Pepperdog
Adult Guinea Pig
I feel so sorry for poor crystal but there is little more I can do for her than what I have done.
I found last week that crystal has mites and treated all 4 right away with ivormectin spot on. I had already changed the hutch out (which is how I discovered the little blighters) and the only thing that I can think has caused this is my own fault
Despite previously deciding that they would not bed on hay I had a rubbish bag of meadow hay which I didnt want to throw away so I put it down on the wetest section of the hutch - right at the bottom of the ramp under the hay rack where they all spend a lot of time. That way I could clean out the hay from this section daily and not worry about wasting a whole bag of hay.
Well it must have been harbouring lice as crystal has them on her, she has removed some hair and this morning created a sore patch on her back from grooming/itching so much - which might have been triggered by me inspecting her hair all over to find out which little blighters I was dealing with and she was very itchy on that part everytime I parted her hair to look (such a bad piggie mummy but I needed to find them as on her sides there were none).
I removed all evidence of hay from the hay racks and on the bedding yesterday and replenished from a new bag (and as it happens a new batch). I have them out in the run today and examined from top to toe all 4 of them and minty (the abby) is the only one with still no evidence of lice, I am sure they are there though, flash is riddled but not bothered and fudge screamed because I was parting her hair backwards and she wasnt happy about it rolleyes she has some but not as many as flash. Crystal ironically has the least but has reacted badly to her invadors and I dont know what else I can do to help here, I feel so bad for her as its my fault :0
I am doing a clean out today, I wont replace with fleece or paper shreadings, for the moment I will just put paper in and throw it daily till I can get this under control. I think for the bedroom I will put a towel in and change that each day too (washing them frequently).
I know the invasion is no where near as bad as the calves I had to treat years ago on a farm, all I did back then was lice powder the lot of them and their hay (shaking it off before feeding, farm animals are not treated as well as pets). I just did as I was told and over the years I have seen a few farm animals with some lice, one injection of ivormec (the same thing as ivormectin) and that was all I had to do. I even had a dog here that stressed so much he chewed his hair off in places he could reach, all these I have dealt with and allowed nature to run its course.
So why do I feel like I am not doing enough for crystal - which I have never seen any of them scratch too much anyday (she must be doing this at night), I will put aloe on her sore patch to try to sooth it for her, wish I could comb out all the nasties and get them off her once and for all. All 4 pigs are coping better than me :red they are not that bothered and chomping on the grass (which is moved to a new patch daily).
I found last week that crystal has mites and treated all 4 right away with ivormectin spot on. I had already changed the hutch out (which is how I discovered the little blighters) and the only thing that I can think has caused this is my own fault
Despite previously deciding that they would not bed on hay I had a rubbish bag of meadow hay which I didnt want to throw away so I put it down on the wetest section of the hutch - right at the bottom of the ramp under the hay rack where they all spend a lot of time. That way I could clean out the hay from this section daily and not worry about wasting a whole bag of hay.Well it must have been harbouring lice as crystal has them on her, she has removed some hair and this morning created a sore patch on her back from grooming/itching so much - which might have been triggered by me inspecting her hair all over to find out which little blighters I was dealing with and she was very itchy on that part everytime I parted her hair to look (such a bad piggie mummy but I needed to find them as on her sides there were none).
I removed all evidence of hay from the hay racks and on the bedding yesterday and replenished from a new bag (and as it happens a new batch). I have them out in the run today and examined from top to toe all 4 of them and minty (the abby) is the only one with still no evidence of lice, I am sure they are there though, flash is riddled but not bothered and fudge screamed because I was parting her hair backwards and she wasnt happy about it rolleyes she has some but not as many as flash. Crystal ironically has the least but has reacted badly to her invadors and I dont know what else I can do to help here, I feel so bad for her as its my fault :0
I am doing a clean out today, I wont replace with fleece or paper shreadings, for the moment I will just put paper in and throw it daily till I can get this under control. I think for the bedroom I will put a towel in and change that each day too (washing them frequently).
I know the invasion is no where near as bad as the calves I had to treat years ago on a farm, all I did back then was lice powder the lot of them and their hay (shaking it off before feeding, farm animals are not treated as well as pets). I just did as I was told and over the years I have seen a few farm animals with some lice, one injection of ivormec (the same thing as ivormectin) and that was all I had to do. I even had a dog here that stressed so much he chewed his hair off in places he could reach, all these I have dealt with and allowed nature to run its course.
So why do I feel like I am not doing enough for crystal - which I have never seen any of them scratch too much anyday (she must be doing this at night), I will put aloe on her sore patch to try to sooth it for her, wish I could comb out all the nasties and get them off her once and for all. All 4 pigs are coping better than me :red they are not that bothered and chomping on the grass (which is moved to a new patch daily).
as do I 
>>>
