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my poor guineas have lice

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poppylovesguineas

poppylovesguineas

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i've only had my two lovely dutch guineas for twelve weeks and just discovered they have running lice. Now i wonder how long they have had it because i never noticed before even though i hold them almost every day. How come they never had it before because i still use the same hay as i did at the start it is a huge bale i bought from a stable place. Shall i throw away the remaining hay and go to a different supplier? iv ordered some lice n easy. Is the lice causing pain? Also is it possible for guinea pigs to pick lice up from grass in the garden? as we have just moved house. thanks x
 
They can pick up lice from anywhere. Just treat them and see whether the lice go away that way.

If they haven't got bald patches, you've caught the lice early. Untreated they can cause a guinea pig to go off food from the constant irritation and pain in the skin and die.
 
Lice are more of a nuisance than anything else. I would question how many pigs die from untreated lice infections. The problem can be treated by using one of the many anti-lice shampoos that are available, such as "Lice 'n' Easy" or "Flea or Die".
Mites which burrow into the skin are a far worse condition as they can cause fatal damage to various internal organs. Fortunately, they can be treated with a course of Ivomec.
 
I can vouch for Lice 'n' Easy, works a treat. You need to shampoo all your piggies, then re-treat a week later and that usually does the trick. Here's a link to the relevant page on the Gorgeous Guineas site http://www.gorgeousguineas.co.uk/p/category/0510072850-Lice/. I have to say I had always heard that lice were a nuisance more than anything else and if it is a mite problem Alcesterpigs recommendations are spot on. Good luck with your pigs.
 
alcesterpigs said:
Lice are more of a nuisance than anything else. I would question how many pigs die from untreated lice infections. The problem can be treated by using one of the many anti-lice shampoos that are available, such as "Lice 'n' Easy" or "Flea or Die".
Mites which burrow into the skin are a far worse condition as they can cause fatal damage to various internal organs. Fortunately, they can be treated with a course of Ivomec.
Click to expand...

I agree that in cases where lice infections get so bad, severe neglect usually extends to the feeding etc. as well!
 
thanks

thanks for your replies. They dont have any bald patches yet. the problem is is that my partner is taking me to paris until the 16th so i wont be able to treat them until then because i havent got the lice stuff yet. Do you think they will be alright until then?
 
If you need something quicker, go to Pets at Home or any bigger petshop and buy the Johnson's Insecticidal Spray Extra. It works within 24 hours and I've found it to be super effective.
 
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