Guinea pig room itching

[Bubble64]

Hi. Not sure if there is a more suitable thread so sorry if there is. This sounds strange but wondering if anyone else has experienced this or has any potential solutions. I have 4 boars that live in 2 separate cages in what I call the guinea pig room. They live on fleece bedding which works well for us. Whenever I go into the room, I get super itchy. In particular my legs. It isn't hay-fever as I have only been having problems for the past 1-2 years. It was fine for ages but now there is dust everywhere in the room, all of their accessories etc are covered in dust and even when I just walk into the room, I get super itchy even when I am not interacting with piggies or hay or anything. And its really a problem bevause it makes daily tasks feel like hell and then have to have a shower after each time I need to see my boys. Also, I've been seeing these small bugs/maybe spiders in the room too. Kind of very small hardly visible black bugs? On soft furnishings and stuff like a sofa that was in there and beanbags that we have now thrown out. Any ideas? Dust mites? I don't know. I was going to build the piggies new cages over summer and so was thinking of mopping floors, ceilings, walls etc. Could that help? I would be greatful for any advice! Thanks.

 

[piggieminder]

The bugs have probably come in with a batch of hay, they could be what's making you itch. I would suggest removing the piggies and thoroughly cleaning the room, get rid of all the dust and vacuum really well. Make sure to empty the vacuum outside and clean out any bugs from the bag/dust container. Replace the piggies in a completely cleaned out cage, washed down with a good vet grade animal disinfectant like F10.
My partner gets itchy if he touches the hay. When I'm away he wears a mask and long sleeves to feed my boars.
Good luck. I hope you feel less itchy soon.

 

[Bubble64]

Thank you. I'm planning on switching from our current hay brand as its also very expensive and switching to the online dustfreehay.co.uk. Hopefully I'm going to remove everything from the room and fully wipe it down, hoover etc. Then build new cages for the room. I'm thinking of bathing one of my piggies maybe more. He always has these small black bits in his fur which now feels kind of thick and just not right. Can guinea pigs have mites that don't seem to move and the guinea pig not scratching constantly? Thank you so much for your reply.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thank you. I'm planning on switching from our current hay brand as its also very expensive and switching to the online dustfreehay.co.uk. Hopefully I'm going to remove everything from the room and fully wipe it down, hoover etc. Then build new cages for the room. I'm thinking of bathing one of my piggies maybe more. He always has these small black bits in his fur which now feels kind of thick and just not right. Can guinea pigs have mites that don't seem to move and the guinea pig not scratching constantly? Thank you so much for your reply.

Please have your piggy seen by a vet for potential hay mite infestation.
Do not bathe your piggy prior to seeing a vet.
They should not be bathed routinely anyway as it is bad for their skin. Piggies only need a bath if there is a medical need ie they are elderly and no longer clean properly, or as part of ringworm treatment.

Black specks stuck on the hair shaft are mites egg casings. Mites themselves are invisible to the human eye so you will never see anything move. All you will be able to see are the egg casings. These are hay mites. They are less of an issue than mange mites and may not always cause itching.
Your piggies, if diagnosed as hay mites , require will a course of ivermectin treatment dosed for their weight, you need to disinfect the cage and throw away all the hay.

New Guinea Pig Problems: Sexing & Pregnancy; URI, Ringworm & Parasites; Vet Checks & Customer Rights

 

[Bubble64]

Thank you. I will definitely book a vet appointment to get them seen. I've never given them a bath before as I know you shouldn't. They also cant clean themselves very well as they are 6 years old now but I will definitely try to get them seen before giving a bath.

 

[Mrs Tiggy Winkle]

They also cant clean themselves very well as they are 6 years old now

I know there are some piggies on the forum who get bum baths for this problem. Tho I don't know exactly how a bum bath is done - whether it is more of a wipe or whether the piggy's bum is placed in a small amount of water?

Anyway still stands I think to try not to bathe piggy before vet's.

I hope the itching lessens soon. I've had various itchy episodes in my life and it's not fun!