Thanks I've taken them to the vets 8 weeks ago said they were mites. And treated them every 2 weeks with Xeno 450. But it hasn't worked.
I've taken
Hi!
Please be aware that there are several varieties of mites, and that you and your vet also need to check whether it is just skin flakes from dry skin or mild fungal.
- mange mites: no visible to the naked eye; the egg cases are buried in the skin, which becomes very inflamed, itchy and painful in an acute outbreak. Hair breaks off and typically a guinea pig develops a v-shaped blad patch in the middle of the back which then gets bigger, but mites can also break out in other places. Mange mites are the most painful of the skin parasites guinea pigs can come down with, and they can kill when not treated or being undertreated. Mange mites need to be treated with a high dosed good quality ivermectin or selamectin product; not the low dosed broad spectrum brands you get from a pet shop, which only contribute to developing resistence. Most guinea pigs have got mange mite eggs in their skin, which are usually kept under control by a fully working immune system. At risk of an acute outbreak are the very young, old, weak/ill or stressed.
However, this is not what you are up against.
Guinea Lynx :: Mange Mites
- hay/fur mites (sometimes also confusingly called static lice). The lay their egg cases typically on hairs on the bum end. You can see and feel them. hay mites themselves are very small, but can just about be seen by the naked eye. They are the more harmless of the guinea pig parasites. Ivermectin is often not quite effective against them, as it works through the skin. A lice shampoo may help.
You can find a picture how fur mite eggs look via this link here:
Guinea Lynx :: Fur Mites
- Walking dandruff: rare! This is a slightly larger mite that can jump over onto guinea pigs from other pet species; it looks like walking dandruff. It is very irritating and you will see a reaction to it.
- Lice: pale bug that move on the body. They need either ivermectin or lice shampoo. Sometimes they can be hard to shift. Another bug that is usually fairly well controlled/fended off by a working immune system, but can hit badly with the weak, ill or neglected.
