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Mange mites!?

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Sarah-sore

Sarah-sore

Teenage Guinea Pig
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Okay so I got a baby guinea pig from a pet store because all the girls didnt bond properly and Callie needed a mate. She was getting very depressed. Anyways I was looking at the new baby today (Allie) and I noticed she had orange worm like bugs on her. I freaked out. I seperated her and Callie I cleaned the cage and my dad researched it. My dad says he thinks that they look white? (dandrufflike bugs?) I say orange. What do I do!? Can someone send me a picture of the 2 different bug? Appparently the dandruff bugs arent a worry but I know mange mites are
She hasnt shown any signs but she has a lot of them. She is scrating she doesnt wheek when I hold her. Any idea?
Right after I post this I'm calling a vet!
Oh and the baby is about 4 months (I think shes pretty young) and shes a silky, shes not a long haired, just normal.
 
Mange mites are under the skin so yes they could be running lice. They are extremely easy to treat as Claire has said but get a proper vet opinion to be absolutely sure.
They can sometimes get them from the hay / bedding so possibly bin that and get another one.
 
Alright so I came back from the vets and he said they were fleas but they're most definitely lice... He didnt even look at her fur, he didnt pull her fur up to take a look or anything grrrrgrrrr
BUT after the very expensive appointment I did get flea and lice treatment Its called revolution.
I'm supposed to put it on every 2 weeks for the next 6 weeks and then I'll have to go threw bonding again and such.
I read that lice can spread very easily so I'm going to quarantine Allie for the next 6 weeks until she is all clean.
But phew I'm glad she's a-okay! She's the first piggy I've ever had to take to the vets!
 
LucyMc said:
Bless you cottons hun x keep us posted on the progress :) Btw have you got pictures? might be helpful to other users?
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I sure will keep you guys posted on the progress! I dont have any pictures, the bugs are so small, that I could barley see them, and I can only take pictures with my phone sadly. ):
 
Sarah-sore said:
I sure will keep you guys posted on the progress! I dont have any pictures, the bugs are so small, that I could barley see them, and I can only take pictures with my phone sadly. ):
Click to expand...

WAIT I WAS ABLE TO GET PICTURES. I'll post them now!
 
Some are better than others, I couldnt get an amazing picture but its better than nothing!
IMAG1502_zps054ce636.jpg
IMAG1501_zps6f249ded.jpg
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IMAG1499_zps75bec63f.jpg
IMAG1498_zps86e89e20.jpg
IMAG1497_zpsedada2e0.jpg
 
Hard to see but flat like that & hanging on to the hair I would say lice rather than fleas. Fleas will jump when you disturb them, lice don't jump, just scuttle around. If you have a vet who can't tell the difference between fleas & lice... find yourself another vet for next time! Hopefully the treatment will help anyway, guinealynx info shows Revolution is supposed to be effective for lice.

Do the beasties look like the pic on this page? http://www.guinealynx.info/lice.html
Here is also some info from guinealynx about Revolution used for guineas http://www.guinealynx.info/antiparasitics.html#selamectin and their other link to a paper on it http://jarvm.com/articles/Vol5Iss3/Beck 87-96.pdf

Hope your baby pig is ok, I expect she came with lice when you got her but they weren't noticeable straight away. Poor girl, must be very itchy.
 
Guinea pigs very rarely get fleas. As the above post, fleas jump rather than cling to the hair and it is likely that your girl had the lice before you had her.

lice can come in on hay so I would dispose of your current hay just in case.

If you have separated, make sure you leave the piggies close together so they can still see and talk to each other. They should bond again then.
 
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Thank you very much! I do plan on going to another vet next time. grrrr
It does look that picture and thank you for all the other information, I'm going to read them right after this!
I checked her in the store but I think I was too excited to look properly:... I dont think shes very ichy, she doesnt scratch or anything, I just happened to be looking threw her fur and I saw it!
I know for sure my other girls don't have it. Callie might but I'm keeping such a close eye on her. Rusty and Lillith DO NOT have it though, I checked them over and over. Also I'm sure it came from Allie cause she was just infested with them, one spot could have up to 4 bugs! :o
Again thank you very much! :)
 
Thank you!
These bugs cling to the hair and climb closer and closer to the skin, if you disturb them they crawl faster toward the skin.
I did dispose of the hay, and I disinfected the cage with water and vinegar!
I didnt have then close but I will do that today! Thank you! :) :) :)
 
Aw, sorry to hear your girl is having issues :(
I would report this to the place you had her from as well even if they don't care. If they are good enough though, they may check other animals for mites etc.
Good luck and good riddance to any beastly critters :)
 
Sarah-sore said:
Thank you!
These bugs cling to the hair and climb closer and closer to the skin, if you disturb them they crawl faster toward the skin.
Click to expand...

This sounds exactly like Hay mites or static lice, they come in the hay but they don't effect the piggy much but it I always try to clear them up when they appear. Here are some fotos of Cupcake when she had some.
If you look at her middle and rear right hand side you can see some mites in her hair, they could be mistaken for pepper.
IMG_0781.jpg


closer
IMG_0743.jpg


closer still
IMG_0749.jpg


even more closer
IMG_0753.jpg


close enough?
IMG_0807.jpg
 
Dindypig said:
This sounds exactly like Hay mites or static lice, they come in the hay but they don't effect the piggy much but it I always try to clear them up when they appear. Here are some fotos of Cupcake when she had some.
If you look at her middle and rear right hand side you can see some mites in her hair, they could be mistaken for pepper.
IMG_0781.jpg


closer
IMG_0743.jpg


closer still
IMG_0749.jpg


even more closer
IMG_0753.jpg


close enough?
IMG_0807.jpg
Click to expand...

This was really helpful thank you!
The bugs Allie has are like yellow/pale/orangish, theyre not very dark.
 
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