itchy piggy ?

[Lil-Ninnibig]

Hi all, so ive noticed Ditto seems to be scratching alot, i dont mean excessively but more so than ive usually noticed , its not just one spot its allover (not noticed him scratching his face though) he has a quick scratch or a kind of 'chewing with his teeth' itch for literally a second then resumes what he was doing whether it be munching or chilling. I just seem to of noticed it alot more over these last few days. Ive checked him over, no sign of fleas but then hes not been near anything carrying fleas and neither have i. His skin is fine no redness, no sores, no lumps, no flakes etc but i was wondering what do mites look like and where do piggys catch them as ive always presumed as ditto is a bachelor living alone he would be safe from such things... He doesnt seem agitated or anything it could be me being paranoid but any ideas folks? .... I havent changed his bedding or food or anything since getting him 2 years ago... Opinions?

 

[Poppy'sMum]

It could be static mites from hay, have you tried looking at his fur on his rump at all? Hay mites show as tiny black specks close to the hair root. If you lift some of his hair up on his rump & use a little piece of sellotape, you may be able to pick a few up & then look at them with a magnifying glass or a microscope if you have one.

To treat them he needs a bath in Lice n Easy shampoo from Gorgeous Guineas or Flea or Die shampoo.

 

[Wiebke]

Mites are invisible to the naked eye and they need proper ivermectin treatment, not the low dosed shop products. Shampoos also won't help as they won't do anything for the emerging eggs that are burrowed in the skin and cause the irritation.

You also always need to give at least three rounds, spaced 10-14 days apart for best effect. If in any doubt about what your piggies have, please see a vet.
http://www.guinealynx.info/mites.html

 

[Wiebke]

Static lice/hay mites are visible to the naked eye as tiny yellowish, browinish or dark dots. They sit on the hair at the bum end and generally don't cause heavy itching as they are not in contact with the body itself.

Please always see a vet if not sure and don't home treat. Frequent itching is usually the very first sign of a mange mites attack before the damage to the skin from the burrowing egg laying mites becomes visible.

 

[Lil-Ninnibig]

Ive read up about this ivermectin i thinks thats right? Is it ok for piggys and do i have to go to the veta for this or can * just buy it? I know pers at home do a mite and flea pippette treatment would this work? Help please it probably isnt mange mites because all hay products etc are treated and he hasnt been in contact with a piggy in a while? Last piggy was the boar bonding abby baby but he seemed healthy and ditto has just started scratching like yesterday and the boar bonding was around a month ago... Help!

 

[Amanda1801]

Ive read up about this ivermectin i thinks thats right? Is it ok for piggys and do i have to go to the veta for this or can * just buy it? I know pers at home do a mite and flea pippette treatment would this work? Help please it probably isnt mange mites because all hay products etc are treated and he hasnt been in contact with a piggy in a while? Last piggy was the boar bonding abby baby but he seemed healthy and ditto has just started scratching like yesterday and the boar bonding was around a month ago... Help!

It may well be mites - a lot of pigs can carry them, and stress can bring them out - and poor Ditto has had some stress recently!

I'd recommend a vet visit - they will be able to prescribe the right dose and frequency of treatment, to get this nipped in the bud, whatever it is. I wouldn't advise anything medicinal from pet shops - a lot of them are ineffective (the "good" stuff is licensed, so you can only get it from a vet!) and they can often actually be harmful.

Do you have a cavy savvy vet that you're happy with, or do you need some recommendations?

 

[Claire W]

If you are in any doubt, please see a vet ASAP for a proper diagnosis.

I once took my girls to the vets but it turns out Eliza just suffers with flaky skin but at least I now know what it is.

 

[Lil-Ninnibig]

Thanks everyone , he doesnt seem to be scratching now and ive been sat watching him for 3 hours without one itch so may have been the heat or something yesterday as we had the heating on in the flat to dry my washing... Il keep an eye on it anyway and if symptoms persist il take him to the vets. I dont have a cavy savvy vet amanda :-( just a normal vet that deals with most domestic pets mainly dogs and cats. I'm from the sheffield/rotherham area in south yorkshire?