Mites ongoing...advice please

[Carolinemm]

Hello, I am just wondering if anyone could offer any advice - I spent quite a lot of time on here a few weeks back and thanks to the wonderful advice finally got the vet to treat my girls for mites which they def had (no fungal infection - spores absent).

I have now had 5 ivermectin injections, we have kept going past the normal 3as Ginger is still looking a bit dandruffy, thankfully Jasmines skin seems completely fine now. Does anyone have experience of having to do this with mites? They are cleaned out each day new bedding etc (they are on fleece washed at 90degrees) and the cage etc has been disinfected in the earlier weeks very very thoroughly and at xmas they got a new cage (a doggy playpen which I keep them in all the time so all new there). They have had them 10 days apart.

Not sure if to just leave it now and see how Gingers skin goes? I have still seen her scratching but not sure if they do a bit of this anyway? I'm assuming there couldnt have been a reinfection due to the ivermectin in their skin. Is it usual for it to take so long for them to look completely completely normal?

Thanks x

 

[Pebble]

Hi Caroline
Provided the injections have been given at the appropriate intervals (10-14 days apart) to all pigs.....then 5 should have well and truly nuked the mites/ done the trick.....and prevented any cross/re-in fection between your herd

Four points in reply to your post:

1) Hugs......it is perfectly normal to be hyper-observant to piggie scratching after having such trials and tribulations as you have done with firstly fungal then mite conditions.....four months on after an ear mite outbreak and my heart still leaps/I break out into a sweat when I see my own Ginger scratching....perfectly normal for piggies to scratch

2) You have done a great job with your husbandry/disinfection regimes..(well done for sticking with the programme) . You are well aware of how crucial it is to prevent re-infection/secondary spread..and the lengths you have to go to..well I;m afraid it does tends to make us slaves (I include myself) "ever so slightly nervy about re-infection"...|)

Sorry Hun, but as I'm sure you know, it is not ever possible to completely eliminate the risk of mites and prevent it happening again...Unfortunately, every time you feed them a new source of hay there is a risk....and most piggies everywhere are being constantly challenged with all manner of bugs and parasites (as indeed us humans are each and every day) Normally piggies will only "succoumb" and "break out" with mites or fungal if their immune systems are slightly down. SO....how can you minimise this risk and prevent a recurrence of your last little nightmare?

i) Feed extra Vit C - NOT in the water.....I give mine a treat of Critical care with powdered Vit C every week to boost their immune system (they eat it off a spoon)...
ii) If you have the space.....freeze/thaw your hay in small bags at -20 in your freezer for at least two cycles..... before giving it to the piggies...will substantially reduce any mites in the hay
iii) Be careful about where you buy your hay.....Oxbow imported Timothy hay is good.......(I think Pillow Wad is great a you can just bung a nicely shaped intact bag directly into a chest freezer) Be very careful about hay bales bought from a farm/agircultural supplier that is normally intended for horses
iv) Use Xeno450 every 3 months...one dose ...for prevention/maintenance


3) Just because a piggie is dandruffy/scurfy doesnt; mean there is a big skin problem.....

i) they could be moulting (guineas have summer and winter coats that they shed at any variation in temperature.....even in the house my piggies have changed their coats three times this winter already owing to the bizarre temperature changes )...or
ii) they could have slightly dry skin owing to the central heating (Put shallow trays of water in the room near the radiators)...

..or iii) it could be an indication they are slightly under the weather and something else is brewing. e.g. Bandit was scurfing badly late last year with hair shedding all over the place..... so i sent his sample off to be checked by Vedra....it came back all clear...however Bandit was starting to become very smelly/dirty around his man-bits despite regular cleaning >>>....My vet and I are now in agreement he has some type of infection in his cauliflower willy. He is currently on septrin antibiotics....and since he started on these the amount of hair/scurf he sheds has dropped dramatically

4) Some piggies develop a slightly irritated reaction to the remains of the mites following treatment Suggest you give them one more bath with (if you are really worried) a small amount of eg Johnsons insecticidal shampoo (for mites).......or Nizoral..(for fungal)..(or both to set your mind at rest - I mix the two for my piggies).....and then give baths two weeks after a future Xeno treatment with one of the GG range

HTH put your mind at rest about any residual mite infection lingering

x

 

[Carolinemm]

Hi Pebble,
Oh that has thanks so much |). I tried to message you but I dont think it worked (probably not enough posts). I have been giving them a quarter of a chewable vitamin C tablet every other day (125mg) so effectively a little over 50mg daily; they love it and see it as a treat so I think so I have that covered (vets idea to give it that way cant believe they like it! I have a pill cutter so nice and exact) they have been having those for weeks now.

I cannot freeze the hay but I do get it from a horse place as I have the 4 rabbits too, it is lovely and really not dusty at all and smells so sweet its better than any posh bagged stuff I have bought, but I do understand they can come from this, and do not have a big freezer at all, so I am hoping the dose of Xeno450 may help prevent. They are in a fairly cool room with a thermometer so I adjust the heat in there depending on the ambient temp of the room try and keep it fairly stable, 15 to 18 degrees and not too hot with central heating heat ....phew well I'm glad all is probably fine. Maybe I can stop worrying for a while now and not put them through their fortnightly trip!

I may try the baths thanks (although they absolutely hate it! and were really shaking last time and I thought maybe stress rather than cold? As it was a warm room and they were all wrapped up whilst I was drying them?).

Thanks so so much again xx

 

[Pebble]

Given all that you;ve said......I truly think you can pour yourself a glass of vino put your feet up......and stop worrying! |) You have ABSOLUTELY done everything right and proper for your piggies..xx>>>...and any scratching is most surely just them playing norty mind games with you

Them piggies....little teasers.......rolleyes

Mulchos huggios

x

 

[Pebble]

PS....did get your message but was on my way out...hence late reply

PPS. shaking could be either stress or trying to warm themselves up. If you want a conflab on the telephone about methods/depths/temperatures etc....then PM me for my phone number as happy to chat over any concerns you may have..

x

 

[Carolinemm]

Fantastic thanks loads again made me chuckle! I will now put my feet up! ha ha xx