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Mites

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Charlotte01

Charlotte01

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My guinea pig has started scratching himself a lot and twisting his head to itch his back. I looked through his coat and couldnt see any mites or lice and his skin doesn't look irritated. What could of caused this itching?
 
Charlotte01 said:
My guinea pig has started scratching himself a lot and twisting his head to itch his back. I looked through his coat and couldnt see any mites or lice and his skin doesn't look irritated. What could of caused this itching?
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Mange mites are not visible to the naked eye and - if you catch them in the very early stages - there aren't yet any other signs apart from very vigorous itching/biting. Please see a vet for a firm diagnosis; with a prompt full course with a good product, mites don't have to become more than a nuisance. You will need to treat any companions and other guinea pigs in contact, too.
 
Wiebke said:
Mange mites are not visible to the naked eye and - if you catch them in the very early stages - there aren't yet any other signs apart from very vigorous itching/biting. Please see a vet for a firm diagnosis; with a prompt full course with a good product, mites don't have to become more than a nuisance. You will need to treat any companions and other guinea pigs in contact, too.
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Thankyou. Is it expensive to get them treated because I have 6 guinea pigs?
 
Charlotte01 said:
Thankyou. Is it expensive to get them treated because I have 6 guinea pigs?
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A good ivermectin product like xeno in the right concentration for the weight is not quite cheap and you need to treat three times at the specified interval to make sure that you catch all emerging mites, but it is the one that is taking care of the problem and prevents a return, so I consider it money well spent. You only need to have the affected guinea pig diagnosed, which we cannot do safely just from being asked; fungal issues can start similarly.

You can order xeno more cheaply online for the non-affected companions, but please don't treat just on spec, as there is a certain risk you could make things worse rather than better by treating for the wrong thing.
 
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