out gorgeous guineas website for shampoos that treat fungal problems, if it doesn't clear up after the Xeno spot on.

Hope you find a way to make it better soon, you are trying and that shows you care :)
 
Flea or Dandruff

my boys seems to be scratching a lot but i do not see any patches or any insects when i comb them. the only thing i notice is one of piggy has lots of dandruff on his ears! i try to clean them with a normal tissue which i soak in a water and it help a bit , but i think there is more inside which i cannot able to get rid of as i will hurt him. i will wait a few more days to clean them again. can someone please advice what is wrong with the ears? i am still looking for a vet as it is hard to find one here in a small country, i even have to get the treats and foods in Hongkong as there is only 1 pet shop for small animals here ;(
thank you for any help.
 
The most likely problem your piggies have is mites. You should be able to buy a product that contains ivermectin that is made for rodents. If you cannot find it in the shop, buy it online. Give 3 treatments, 10 days between each treatment. Treat all your pigs and clean & disinfect the cages each time you give the treatment.

This is a good one to buy online.
[ame]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Monster-Pet-Supplies-Xeno-Spot/dp/B003XVT1Y4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1307094616&sr=8-3[/ame]

HTH

Suzy x
 
If you're in receipt of housing benefit or council tax benefit, you are eligable for treatment by the PDSA. Take a look here http://www.pdsa.org.uk/pdsa-vet-care/eligibility/

Alternatively, if you aren't in recepit of these benefits, call your local RSPCA vet clinic, and see if they can help - normally if you can provide proof of financial hardship (e.g. a current bank statement), they will be able to help.

You can't let poor piggy suffer because you can't afford vet treatment - there is help out there
 
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