Guineapig suddenly lost a patch of fur

[X3littlepiggiesx]

First of all, my 4 guineapigs have hay mites or *static lice* these do not cause any harm or hair loss and most guineapigs carry these.
I bathe them with medicated shampoo and give them ivermectin behind the ear to help keep numbers of lice down.

One of my girls (juno) has suddenly got a bold patch, literally as i picked her up it fell out, i didnt tug at her. There is no redness, no scabs nothing just a bald patch,
could it be hormonal? She is rather chunky.
I put cream on her incase it was itchy or anything.

Juno is the guineapig that likes to barber everyone elses hair in the group, so maybe this is just karma for her

 

[Lady Kelly]

I don't understand your post completely as there are incorrect statements made. Mites and lice are two different conditions, both are irritating and itchy for the pigs and cause bald patches, often as a result of scratching.
If you are treating with ivermectin products and the problem is ongoing rather than resolved then you need to see a vet as this indicates that the product you are using is either not strong enough to deal with the infestation, not being used often enough to deal with the infestation or that you are not dealing with mites or lice.
From the photos you have uploaded I cannot see the telltale dusting around the bum of hay mite egg casings, have you seen lice moving on your piggy?

 

[X3littlepiggiesx]

I have been to the vets multiple times and they agree its just hay mites ive looked at them under microscope and agree, they are creepy little things! Nothing seems to work bathing them out has worked the best for me as it keeps the numbers down, any advise? Tried so many products also i can attatch a photo of her specific place where the mites stay on her but i just bathed her so they might not show , they are tiny brown specks near my finger

 

[X3littlepiggiesx]

I don't understand your post completely as there are incorrect statements made. Mites and lice are two different conditions, both are irritating and itchy for the pigs and cause bald patches, often as a result of scratching.
If you are treating with ivermectin products and the problem is ongoing rather than resolved then you need to see a vet as this indicates that the product you are using is either not strong enough to deal with the infestation, not being used often enough to deal with the infestation or that you are not dealing with mites or lice.
From the photos you have uploaded I cannot see the telltale dusting around the bum of hay mite egg casings, have you seen lice moving on your piggy?

i know the lice are

I don't understand your post completely as there are incorrect statements made. Mites and lice are two different conditions, both are irritating and itchy for the pigs and cause bald patches, often as a result of scratching.
If you are treating with ivermectin products and the problem is ongoing rather than resolved then you need to see a vet as this indicates that the product you are using is either not strong enough to deal with the infestation, not being used often enough to deal with the infestation or that you are not dealing with mites or lice.
From the photos you have uploaded I cannot see the telltale dusting around the bum of hay mite egg casings, have you seen lice moving on your piggy?

I know for sure the lice are Chirodiscoides something, only guineapigs get them and they dont harm the pig just eat the dandruff in the fur.

 

[Lady Kelly]

i know the lice are

I know for sure the lice are Chirodiscoides something, only guineapigs get them and they dont harm the pig just eat the dandruff in the fur.

Lice are biting insects that live off fluid not off loose skin Guinea Lynx :: Lice anyway your vet has confirmed you are dealing with mites not with lice so that's really not a relevant point.

What treatment did your vet prescribe and how often did you need to give it?

 

[X3littlepiggiesx]

Lice are biting insects that live off fluid not off loose skin Guinea Lynx :: Lice anyway your vet has confirmed you are dealing with mites not with lice so that's really not a relevant point.

What treatment did your vet prescribe and how often did you need to give it?

 

[X3littlepiggiesx]

They did ivermectin shots, which i hated so i changed to a new vet, old vet wasnt good woth small pets. New vet just advised o bathe them every so often , i know for that type of mite youve to bathe every week for 4 weeks ive heard to efectivly get rid of them, tried it many times.
Also i spray the cage every time i clean it with a lice, mite, external parasite spray thay is safe for guineapigs from small pet select

 

[Lady Kelly]

They did ivermectin shots, which i hated so i changed to a new vet, old vet wasnt good woth small pets. New vet just advised o bathe them every so often , i know for that type of mite youve to bathe every week for 4 weeks ive heard to efectivly get rid of them, tried it many times.
Also i spray the cage every time i clean it with a lice, mite, external parasite spray thay is safe for guineapigs from small pet select

I would have stuck with the injections as they are faster acting. I'm not aware of ivermectin shampoos (ivermectin being the only thing that will get rid of the mites) what product are you using? I have always had either the injections or a proper strength spot on (shop purchase ones are too low dose to stop the infestation and can help to build resistance).

When you first found the mites did you bin their hay and source something new to stop them getting new infestations from the same source?

 

[X3littlepiggiesx]

Lice are biting insects that live off fluid not off loose skin Guinea Lynx :: Lice anyway your vet has confirmed you are dealing with mites not with lice so that's really not a relevant point.

What treatment did your vet prescribe and how often did you need to give it?

The vet didnt confirm what thwy were they jusy agreed with me that they tjink they are , hay mites , as she couldnt get a good view of them they are so tiny, she didnt do a tape test or anytjing to look at them so ive done it myself multiple times and compared the little things to images online and agree they look identicle to the *hay mites* ive seen 2 different vets ofices and 3 vets about them and they just inject ivermectin which is horrible for the pig and doesnt seem to change the mites, as they sit on the fur and eat dead skin not bite the pig

 

[X3littlepiggiesx]

I would have stuck with the injections as they are faster acting. I'm not aware of ivermectin shampoos (ivermectin being the only thing that will get rid of the mites) what product are you using? I have always had either the injections or a proper strength spot on (shop purchase ones are too low dose to stop the infestation and can help to build resistance).

When you first found the mites did you bin their hay and source something new to stop them getting new infestations from the same source?

Used spot ons many times the xeno brand which the vet said to try, again nothing changed

 

[X3littlepiggiesx]

Ive switched hay aswel amd was feeding thwm small pet select hay for a while but i cant afford it now, so i feed them meadow hay which they prefer way more than timothy, my dad suggested soaking the hay over night before feeding? Havent tried it tho, might help

 

[Lady Kelly]

No don't soak the hay. The xeno treatment that you say didn't make a difference. Did you use it as a one off or as part of a course of treatment?

What shampoo are you bathing them with?

 

[X3littlepiggiesx]

Used the xeno as a course, think for 2 weeks , sorry it was ages ago so i dont remember clearly, shampoos ive used are , goreous guineas lice and easy shampoo, johnsons insectisisal shampoo and insectisidal sprays i use on their butts once a week or so just to keep numbers down. Feel like washing them out works the best as theres a million lice/mites in the bottom of the water after i bathe , also i found better images on google that arent mine, but show it better

 

[Wiebke]

i know the lice are

I know for sure the lice are Chirodiscoides something, only guineapigs get them and they dont harm the pig just eat the dandruff in the fur.

Hi!

Chirodiscoides caviae are mites. Unfortunately because only the eggs are visible they used to be incorrectly called static lice, which can cause confusion. Guinea pigs have only got one variety of lice (in the olden days labelled as running lice).
New piggy problems: URI - ringworm - skin parasites

Any full course of ivermectin or selamectin treatment consists of three applications at the brand specific interval (with xeno that is treatment every 2 weeks). In persistent cases, it can take 4 rounds.

Is your vet willing to try stronghold (UK; prescription only) or revolution (US)? It is selamectin and not ivermectin based and can help with hay mites (chirodiscoides). Do not use any pet shop strength ivermectin as that is too low dosed to be effective. Unfortunately some strains of hay mites can be very resistant to treatment.
The only piggy I ever had with hay mites (he came with them) was successfully treated with stronghold injections by my vet.
Guinea Lynx :: Mange Mites

Please change your hay brand. Hay mites have only become a real problem in recent years after the import of mass produced and industrially harvested international brand hay; their large scale harvesting method means that the soil is churned up a lot more when the hay is picked up.
A Comprehensive Hay Guide for Guinea Pigs (incl. providers in several countries)

 

[Lady Kelly]

Yes the photos show egg casings. Fur mites are too small to be seen by the naked eye.

My lot have previously been treated with the appropriate strength ivermectin product (usually xeno) at weekly intervals for 3 weeks to ensure all eggs that hatch are killed off. Did you treat all your piggies?

I was going to tag Wiebke but I see she has already commented

 

[X3littlepiggiesx]

Hi!

Chirodiscoides caviae are mites. Unfortunately because only the eggs are visible they used to be incorrectly called static lice, which can cause confusion. Guinea pigs have only got one variety of lice (in the olden days labelled as running lice).
New piggy problems: URI - ringworm - skin parasites

Is your vet willing to try stronghold (UK; prescription only) or revolution (US)? It is selamectin and not ivermectin based and can help with hay mites (chirodiscoides). Do not use any pet shop strength ivermectin as that is too low dosed to be effective. Unfortunately some strains of hay mites can be very resistant to treatment.
The only piggy I ever had with hay mites (he came with them) was successfully treated with stronghold injections by my vet.
Guinea Lynx :: Mange Mites

Please change your hay brand. Hay mites have only become a real problem in recent years after the import of mass produced and industrially harvested international brand hay; their large scale harvesting method means that the soil is churned up a lot more when the hay is picked up.
A Comprehensive Hay Guide for Guinea Pigs (incl. providers in several countries)

Thankyou for letting me know, what hay do you recomend? My guineapigs first got these mites when i bought my 2 boys back in 2018, ive had pigs way before then but anyway,
Got my boys and all was fine but they spread the mites to my elder pig at the time, thays when i noticed it was a problem (didnt tjink much of the lice when i saw them on the new pigs) got my boys neutred at a year old and got them female companions, as my elded pig had passed , then all my pigs had the lice, ive been treating them since i first saw them in my boys and they never left, got a baby pig and she has them to as she caught them from the group. Hate these lice! They never bother the pigs at all they never scratch at them or anything so i dont knkw what to do

 

[X3littlepiggiesx]

Yes the photos show egg casings. Fur mites are too small to be seen by the naked eye.

My lot have previously been treated with the appropriate strength ivermectin product (usually xeno) at weekly intervals for 3 weeks to ensure all eggs that hatch are killed off. Did you treat all your piggies?

I was going to tag Wiebke but I see she has already commented

All piggies treated at the same time yes

 

[Wiebke]

Thankyou for letting me know, what hay do you recomend? My guineapigs first got these mites when i bought my 2 boys back in 2018, ive had pigs way before then but anyway,
Got my boys and all was fine but they spread the mites to my elder pig at the time, thays when i noticed it was a problem (didnt tjink much of the lice when i saw them on the new pigs) got my boys neutred at a year old and got them female companions, as my elded pig had passed , then all my pigs had the lice, ive been treating them since i first saw them in my boys and they never left, got a baby pig and she has them to as she caught them from the group. Hate these lice! They never bother the pigs at all they never scratch at them or anything so i dont knkw what to do

Have a look at the hay guide! I get my locally produced hay from an independent local pet shop.

 

[X3littlepiggiesx]

Ive tried so many hays, its probably impossible to know if a hay has the mites in? As they are so small? Mine prefer meadow hay and always leave timothy hay when i feed them small pet select hay. Its wierd. Think the brand i use mostly is *woodlands meadow hay* and i used pets at home brand as they love it! Havent been able to get hold of any since I'm on lock down

 

[Siikibam]

Are you anywhere near any farms that sell hay? Otherwise if you’re in the UK there are several sites that people order from, and their prices are reasonable.

 

[X3littlepiggiesx]

Yes but they all do silage and not hay, ive looked online alot also, ill keep looking

 

[Siikibam]

Sorry I don’t understand your message!

 

[X3littlepiggiesx]

Havent found any farms near me that sell hay i meant, sorry for the confusion

 

[Wiebke]

Ive tried so many hays, its probably impossible to know if a hay has the mites in? As they are so small? Mine prefer meadow hay and always leave timothy hay when i feed them small pet select hay. Its wierd. Think the brand i use mostly is *woodlands meadow hay* and i used pets at home brand as they love it! Havent been able to get hold of any since I'm on lock down

Hi!

The Hay Box is currently the online provider most recommended by forum members. You may be facing a wait due to the volume of orders, though. It is listed in the green hay guide link in my first post.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

The Hay Box is currently the online provider most recommended by forum members. You may be facing a wait due to the volume of orders, though. It is listed in the green hay guide link in my first post.

PS: Most farms sell silage and most equine providers sell second cut hay, whereas small pets should be fed first cut hay. That is where the independent UK online hay providers come in.
I am in the lucky position to get local first cut meadow hay via a local independent pet shop but that is an exception rather than the rule.

 

[AMMAH]

Hi!

The Hay Box is currently the online provider most recommended by forum members. You may be facing a wait due to the volume of orders, though. It is listed in the green hay guide link in my first post.

I'm getting my first Hay Box delivery on Monday as I was worried about pet shops selling out. I ordered on 20th so it will have taken 10 days - I guess that's a guide as more people might have ordered since the lock down.

 

[Siikibam]

You can also try timothyhay dot co dot uk. I ordered and they warned of a delay. But I received it within about a week.