Mites Treatment - What Would You Do?

[Cuddles With Cavies]

Edit: Sorry the title was suppose to say Mite Treatment. Stupid phone

Friday night I found a bite mark on one of my sows that I presumed came from the new cage mate. However, upon further inspection I'm leaning towards it actually being a case of mites or allergies, purely because since being separated from the new cage mate Rosie's bite has gotten worse and I've actually seen her itching in that area (and yes, I do feel slightly guilty for wrongly imprisoning Pearl :S)

The wounds not terrible. It's not deep or nasty, it just fresh cuts and scratches on the skin. The surrounding skin is pink and healthy.

I ordered some Xeno 450 on Friday but it's not been dispatched yet and so it may be another 2 to 3 days before I get it. So I'm left with two choices.

A. I wait for the Xeno to arrive and risk Rosie causing further injury to herself.

B. I go to pets at home tomorrow and get some of that crappy beaphar stuff. I know it won't be enough to solve the problem, but maybe it'll be enough to reduce the irritation to a level where Rosie will be comfortable? But of course this then means that I won't be able to treat them with the Xeno when it arrives and I'll have to wait, drawing out the whole process.

C. Of course option C is to see if my local pets at home have any Xeno in stock, but that's another £33 that they may or may not have in stock anyway.

I feel like I'm stuck because I on one hand the sooner I treat the girls with Xeno the sooner they'll be comfortable. But at the same time I don't want Rosie tearing up her skin whilst I'm waiting for the Xeno to arrive.

What would you guys do?

 

[DM030819]

If it's not dispatched yet then you may be able to cancel the order and buy it from somewhere else that ships quicker.

The only other option is a visit to the vet.

 

[Wiebke]

Edit: Sorry the title was suppose to say Mite Treatment. Stupid phone

Friday night I found a bite mark on one of my sows that I presumed came from the new cage mate. However, upon further inspection I'm leaning towards it actually being a case of mites or allergies, purely because since being separated from the new cage mate Rosie's bite has gotten worse and I've actually seen her itching in that area (and yes, I do feel slightly guilty for wrongly imprisoning Pearl :S)

The wounds not terrible. It's not deep or nasty, it just fresh cuts and scratches on the skin. The surrounding skin is pink and healthy.

I ordered some Xeno 450 on Friday but it's not been dispatched yet and so it may be another 2 to 3 days before I get it. So I'm left with two choices.

A. I wait for the Xeno to arrive and risk Rosie causing further injury to herself.

B. I go to pets at home tomorrow and get some of that crappy beaphar stuff. I know it won't be enough to solve the problem, but maybe it'll be enough to reduce the irritation to a level where Rosie will be comfortable? But of course this then means that I won't be able to treat them with the Xeno when it arrives and I'll have to wait, drawing out the whole process.

C. Of course option C is to see if my local pets at home have any Xeno in stock, but that's another £33 that they may or may not have in stock anyway.

I feel like I'm stuck because I on one hand the sooner I treat the girls with Xeno the sooner they'll be comfortable. But at the same time I don't want Rosie tearing up her skin whilst I'm waiting for the Xeno to arrive.

What would you guys do?

Please see a vet for a diagnosis and do not treat on spec. There is always the risk that it could be fungal as well, especially at this time of the year. Mange mates and fungal can look very similar in the early stages, much more than you would expect from all those nice textbook images. Vets usually have got some ivermectin at hand, so your girls can get their first dose there. Or get the appropriate fungal treatment.

Please DO NOT use low dosed stuff from the pet shop! It is just wasted money and you have to wait until that has worn off before you can start with the treatment proper.

PS: I have changed the title for you.

 

[Swissgreys]

I would see a vet.
We had a similar situation with out piggies and I also ordered Xeno online as I was pretty sure I knew what we were dealing with.
But in the end I decided it was better to be sure so went to the vet.

 

[Jojessgaz]

hi I'm a little in the same boat ... except I have been to the vets having got the awful stuff from pets at home was advised on here that its not worth using, so waited and took them for the xeno, 2 weeks later 1 still had so got a 2nd dose for both ... 2 weeks later 1 still has, I think I'm going to have to get a 3rd dose as nothing seems to be going , but the skin isn't broken on my guinea just scratching at the mo, I'm not over keen on this new vet we have , he is a very nice person but when I asked what it was, was it mites from the hay, he just said it could be a number of issues and more than one insect poss from the grass too ? so I'm not really sure what we are treating , it seems that this xeno covers a number of issues.... good luck

 

[Wiebke]

hi I'm a little in the same boat ... except I have been to the vets having got the awful stuff from pets at home was advised on here that its not worth using, so waited and took them for the xeno, 2 weeks later 1 still had so got a 2nd dose for both ... 2 weeks later 1 still has, I think I'm going to have to get a 3rd dose as nothing seems to be going , but the skin isn't broken on my guinea just scratching at the mo, I'm not over keen on this new vet we have , he is a very nice person but when I asked what it was, was it mites from the hay, he just said it could be a number of issues and more than one insect poss from the grass too ? so I'm not really sure what we are treating , it seems that this xeno covers a number of issues.... good luck

Please be aware that there are two types of mites that guinea pigs can catch.
The more harmless one are hay or fur mites, also known as static lice (chirodiscoides Caviae). The mites themselves are virtually invisible, but the eggs, which are fixed to hairs at the back end of a guinea pig are visible upon close inspection. They look like somebody has turned a pepper mill over a guinea pig's back end. These mites generally come with hay. Until recently, it used to be just untreated cheap farmer's where they would often turn up in autumn and be easily treated with a shampoo. However, in the about three years, a new and much more resistent strain of hay mites has turned up with imported pet shop hay. It can be sometimes more difficult to get rid of.
If a full course of xeno is not working as these mites live off skin detritus, then please either revive your original threat or start a new one for alternative treatments you can discuss with your vet.

The dangerous type of mites that can lead to a guinea pig's death are mange or selnick mites (trixacarus Caviae). The mites are completely invisible, but they burrow their egg cases into the skin, which becomes inflamed and very painful. Mange mites can come from the environment, but dormant eggs are actually often already present in the body when you acquire quinea pigs, especially when mothers are mange mite carriers. These eggs are generally kept under controll by a fully operational immune system and do not require any treatment, but they can hit whenever a guinea pigs is stressed, pregnant or very ill. The only cure is a full course of 3-4 rounds of high dosed good quality ivermectin, like xeno. Before ivermectin came on the scene, there was no cure for mange mites, and they have caused countless pets to die a slow and agonising death.

Please do not confuse these two types of mites.

 

[Jojessgaz]

My vet as I say hasn't advised me much what they have... there is no broken skin at all just like you say on her lower back black specks both half way up the hair shafts and on the skin where the hair parts in a crest . Thank you for the clarification it does sound like hay static lice... sorry being thick now.. wasn't sure what you advised in revive your original threat... do you mean a 3rd dose of xeno? Would the alternative be injection? Imy half thinking about another practice but is it better seeing it through with the original vet. Just feel 6 plus weeks is a long time to have them still there and seem to look no better

 

[Wiebke]

My vet as I say hasn't advised me much what they have... there is no broken skin at all just like you say on her lower back black specks both half way up the hair shafts and on the skin where the hair parts in a crest . Thank you for the clarification it does sound like hay static lice... sorry being thick now.. wasn't sure what you advised in revive your original threat... do you mean a 3rd dose of xeno? Would the alternative be injection? Imy half thinking about another practice but is it better seeing it through with the original vet. Just feel 6 plus weeks is a long time to have them still there and seem to look no better

Yes, please give a third dose of xeno. If there are still problems, please either post on your own original thread or start a new one, but mention any previous treatment. If you can see egg cases, then you are indeed dealing hay mites and not with mange mites.

 

[Cuddles With Cavies]

I took my girls to the vets today and they did indeed confirm hay mites. They've given me Pharmaq Ivermectin drops at 1% strength to have weekly until they improve, although they are booked back in for a check up 2 weeks from now to ensure everything is going well.