Help needed! Mites and no vet available...

[Pigs_in_France]

Hi

Sorry if this has been covered before, I don't have time to search - my family of pigs are ill, and I need help as soon as possible!

I live in the middle of the French countryside - our nearest vet doesn't do guinea pigs - that's the countryside for you!

She recommended a vet some 300kms away, and it seems from a 'Net search that there is no-one else nearer.

I said all that because I don't want anyone to think I'm irresponsible by not visiting a vet - I really don't have the opportunity.


I have a family of four pigs - mother, father and two baby girls of about 8 weeks.

The father is now separate from the mother and girls, and shows no symptoms - but the ladies have mites... one baby died last night, and I really don't want to lose any more.

Actually - that baby has been ill for some time, but we didn't know what it was until last night when the symptoms became easier to look up on the 'Net.


I have managed to order some Ivermectin from a UK supplier - but that will take five or six days to arrive...



So, my question is, is there something I can do in the meantime to help these creatures out?



Thank you.


Andy

 

[starla]

Sorry to hear that. The girls (even the babies) might be pregnant if the father has been in with them.

Mites are caused by stress so it's possible the stress of having the male chase them has brought it on.

You do need the ivermectin to treat, if you can get a vet in France to send you the ivermectin you could try that.

For the meantime you could try Gorgeous Guineas, which offers lots of natural soothing products. If you email Chrissie, who runs it, she will be able to suggest things. However, none of these will kill any actual mites, they will just soothe.

If a guinea has died from the mites already it sounds very serious. Is there no where in France you can get Ivermectin?

 

[MemberY]

Mites can kill eventually but the pigs would have had to have them for quite a long time.
Are you sure it is mites? Are all the females affected? Typically, with mites, the itching, scabbing and hairloss occurs around the rump. Ivermectin is the only cure for mites, as you have already ordered some, all you can do is wait until it arrives. A soothing cream intended for nappy rash may suffice for the time being, sudocrem or kamilosan are two examples.

A fungal infection is another possibilty and sometimes guineas can have both at the same time.

http://www.gorgeousguineas.com/documents/Skincare%20and%20Environmental%20Matters.pdf

http://www.gorgeousguineas.com/indentification.html

http://www.oginet.com/pgurney/skinp.htm

 

[Pigs_in_France]

Firstly - thanks for the replies... seems I may have no alternative than to wait then.

The girls (even the babies) might be pregnant if the father has been in with them.

Mites are caused by stress so it's possible the stress of having the male chase them has brought it on.

The father is now separate from the mother and girls...

Perhaps I should have said that we separated them at the specified four weeks old.

If a guinea has died from the mites already it sounds very serious. Is there no where in France you can get Ivermectin?

Again, I don't want people to think me irresponsible...

These are our first guinea pigs, and we are learning a lot about them... We knew there was a slight problem, and then we found more and more patches on the skin and fur... but those symptoms aren't enough to get a good response from Google...

We needed the other things that happened yesterday (dehydration, fitting, etc) - in the last few hours of her life - before we could really get a grip on what was wrong.



Sudocrem, I have... so maybe we'll try a bit of that.

Other than that, we have bought cucumber, carrots and peppers as it seems these are good sources of vitamin C for them - and I gather the cucumber helps guard against dehydration too...



Thanks again


Andy

 

[Pigs_in_France]

Mites are caused by stress so it's possible the stress of having the male chase them has brought it on.

Missed that... how can they be "caused" by stress? Surely the mite is there or it isn't?

The animals are housed in what is basically a big room. In there is a huge (for guinea pigs anyway) outdoor style pig-run... the ladies are inside the run, and the father is outside.

He can get nose to nose with the ladies... but not back to back - if you get my meaning!

I wonder why he shows no symptoms... does he have less stress than the ladies?

I'm a man and a father... what do I know about stress? Does the guinea pig father feel the same?



A

 

[MemberY]

All guineas have mites but usually in such small numbers that it doesnt cause a problem.

There are various reasons why they might become a problem, these could be stress (from giving birth, illness, cold, fighting etc). The guineas immune system is lowered and the mites proliferate causing intense irritation, hair loss, etc until the guinea fits from the pain. The fits can then cause a heart attack.

I would recommend you put together a guinea first aid kit once you are over the mites problem, we can advise what to put in it so if your guineas have an illness, you may be more prepared so you can help them.

 

[starla]

OK, so you left the father in with mum and babies until 4 weeks old?

We don't think you're irresponsible, we're not here to judge anyone, but if we ask lots of questions it's to try and help

If the father is so far showing no signs he might be ok. Just keep an eye on him.

And as LJ said, mites are always on the guinea. I would agree with putting together a first aid kit.