Ivermectin 3rd application or not?

[Captain Kirk]

Hello

I hope you can help me. My castrated boar, Cashew, has thick, fast growing long fur which I trim every few months. He had mites about a year ago, confirmed by the vet, so was treated (3 applications, one every 2 weeks) along with his cage mates with Ivermectin. I have found that it tends to come back especially if his fur gets too long.

He recently had to have a tumor removed and I applied ivermectin as a preventative because of the stress and because it had been 4 months since the last time and he was starting to scratch more than usual. Sure enough after the operation he was scratching madly and breaking the skin but after 2 applications it has cleared up. The third would be due this week but he only stopped scratching about 5 days ago. Would you apply a 3rd treatment or not?

Thanks

 

[Claire W]

I would apply the 3rd application just to make sure that the mites were gone

 

[Piggies&buns]

Yes if mites were diagnosed then it is important that you complete the course. The third dose makes sure that the they are definitely all gone. If you don’t apply the third there is a risk there could be the odd egg which hadn’t yet hatched and therefore hadn’t been caught by the treatment.

If your piggy is struggling with mites fairly regularly, then it could be worth looking at where you are getting your hay from

 

[Siikibam]

Just to note that guinea pigs don't need preventative treatment. It should only be used if a vet has diagnosed and said treatment is needed. If that was the case then do give the last dose.

 

[Danielle Smith]

It's great that Cashew is responding well to ivermectin treatment but I agree, completing the course is essential each and every time. If you're finding the spot-on Ivermectin isn't doing the job, some piggies respond better to the injection.

For what it's worth @Captain Kirk, my lovely Peruvian Fudge had similar issues in that she was so very itchy when her fur grew out, and had greasy horrible thick scurf all over. If you touched her back, she would frantically bite at whatever was closest at the time. We treated her multiple times at the suggestion of the vet for both mites and fungal, but in the end the only thing that made her comfortable was cutting her hair short (about a #3 on clippers). She looked a little silly but it stopped any itching issues for us -- just reminded me when you said his issues come back if his fur gets too long. If the ivermectin is working though, definately worth sticking with that option as it's a lot less stressful for everyone (and everypig) involved.

 

[Captain Kirk]

It's great that Cashew is responding well to ivermectin treatment but I agree, completing the course is essential each and every time. If you're finding the spot-on Ivermectin isn't doing the job, some piggies respond better to the injection.

For what it's worth @Captain Kirk, my lovely Peruvian Fudge had similar issues in that she was so very itchy when her fur grew out, and had greasy horrible thick scurf all over. If you touched her back, she would frantically bite at whatever was closest at the time. We treated her multiple times at the suggestion of the vet for both mites and fungal, but in the end the only thing that made her comfortable was cutting her hair short (about a #3 on clippers). She looked a little silly but it stopped any itching issues for us -- just reminded me when you said his issues come back if his fur gets too long. If the ivermectin is working though, definately worth sticking with that option as it's a lot less stressful for everyone (and everypig) involved.

View attachment 166548

Thank you. It's comforting to know that someone else has experienced this.

The ivermectin does seem to help when it gets bad but yes, I have found cutting his fur short makes all the difference. He hates it but I got some very quiet baby clippers which has really helped. I wonder if such a thick and heavy coat is hot and stressful or just doesn't give the skin enough air. I don't think it's the hay because I get it from pets at home.

 

[Danielle Smith]

Oh bless him, my Fudge had the kind of coat that was really thick and heavy. We came upon the solution of short fur when the vet did a reverse-mohican, just shaving a strip from her bum right up to her head so we could apply antifungal cream I was actually quite cross at the time that the vet would do that without warning, but then we realised the skin cleared up in the shaved spot and she was much less itchy! As you say, the vet honestly thought it was that the skin could get more air circulation. Her fur was very odd, like how our hair gets if you don't wash it for a couple days -- always heavy and greasy.

It sounds like your hay would probably be okay -- have any other piggies that live with Cashew or use the same hay had the issue? I know that some piggies can be allergic to, say, meadow hay but be a lot better when bed something else like timothy -- not that I think that's the issue either as the episodes are clearing up with ivermectin.

You know what they say -- "there's nowt so queer as pigs"

 

[Captain Kirk]

Oh bless him, my Fudge had the kind of coat that was really thick and heavy. We came upon the solution of short fur when the vet did a reverse-mohican, just shaving a strip from her bum right up to her head so we could apply antifungal cream I was actually quite cross at the time that the vet would do that without warning, but then we realised the skin cleared up in the shaved spot and she was much less itchy! As you say, the vet honestly thought it was that the skin could get more air circulation. Her fur was very odd, like how our hair gets if you don't wash it for a couple days -- always heavy and greasy.

It sounds like your hay would probably be okay -- have any other piggies that live with Cashew or use the same hay had the issue? I know that some piggies can be allergic to, say, meadow hay but be a lot better when bed something else like timothy -- not that I think that's the issue either as the episodes are clearing up with ivermectin.

You know what they say -- "there's nowt so queer as pigs"

Haha, yes they are funny little creatures

No, the other piggies have never had a problem. His fur is just as you describe Fudge's fur when it gets long - thick and greasy and sensitive but it doesn't do that when I keep it trimmed.

Thank you for your help

 

[Free Ranger]

Louise (and Zara) were both treated for mites when they arrived along with George because there seemed to be a lot of scratching and shedding going on. Nobody had any trouble with the Ivermectin (always 3 doses BTW!) and everything seemed to calm down but of course the other thing that happened quite soon after they arrived was that Louise had an initial trim and then a proper chop:

The scratching and shedding seemed to calm down but Louise still scratches more than the others even with shorter hair. Her skin looks pretty good - if a little pink but that could just be her colouring. Her fur doesn't feel 'greasy' but the ends tangle so much, and she doesn't have the glossy sheen of George or the fluffy softness of Zara. I think there's still low level itchiness going on as she'll be standing there chewing her hay and suddenly her back foot will slowly rise up, spectre-like, and make as if to scratch - but she doesn't scratch - the foot just seems to hover in the air and maybe wave around a little bit before it sinks back down into what's left of the floof. The front end gives you no indication that anything has happened at all which might be why she's got a reputation as "not the brightest pig in the herd" and I have to admit it is funny to see. Maybe not as funny as when she lifted her scratching leg so high she rolled herself over with a squeak! She also has a bit of an earwax problem (which has been vet checked) which we think is probably due to lack of ventilation around the ears. Next trim will be even shorter!

Some people get itchy heads but find it goes away after using something like 'Head and Shoulders' - even if they don't get dandruff. H&S has an antifungal in. I reckon there are low levels of fungus just hanging around in the environment which start to thrive unnoticed on a warm scalp and some people (and maybe some pigs) are sensitive enough for it to cause a problem. I was having a discussion about this with a group of us ladies-of-a-certain-age and a lot of us were getting itchy scalps which we put down to greying roots: grey hair is more coarse than regular hair and I think stuff just kind of embeds in there. Some used H&S but I use hair dye and for the first 3 or 4 weeks after the application I don't get an itchy scalp... then the itch creeps back in along with the grey! It was certainly improved a few years back when I went for a dramatic crop which was very convenient, even if it didn't suit me so well - because just like Louise I have a massive face!

 

[Captain Kirk]

Louise (and Zara) were both treated for mites when they arrived along with George because there seemed to be a lot of scratching and shedding going on. Nobody had any trouble with the Ivermectin (always 3 doses BTW!) and everything seemed to calm down but of course the other thing that happened quite soon after they arrived was that Louise had an initial trim and then a proper chop:
View attachment 166630
The scratching and shedding seemed to calm down but Louise still scratches more than the others even with shorter hair. Her skin looks pretty good - if a little pink but that could just be her colouring. Her fur doesn't feel 'greasy' but the ends tangle so much, and she doesn't have the glossy sheen of George or the fluffy softness of Zara. I think there's still low level itchiness going on as she'll be standing there chewing her hay and suddenly her back foot will slowly rise up, spectre-like, and make as if to scratch - but she doesn't scratch - the foot just seems to hover in the air and maybe wave around a little bit before it sinks back down into what's left of the floof. The front end gives you no indication that anything has happened at all which might be why she's got a reputation as "not the brightest pig in the herd" and I have to admit it is funny to see. Maybe not as funny as when she lifted her scratching leg so high she rolled herself over with a squeak! She also has a bit of an earwax problem (which has been vet checked) which we think is probably due to lack of ventilation around the ears. Next trim will be even shorter!

Some people get itchy heads but find it goes away after using something like 'Head and Shoulders' - even if they don't get dandruff. H&S has an antifungal in. I reckon there are low levels of fungus just hanging around in the environment which start to thrive unnoticed on a warm scalp and some people (and maybe some pigs) are sensitive enough for it to cause a problem. I was having a discussion about this with a group of us ladies-of-a-certain-age and a lot of us were getting itchy scalps which we put down to greying roots: grey hair is more coarse than regular hair and I think stuff just kind of embeds in there. Some used H&S but I use hair dye and for the first 3 or 4 weeks after the application I don't get an itchy scalp... then the itch creeps back in along with the grey! It was certainly improved a few years back when I went for a dramatic crop which was very convenient, even if it didn't suit me so well - because just like Louise I have a massive face!
View attachment 166634

She is gorgeous