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Lice Infestation?!?!

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WinnieandBear

WinnieandBear

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I recently noticed the girls scratching more especially today and so checked Florries fur,

I noticed a brown fleck and upon further investigation it was wriggling about and soon found another one. I am so creeped out but even more worried how I am going to make the girls feel better and get rid of them!

I called my vet already and booked appt. for first thing tomorrow morning he thinks they will need ivermectin. They are bedded on fleece... any tips how to deal with this swiftly and efficiently?

Thanks! x
 
WinnieandBear said:
I recently noticed the girls scratching more especially today and so checked Florries fur,

I noticed a brown fleck and upon further investigation it was wriggling about and soon found another one. I am so creeped out but even more worried how I am going to make the girls feel better and get rid of them!

I called my vet already and booked appt. for first thing tomorrow morning he thinks they will need ivermectin. They are bedded on fleece... any tips how to deal with this swiftly and efficiently?

Thanks! x
Click to expand...

You have already done the most important thing in booking an appointment with your vet! :)

Lice are species specific, so they can not survive on the blood of other species and will die from starvation. You don't have to fear that you or any other pets will be attacked by lice. With ivermectin, you should hopefully get on top of the lice pretty straight forward.
Only if that is not working and the lice are persistent, I would recommend to try an anti-lice shampoo like lice'n'easy from Gorgeous Guineas; it should not be used at the same time as any topical/spot-on treatment. As long as your guinea pigs are otherwise healthy and have a functional immune system, they will hopefully get over it straight away, as their own bodily defence system is going to help them.

You can give the cage a good deep clean once the ivermectin is working, which is going to take at least 2-3 days before you will hopefully notice some changes.
 
okay thank goodness. I feel horrified, they live indoors and are so pampered and I'm so paranoid I have no idea how they have caught them! Only thing that stands out is a new bag of hay (different brand to usual) from pets at home! Poor girls. I hope it does work quickly because I am surprisingly squeamish when faced with wriggly tiny insect infestations :(:(:(
 
WinnieandBear said:
okay thank goodness. I feel horrified, they live indoors and are so pampered and I'm so paranoid I have no idea how they have caught them! Only thing that stands out is a new bag of hay (different brand to usual) from pets at home! Poor girls. I hope it does work quickly because I am surprisingly squeamish when faced with wriggly tiny insect infestations :(:(:(
Click to expand...

It is not an unusual reaction! :yikes:

As things go, lice are not the worst of all the skin parasites that guinea pigs can get; they tend to become a major problem only in long term neglected/malnourished guinea pigs or others with a compromised immune system. Lice can occasionally be somewhat tenacious when it comes to getting rid of them, but you do not have to fear huge infestations. As you are an observant and caring owner, you have likely noticed the lice as soon as they have made an appearance and you are getting the appropriate treatment promptly. With that, any lice should never get past being a nuisance, but not more. ;)
 
So the girls saw a very nice vet this morning who try as he might, could not find a single "louse" on either of the girls. Much to bears dismay she was nit combed... lots of shouting from her lol. He said I can either leave it and keep an eye out and possibly have to come back and pay another fee or treat them as I was sure that I saw something. I spent the whole night dreaming of maggots and lice and now feel like maybe I imagined it... then again, the girls were definitely scratching lots last night. How strange! Unless there was the odd one that I spotted from the new bag of hay I got the other day... hmmm.
 
Btw he gave them both an ivermectin injection. Have already ordered some Lice n Easy shampoo in a panic buy last night anyway. Can I use it 48 hours after the injection?
 
Now read several times on forums etc. that injectable ivermectin isnt recommended for lice.. sigh. The girls are so itchy :no:
 
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