Mites Help!

[Mase33]

Hey everyone well I jus noticed my little piggy has been itching lately so I took a flashlight to him and seen he has some kind of mites! What can I do and how to I help him and his brother who maybe infected as well? Please help, I don’t even kno where they could have come from either so if there is any input on that it would be much appreciated

 

[Lady Kelly]

Hi could you describe what you have seen? Mites cannot be seen by the naked eye

 

[Mase33]

It was like little moving whiteish yellow bug things almost looked like lice or something

 

[Mase33]

Sorry I can’t give a great description, I can’t see up close very well.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Lice are visible (but mites arent). You’ll need to take your piggy to a vet for a diagnosis and the correct strength prescribed treatment
New guinea pigs: Sexing, vet checks&customer rights, URI, ringworm and parasites

 

[Betsy]

A vet visit is definitely necessary so you know exactly what you are dealing with. Please don't use broad spectrum off the counter stuff as these don't solve the problem, only mask it and it means your piggies suffer for longer than they need to. You need to get a correct diagnosis and vet strength treatment for it.

 

[Free Ranger]

Both mites and lice are very treatable in the early stages with vet-prescribed meds... typically here we get a spot-on lotion. There are different types and mostly do not transfer to humans (unlike fungal infections - which also make them itchy and can be picked up by their loving owners!) They do seem to appear from nowhere! Sometimes they have arrived with them unnoticed, sometimes they have picked up something from the environment - one of mine was suddenly alive with big fat lice and I'd had her for years but she did spend a lot of time outside and there's always a chance that something could have hopped off passing wildlife. Occasionally something might arrive in the hay.

Don't try and take a short-cut with any over-the-counter meds. Get the vet stuff and listen carefully to instructions about repeat dosing. We get a spot-on treatment that kills lice/mites but not eggs. We repeat dose after 2 weeks when eggs have hatched but (hopefully) before adults have laid any more. Then we repeat again 2 weeks later to make sure! After each dose I leave the cage 1-2 days then blitz the lot - hot washing mats and plastics, clearing bedding and removing any cardboard bits. I leave that little gap in case anything that has dropped off fancies getting back on and dying!

The 2 week gap is because the life-cycle of whatever we usually get is 3 weeks so we are breaking that cycle. If they identify that your piggies' passengers are something with a different life-cycle the instructions will alter accordingly. Don't bother with 'preventative' sprays that pet shops might offer - it can lead to a build up of resistance in parasites which means that when it really counts the meds might not be so effective (like with antibiotics). And don't worry! Good luck ☺

 

[Mase33]

Thank you everyone for the great advice I will contact a vet today!

 

[Betsy]

Let us know how you get on. We love pigtures on here. Please may we see some pigtures of your piggies?