lice?

[lauralucy]

hi i have noticed little white things moving in my piggy's fur. is this lice? would this cause sores and fur loss? only spotted them in 2 of my piggy's all the others seem ok, but bathed them all in johnsons insecticidal shampoo, there not very happy now but the white things have stopped moving. so just wondered what it was and if it would cause sores and fur loss. i feel like such a bad piggy mum i didnt notice before today 8...

 

[lily 74]

Hi,

I have just bought some spot on anti parasite made by Beaphar it contains ivermectin which controls lice, fleas and roundworms

 

[flips]

I think if you can see them then they are running lice.

Here's some info
http://www.guinealynx.info/lice.html
http://www.gorgeousguineas.com/parasitic.html

Good luck with the treatment.

 

[Sheppey_GuineaPigs]

Hi

You will probably need to give them a shampoo ot 3 in an anti parasitic shampoo like fleaordie.

Regards

SGP

 

[missy]

I have just bought some spot on anti parasite made by Beaphar it contains ivermectin which controls lice, fleas and roundworms

I know that the Beaphar Spot On product specifically states that it can treat lice, but the Gorgeous Guineas link which Flips posted interestingly advises that lice do not require an ivermectin treatment and can be treated by using just a special shampoo on its own. (GG specifically refer to a product called Ivomec (which contains ivermectin), stating that this is not required.) Apparently ivermectin is only required to treat blood-sucking parasites.....not a nice thought though, I know!

Ivermectin is very useful for mites though, as well as internal parasites like roundworms. I know lots of people use the Beaphar Spot On product. I've used it before myself, as it's very easy to get hold of, but found that it wasn't always very effective (I personally believe it is an underdose but I'm not an expert so don't quote me!). Most Vets recommend Xeno 450 ivermectin spot on (or Xeno 50 for very young pigs). It's more expensive to buy but should work out more cost effective in the long run, as it contains a much more effective dosage and shouldn't require so many follow-up treatments in order to fully clear a problem.
http://www.vetuk.co.uk/flea-product...xeno-450-6-pipettes-ivermectin-spot-on-p-1500

 

[lauralucy]

so you dont recommend johnsons insecticidal shampoo?

 

[ema3080]

hi,

i have just bought some spot on anti parasite made by beaphar it contains ivermectin which controls lice, fleas and roundworms

me too its alot easier than bathing them all

 

[ema3080]

I'm sure they still love you even after there bath lol

 

[Suzygpr]

I use the Johnson's insecticidal with very good results - though I don't apply the shampoo straight from the bottle - I dilute the 5 ml dose in half a cup of water and pour half of it on so that it evenly distributed, rinse, repeat shampoo, rinse and rinse again.

Even if you treat with a spot-on you should shampoo them once all the mites/lice are dead to remove them from the coat - they can cause irritation when they decompose - yuck!

Suzy x

 

[missy]

Lauralucy, Just wondering if you've used a nit comb on your piggies? After using a shampoo specially formulated for the treatment of lice (as you've done), it's recommended that you then run a nit comb through their hair (the ones you can buy for human head lice), to physically remove the lice and any debris. I've found it's easiest if you apply a little conditioner first, before combing, then rinse off as normal.

As you've already done the shampooing, I guess you could try combing the hair while it's dry, but a very fine comb may pull a little.

With any luck you've cleared the problem but I'd probably repeat the shampooing at least once more, just to be sure

 

[ema3080]

I know that the Beaphar Spot On product specifically states that it can treat lice, but the Gorgeous Guineas link which Flips posted interestingly advises that lice do not require an ivermectin treatment and can be treated by using just a special shampoo on its own. (GG specifically refer to a product called Ivomec (which contains ivermectin), stating that this is not required.) Apparently ivermectin is only required to treat blood-sucking parasites.....not a nice thought though, I know!

Ivermectin is very useful for mites though, as well as internal parasites like roundworms. I know lots of people use the Beaphar Spot On product. I've used it before myself, as it's very easy to get hold of, but found that it wasn't always very effective (I personally believe it is an underdose but I'm not an expert so don't quote me!). Most Vets recommend Xeno 450 ivermectin spot on (or Xeno 50 for very young pigs). It's more expensive to buy but should work out more cost effective in the long run, as it contains a much more effective dosage and shouldn't require so many follow-up treatments in order to fully clear a problem.
http://www.vetuk.co.uk/flea-product...xeno-450-6-pipettes-ivermectin-spot-on-p-1500

OOOOOOOOOO ONLY JUST READ THIS THANKS I MIGHT GO TO MY VETS THEN AN NOT USE THE SPOT ON :red

 

[lauralucy]

thank you i shall buy a nit comb and brush them all this evening (wish me luck they dont like this) i shall bath the again next weekend unless thats to soon?

Suzy i did dilute mine in a jug and applied evenly on them all.

where do lice come from though? and how come i could only see them in 2 of my piggies?

 

[lauralucy]

I'm sure they still love you even after there bath lol

thanks they wouldnt speak to me for 5 hours after and thats only because i gave them dinner they're still sulking. but its for there own good.

 

[missy]

so you dont recommend johnsons insecticidal shampoo?

I've also used this shampoo myself and it definitely does work, although I don't know what active ingredients/chemicals it contains.

My rantings (which probably weren't very clear, I apologise!) were specifically about the use of ivermectin to treat lice. As others have said, shampoo works well on lice. If you wanted to use an ivermectin spot on in addition to the shampoo though, then that's up to you - after all, the Xeno and Beaphar ones do advise that they are effective on lice, but it seems debatable as to whether or not they are actually necessary, if you're going to use a shampoo as well.

Gorgeous Guineas specifically use natural ingredients which are gentle and kind to piggy skin. They obviously feel that lice can be eradicated without the use of chemicals, such as ivermectin......but that's not to say that ivermectin doesn't work, if that makes sense.

I don't know for sure but I suspect that Johnsons insecticidal shampoo is a great deal harsher than the GG products. If you wanted to use something which is still effective but is much gentler, then I've never heard anything but praise for GG products in general, and specifically the Lice 'n' Easy shampoo. The downside is that they're only available online and will seem more expensive than regular pet shop products, but they're apparently well worth it!

 

[Suzygpr]

To clear an infestation you have to bath them every week for 3-4 weeks. Good luck with the grooming session!

Suzy x

 

[lauralucy]

thank you, i shall groom them this evening. i would of used lice and easy but i wanted to treat them yesterday so they had all day to dry as I'm at work now. perhaps i shall get some ready for there next treatment.

 

[missy]

OOOOOOOOOO ONLY JUST READ THIS THANKS I MIGHT GO TO MY VETS THEN AN NOT USE THE SPOT ON :red

You don't need to worry, I'm just saying that in my personal experience I've found that the Beaphar Spot On hasn't always worked well (when it comes to treating mites, this is). As I said though, lots of people use it and find it works fine!

I suspect that the Beaphar dosage was sufficient for milder cases of mites, but when I tried it with a more stubborn case of mites, the Beaphar just wouldn't work, despite repeated treatments over a long time. My Vet advised switching to Xeno and I know many people here also recommend it. It can be bought online which is probably much cheaper than buying from the Vet, but do go to the Vet if you need help diagnosing a problem or are at all unsure how to treat.

 

[missy]

i would of used lice and easy but i wanted to treat them yesterday so they had all day to dry as I'm at work now. perhaps i shall get some ready for there next treatment.

I know exactly what you mean. It's all very well wanting to use GG products but it's not always practical when you want to start treatment straight away. If you don't already have some at home and you see lice crawling about, you don't exactly want to wait!

I don't know how piggies get lice but I had my first encounter a few months ago when my new rescue pig came home with them! Unfortunately he'd been bonding with my other pig all day so I treated them both. I also used Johnsons insecticidal shampoo and a nit comb, keen to treat asap. As my new pig also came with suspected mites, I did also treat with an ivermectin spot on. The lice were very easy to get rid of but freaked me out when I first saw them, I must admit!

 

[lauralucy]

I know exactly what you mean. It's all very well wanting to use GG products but it's not always practical when you want to start treatment straight away. If you don't already have some at home and you see lice crawling about, you don't exactly want to wait!

I don't know how piggies get lice but I had my first encounter a few months ago when my new rescue pig came home with them! Unfortunately he'd been bonding with my other pig all day so I treated them both. I also used Johnsons insecticidal shampoo and a nit comb, keen to treat asap. As my new pig also came with suspected mites, I did also treat with an ivermectin spot on. The lice were very easy to get rid of but freaked me out when I first saw them, I must admit!

we only noticed them as cookie had sores that looked like she'd been fighting but on closed inspection there were white moving things around the area checked all the other and crumble was the only other one we could see them on, i dont think it helps that most of my other piggies main colour is white, but there we go treated them all washed all there bedding and i shall keep an eye on them, horrid things made me itch all day!

 

[Sheppey_GuineaPigs]

Hi

The best regime to use against Mites, Fleas etc is

To use an oral application of Ivemec every 3 months, that way it gets into the blood supply and not only kills the mites on the surface that feed on the blood by biting but also the mites that burrow into the piggy and live in the blood supply and burrow into the piggies organs (So now you know why its important to keep mites under control). You then should use an Anti-Flea Shampoo direct out of the bottle (Unless told otherwise in the instructions) every 7 days to kill the fleas etc. It has to be done every 7 days for 3 washes to break the breading cycle as it only kills live lice & Flease and not their eggs, so the first was kills the live lice, the second one 7 days later kill the newly hatched lice before they become sexualy active and start laying eggs again, then the third was again 7 days later is to clean out anything left.

And the Ivemec is injection Ivemec not spoton ivemec as that is in a thickener.

For the mite shampoo, the best ones to use are either FleaorDie or the one from GG.

Hope this has been of help

Regards

SGP

 

[missy]

Hi SGP,

Does Ivomec kill lice though? I've heard conflicting things about the efficacy of ivermectin based treatments in treating lice, which can be very confusing!

I know that the CCT recommends regular 'worming' but I understand that this is a much debated issue and some choose not to use ivermectin on their pigs unless a break out is apparent. I do appreciate what you're saying about internal parasites though, and not allowing a build up to occur. I'm personally a bit undecided on this one and at the moment I don't give Ivermectin routinely, as a matter of course.

Is Ivomec basically the same as Panacur? Am I right in thinking that these are easily available without prescription, as long as you pretend that you're buying them for use on cattle/sheep etc? I'm sure that bulk buying those meds works out cheaper than buying spot on products like Xeno and the Beaphar products, but for the 'average' piggy owner, surely it's much easier to stick to the widely available versions sold specifically for guineas, if they also do the job?..... In your opinion, are you saying that Ivomec would be more effective in treating mites than the Xeno 450?

Lauralucy...sorry for going a bit off topic here, btw!

 

[lauralucy]

thats ok it's good to know the answer. i dont treat my piggies for anything unless i've seen it.

 

[Sheppey_GuineaPigs]

Hi SGP,

Does Ivomec kill lice though? I've heard conflicting things about the efficacy of ivermectin based treatments in treating lice, which can be very confusing!

I know that the CCT recommends regular 'worming' but I understand that this is a much debated issue and some choose not to use ivermectin on their pigs unless a break out is apparent. I do appreciate what you're saying about internal parasites though, and not allowing a build up to occur. I'm personally a bit undecided on this one and at the moment I don't give Ivermectin routinely, as a matter of course.

Is Ivomec basically the same as Panacur? Am I right in thinking that these are easily available without prescription, as long as you pretend that you're buying them for use on cattle/sheep etc? I'm sure that bulk buying those meds works out cheaper than buying spot on products like Xeno and the Beaphar products, but for the 'average' piggy owner, surely it's much easier to stick to the widely available versions sold specifically for guineas, if they also do the job?..... In your opinion, are you saying that Ivomec would be more effective in treating mites than the Xeno 450?

Lauralucy...sorry for going a bit off topic here, btw!

Hi

Ivemec is not the same as Panacur

Ivemec is for mites and only mites that feed on blood, which is why it should be used in conjunction with an Anti-Parasitic shampoo, that way you can control most types of mites, fleas etc

Panacur and Valbasen are for worms

Yes the routine treatment as advocated by the CCT has courted some discussions but I have never heard of any guinea pig suffering from their regular preventative use however it is possible for a guinea pig to die if internal mites or worms are left un-treated.

Regards

SGP

 

[Laura-CCC4]

Ivomec is ivermectin, while Panacur is fenbendazole; together they cover a much wider parasitic spectrum. So Ivomec *could* miss certain parasites that Panacur would catch, and vice versa. This is as I understand it thus far. I used to not routinely treat my piggies but I have done so since last year and will continue to do so, personal opinion based on what I have seen/experienced/learned medically. It is often the case that you have to see or experience it for yourself before believing it's a worthwhile exercise, I was the same until one of my girls developed unexplained weight loss - not severe but consisten over a few weeks, one dose of Panacur sorted her and that was enough to convince me it's worth doing routinely.

There is always the worming thread in the Reference section for basic information on worming and why it's done and advocated by some, in case anyone missed it or wants to know more.

There is one product widely advised in the US to treat lice, a spot on treatment called Advantage (containing imidacloprid) but it is not available easily or without prescription in UK. In any case, lice do still require bathing to remove the parasites and although it seems a hassle (especially when lots of piggies are affected!) it is an effective way to get rid of the lice quickly. At least 3 baths a week apart are needed, even if there's no sign of the lice after the first bath.

Where do lice come from - grass and hay is one common source, bedding is another.

 

[lauralucy]

so do i need to bath them again this week? my guess was the hay, thank you Laura