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Help - Rohan Keeps Twitching

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Drezella

Drezella

Adult Guinea Pig
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Hi, I'm worrying again lol, I need some advice ...

I've noticed a couple of slight changes in my boar Rohan's behaviour. The day before yesterday during cuddle time with my mum, my mum said that Rohan tried to nip her. He also tried this with me yesterday when I was holding him. I'm not sure whether this is related to the twitching (which I'll get to in a minute) or not, or whether it's just his way of saying I don't want to be picked up mum/ ive had enough now mum. He has also started rumbling occasionally when being held and grinding his teeth when being stroked.

Anyway this evening (Sunday) during cuddle time I noticed that Rohan kept twitching his head after I had stroked him. He seemed fairly relaxed when I was holding him apart from the twitching, and he is eating, drinking and going to the loo as normal. He twitched his head about 8 times before he stopped. Then once I put him back in the cage he did it again several times, he also jumped up in the air a bit as though popcorning and twitched, then he turned around and tried to itch himself with his teeth. He has also been scratching a bit more than usual as well but not excessively.

The boys went for a vets check up about 1-2 weeks ago, and they were checked for fleas/mites/parasits etc and he vet said that they didn't have any and were in good health. Do you think that he could have caught any fleas/ mites since from the hay? Or do you think it could be something else? I've never seen him do this before to this extent, he and Paddy both normally have the odd scratch whilst in the cage but I'm not sure why Rohan was twitching whilst being held/when put back in the cage.

I have bought some Beaphar flea and mite treatment drops for rabbits/guinea pigs/ ferrets and rats. It tells you what dosage per weight to give. Do you think it's worth putting a pipettes full of that on Rohan to see if it's fleas?

Thanks in advance :)
 
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Guinea pigs don't have species specific flies, but they can get ear mites and mange mites as well as fungal. I would strongly recommend to have his ears checked if the twithcing and head shaking is still there tomorrow morning or getting more pronounced rather than treating on spec, especially in case it is the onset of an ear infection.

Low dosed broad spectrum shop products like you have bought are geared for the prevention of, but not the effective treatment of skin parasites and will only make things worse instead of better, especially as a vet will have it wait until it has worn off before you can use the appropriate products. :(
 
I haven't put any Flea drops on him, I thought I'd wait for advice first. I'll not put any on for the time being and see how he goes on.

I also forgot to mention that he has started to rumble (make an unhappy noise) when I'm holding him and grind his teeth, is it possible that he just doesn't like having his head and ears touched and the twitching was due to that, or do you think it's more likely to be an infection? I've looked at his ears and they'd seem normal there's no signs of any wax or anything. He seems fairly relaxed at the moment, he is in the strawberry with Paddy, I'll keep a lookout for more twitching. If he carries on doing it the. I'll book him in with the vet.
 
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Don;t use flea drops.

What you are describing is a piggie who is about to undergo a classic break-out of mange mites.
Sensitivity to touch - bitiing/nipping/discomfort when handled.....nibbling and twitching in his cage.

a) Vet visit for a course of ivermectin injections required
b) up his VIt C - he is clearly under the weather hence why the mange mites are "breakiung out!
c) observe good hygiene and disinfect everything

HTH
x
 
I've did a full cage clean out last night and disinfected everything, and I've out all their fabric beds in the wash. The boys are booked in to go to the vets tomorrow afternoon, so hopefully they'll both be feeling more comfortable soon. :)
 
I hope your boys will be ok, let us know how you/them get on after visiting the vets and good luck x
 
Thanks everyone, they are fairly happy overall, they've just had their playtime on the floor and they were their usually cheeky, adventurous selves. So I think it's just the itchiness that's bothering them, as Rohan has never nipped prior to these past few days. My precious babies. :)
 
I took my boys to vets today. It turns out they've got lice, Rohan in particular has quite a heavy infestation on his rump Which is why he has been so itchy. She said that they have probably had them ever since I got them from the rescue centre which was almost 2 months ago. Luckily the vet didn't charge me for the consultation (which would have cost me £60), because I'd taken the boys in a few weeks ago for a piggy pamper day, were they were tested for lice/parasites etc. She said because the infestation is quite heavy there is a possibility that it was missed when they were checked last time, which would have meant that they were at fault so I didn't get charged. I also took the Bephar ivermectin parasite drops with me to query whether I could use them to treat the boys and the vet said that they were absolutely fine, as they would have given them an ivermectin treatment anyway, so she just used the drops that I'd bought to treat them, so I didn't get charged for the treatment either, bonus! I have to buy another pack of treatment with ivermectin in it and treat them again in another 4 weeks, then they should be lice free. They were really good boys at the vet, I was proud of them. They are back home now, they've had their veggies which they wheeked for, and they are nice and relaxed in bed now, so at least the trip to the vets hasn't stressed them out too much. :D
 
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Oh I'm glad that is all it is! If the Beaphar does not clear it up there are stronger formulations of Ivermectin that you can buy from places like Hyperdrug.
 
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