Is it dandruff, lice or mites?

[Domchristensen]

Today my daughter was brushing one of our guineas and noticed a lot of these white things on her hand coming from the guinea pigs hair. They are not bugs and I don't see any bugs but we have noticed both of them itching more than normal. We then checked out the other guinea pig which has longer hair and she has the same things. We also noticed darker kind of scaly spots behind her ears. What do you think? They are sisters and we have had them since January. We got them from a individual breeder. They also quarrel sometimes. To the point where we were thinking of separating them. But have not done that yet. Overall they seem pretty happy but then again this is the first time we have owned one. Any direction would be greatly appreciated!

 

[*Midnight*]

When next brushing them brush them on a plain sheet of paper, the dandruff that comes off could be what's known as 'walking dandruff' which is a type of mite or lice (not sure which) but if they have this you should see the flakes moving slightly if you watch carefully.
If this is the case you should take them to the vets and then will check them over to confirm. Even if you don't see any movement in the flakes I would still take them to get checked as they could have dry skin or microscopic mites.
The vet will probably prescribe ivomectin (think that's how's it's spelt) and the dosage will depend on the piggies weight.
Keep in eye on the scrapping situation and make sure it doesn't get too serious, all piggies will sometimes have disagreements with each other but if teeth, claws and fur flies then you may need to separate for a time. Are they males?

I hope this helps

 

[SpinningNickel]

I'd be inclined to think lice? Definitely get them to a vet when you can and if you notice any hair loss (which may sometimes be the under-layers of fur, so not immediately apparent as a big bald patch or anything) get them to one immediately, as that's usually mites and I believe can be fatal if untreated.

Midnight -- OP said sisters, so I'm guessing sows! maybe scrapping when they're in season?

 

[Wiebke]

Please have them checked by a vet, so they can be treated properly and appropriately.

Skin parasites and fungal can all cause hair loss and skin flaking off, but need different treatments. The dry air from radiators can make indoors pigies more itchy, too, but you need to exclude the other possibilities first because they can cause real harm if left untreated or not properly treated.

 

[Domchristensen]

Thank you!

They definitely do not move but I have an appointment on Monday with the vet. They are both girls. This might be stupid but how can I tell when they are in season. Their fighting isn' anything serious, no teeth or anything. Just some nipping at the other ones rear end and even though they have 3 houses they will argue over who gets which one. Sometimes pushing the other one out. Kind of like when my daughters are picking at each other! Thank you for the information.rolleyes