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Lice advice

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piggyfan

I thought Ehab's lice was gone but they have not. I bath him once a week with lice and easy. Am I meant to use spot on as well? I thought with running lice it was just a case of bathing him. They are tiny black flakes. When he first had them I took him to the vet and she said all I can do is to bath him and use a spray. I used up the spray but it did not seem much use so did not buy it again. Sophie had lice and it took months for it to go. Hers has gone now but with Ehab they are not going.
 
If they are little black specks near the top of the hair shaft next to the skin & you can't see them moving they are static mites/hay mites. You need to shampoo then shampoo again 10 days later to break the cycle like nits in children. They come off hay so it sounds like the hay you are using is reinfecting them again. Change the hay supply & they should go. :)

I use Flea or Die shampoo, if that helps.
 
My Frankie suffers from running lice frequently. They are small white dots that you can see moving if you look really closely. He's had them three times since last August. I bath him and his cage mate (even though Marley never shows any signs of having them) in Gorgeous Guineas Lice n' Easy once a week for three consecutive weeks. That usually does the trick.

I've also switched all their toys and houses from wood to plastic as they're easier to disinfect.

Lice are such a nuisance! grrrr
 
Which spot on did you use? What was the products name? Sometimes some can be ineffective depending on the product.

And have you disinfected the cage(s) with a suitable disinfectant/washed bedding above 60 degrees etc?

x
 
I did not use spot on as the vet said there was no need. They live in a c and c cage and I wash all the bedding at 60 degrees.
 
Poppy'sMum said:
If they are little black specks near the top of the hair shaft next to the skin & you can't see them moving they are static mites/hay mites. You need to shampoo then shampoo again 10 days later to break the cycle like nits in children. They come off hay so it sounds like the hay you are using is reinfecting them again. Change the hay supply & they should go. :)

I use Flea or Die shampoo, if that helps.
Click to expand...

I use hay for pets. I never thought the hay could be reinfecting him!
 
Hope Ehab is lice free soon.
 
There are two types of lice...

1) RUNNING LICE - these are often white-Ish in colour, and you can see them with the naked eye, they look like walking dandruff running across the skin of your piggy. They feed on piggy's blood and are therefore itchy (when they bite). As they feed on the blood, an ivermectin treatment, usually a spot on, should be used. Cages and furniture should be thoroughly cleaned, with wooden items being soaked in boiling water to kill any lice and prevent re-infestation.

2) STATIC LICE - Visible with the naked eye, these are often brown in colour, and as the name suggests, are static. They have no legs, so don't move. You will see them on the hair shafts, more than the skin. These AREN'T biting lice, so aren't itchy or anything, and an ivermectin spot on treatment is pointless, as they don't feed on the animals blood, instead they eat dead skin. A pig-friendly shampoo should get rid of these (they're harmless though) but it may be a good idea to replace the hay as they often come from here.

NB - mites are microscopic...you cannot see these without a microscope
 
Oh thank you so much Amanda. It is static lice. I was just about to order three lots of treatment too! I will carry on with the bathing with lice and easy. I will wait until it is a bit warmer though in case Ehab gets cold.
 
Ehab still has lice as it has been to cold to bath him but he seems to be the only one.
 
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